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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The University of Iowa track and field team qualified five individuals and two relay squads for the NCAA Championships on Saturday at the NCAA West Preliminary.
“It was a fantastic weekend for us,” Iowa Director of Track and Field Joey Woody said. “They came in with their minds set, and we got a lot of qualifiers. Today, we battled well. We’ve got people in events all across the board.”
Sophomore Jay Hunt and junior Nia Britt qualified for the championships for first time in the high jump and shot put, respectively. Hunt jumped a personal best of 2.16 meters (7-1), moving up to fifth all-time at Iowa, and Britt bettered her second-ranked mark on Iowa’s top-10 list with a 16.96-meter (55-7 3/4) throw.
The personal bests continued in the 200 meters and 110-meter hurdles. Junior Karayme Bartley ran his fastest 200 meters in 20.51, Iowa’s fourth fastest time, and junior Jaylan McConico tied the third fastest 110-meter hurdles time, winning his heat in 13.62.
The final individual to qualify through to the next round was junior Antonio Woodard in the 200 meters with the 10th fastest time of the day, 20.76.
Both of the men’s relay squads made it through with Bartley, Woodard, and freshman Wayne Lawrence Jr. running on the 400- and 1,600-meter relays. The 400-meter relay (39.65) also included junior Collin Hofacker, and the 1,600-meter relay (3:03.20) was anchored by senior Mar’yea Harris. This marks the seventh consecutive outdoor season that the Hawkeyes have sent a 400-meter relay squad to the NCAA Championships.
Saturday’s qualifiers will join Iowa’s five qualifiers from Friday, including Lawrence (400 meters), Harris (400 meters), senior Chris Douglas (400-meter hurdles), junior Nathan Mylenek (3,000-meter steeplechase), and Laulauga Tausaga (discus), as well as junior Jenny Kimbro and senior Tria Simmons in the heptathlon.
The Hawkeyes will compete 13 athletes, 14 times at the NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas, on June 5-8.
