Track & Field Notebook: Jimmy Grant Invite

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THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa track and field team opens the 2019-20 indoor track and field season Saturday hosting the Jimmy Grant Invitational. The teams competing include Iowa State, Lewis University, Maryville University, and Northern Iowa. The meet begins at 9 a.m. (CT) with the weight throw at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex. Jumps begin at 1 p.m. at the UI Rec Building and the running events start at 4:30 p.m. with the 60-meter hurdle preliminaries. Admission is free.

Jimmy Grant (1947-2007)
The Jimmy Grant Invitational is named after the late head coach. Coach Grant served as assistant coach from 1986- 96 and women’s head coach from
1996-2006. He led the Hawkeyes to 12 individual Big Ten titles and coached 10 All-Americans. Grant was born in Manchester, Jamaica. He attended Eastern Michigan, where he was an all-American and inducted into the Eastern Michigan Hall of Fame. Grant died peacefully on July 23, 2007 of cancer. 

MEET THE RECORD HOLDERS
Four Hawkeyes on the roster account for four indoor school records. They include:
• Nathan Mylenek, Collin Hofacker: distance medley relay (9:33.90)
• Karayme Bartley: 200 meters (20.67)
• Laulauga Tausaga: shot put (17.79m) and weight throw (23.26m)

2019 INDOOR ALL-AMERICANS
The Hawkeyes finished the 2019 indoor season with 10 All- America honors. Returning this season is first-team All-American Laulauga Tausaga (discus). She also received second-team All-America for shot put. Karayme Bartley (200m, 4×4 relay) and Collin Hofacker (4×4 relay) earned first team All-American. Wayne Lawrence Jr. (400m, 4×4 relay) earned first and second team. Jaylan McConico earned second team All-American in the 60-meter hurdles. Jenny Kimbro earned second-team All- America (pentathlon).

2019 All-Americans
First Team — Laulauga Tausaga (weight throw), Briana Guillory (400 meters), Chris Douglas (60-meter hurdles), Karayme Bartley (200 meters,4×4 relay), Collin Hofacker ( 4×4 relay), Wayne Lawrence Jr. (4×4 relay), Mar’yea Harris (4×4 relay).
Second Team — Mar’yea Harris (400 meters), Jaylan McConico (60-meter hurdles), Wayne Lawrence Jr. (400 meters), Tria Simmons (pentathlon), Jenny Kimbro (pentathlon), Laulauga Tausaga (shot put).

TAUSAGA COMPETES AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Senior Laulauga Tausaga competed with Team USA in the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar on Oct. 2. Tausaga set a new discus school record 63.94 meters (209-9) to advance to the final round. Tausaga finished in the top five.

ALL WE DO IS WIN
At the 2019 Big Ten Indoor Championships, Jaylan McConico earned his first Big Ten title and first-team All-Big Ten honor. Collin Hofacker, Antonio Woodard, Chris Thompson, and Mar’yea Harris took home a Big Ten Championship for the 4×400 Relay. Jenny Kimbro (60-meter hurdles, 4×400), Tria Simmons (pentathlon, 4×400), and Aly Weum (4×400) won conference titles for the women.

RETURNING BIG TEN LEADERS
The Hawkeyes return 10 athletes who ranked in the Big Ten top five in 2019.
• Collin Hofacker: 4×400 relay (1st)
• Chris Thompson: 4×400 relay (1st)
• Jaylan McConico: 60-meter hurdles (1st)
• Laulauga Tausaga: weight throw (2nd
• Karayme Bartley: 200 meters, 400 meters (2nd, 5th)
• Jenny Kimbro: 60-meter hurdles, 4×400 relay, pentathlon (2nd, 3rd, 3rd)
• Aly Weum: 4×400 relay (3rd)
• Anthony Williams: 60-meter hurdles (4th)
• Wayne Lawrence Jr.: 400 meters (4th)
• Antonio Woodard: 200 meters, 4×400 relay (5th, 1st)

RETURNING NCAA LEADERS
Iowa returns four athletes that finished the 2019 indoor season inside the country’s top 10. Laulauga Tausaga finished fifth in the country in
weight throw (22.23m). Collin Hofacker, Wayne Lawrence Jr., and Karayme Bartley finished sixth in the NCAA in the 4×400 relay (3:07.68). Bartley also came in sixth in the 200 meters (20.97). Iowa returns six NCAA top 10 athletes from the outdoor season. Laulauga Tausaga ranks first in discus (63.26m), Wayne Lawrence, Antonio Woodard, and Karayme Bartley rank fourth in the 1,600-meter relay.

BIG TEN COACH OF THE YEAR
On May 15, the University of Iowa Director of Track and Field Joey Woody was named Big Ten Coach of the Year. Woody led Iowa to its first Big Ten Championship since 2011. The men’s team won the conference title with 116 points.

NEXT ON THE BLOCK
The Hawkeyes host their second of four indoor home meets with the Hawkeye Invitational Jan. 10-11. Teams competing include Bradley, Iowa Central CC, Iowa State, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois, Western Illinois.

 

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