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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa track and field team set 17 personal bests and earned four individual titles at the Black and Gold Invite on Saturday.
Senior Laulauga Tausaga led the women by taking first and breaking meet records in both the weight throw and shot put. By the end of this weekend, Tausaga’s weight throw (21.33m) ranks third in the Big Ten and her shot put (16.72) from the Larry Wieczorek Invite on Jan. 25 ranks fifth.
“By setting these two meet records, I’m hoping to carry this energy and some better throws into next week just to make sure we put the Hawkeyes back on the map for throws,” said Tausaga. “I want to make sure I lead as a good example for the freshman girls on the team going into the next year when I’m gone. I just want us to be really great.”
Sophomore Josh Andrews led the Hawkeyes in running events, taking first in the 600 meters and earning a new personal best (1:19.91). Sophomore James Carter won the triple jump with a mark of 14.86 meters. He currently ranks eighth overall in the Big Ten Conference with a mark of 15.07 from the Larry Wieczorek Invitational on Jan. 25.
QUOTING COACH WOODY
“We didn’t compete everyone this weekend because we needed this week to recover from three weeks of high competition. We had our first road trip last week and had some great competition, so it was a good week to recover and get some really good training in. We still had some great performances overall.”
“I thought it was really good to get Tanner (Iske) out there in the 60. He didn’t make the final, but he had some big progress. Throws went well yesterday. Lagi (Tausaga) started off yesterday in the weight throw. She’s sitting No. 3 in the conference with that throw and one of the top throws in the country for an opener and that’s actually a meter better than what she opened up with last year so that was a good sign.”
“The hurdles went really well. The guys performed pretty well. It was interesting to see what Grant Conway is doing as a redshirt freshman. To come out here and do that, he might be wearing the Iowa uniform next week. He’s definitely showing some promise by coming out here and competing to win. That guy is just an ultra-competitor. I was really happy for Josh Andrews in the 600. He had a big PR and just competed to win that race. We also had some 10/ 12 second PRs in the women’s mile so some fun things to see out of that group as well.”
At the UW Invitational in Seattle, Washington, seniors Daniel Soto and Nathan Mylenek both earned personal bests in the 3,000 meters. Soto jumped to No.4 all-time and sixth in the Big Ten and Mylenek joined the list at second all-time and No.2 in the conference.
HAWKEYES TAKE GOLD
Josh Andrews: 600 meters (1:19.91)
James Carter: triple jump (14.86m)
Laulauga Tausaga: weight throw (21.33m, 69-11.75), shot put (16.54m, 54-3.25)
CAREER BESTS
The women tallied eight personal bests:
Carly Donahue: 400 meters (59.64)
Maggie Gutwein: mile (5:16.94)
Lasarah Hargrove: 60-meter dash (7.51)
Dallyssa Huggins: shot put (13.44m, 44-1.25)
Wren Renquist: mile (5:16.94)
Ianna Roach: shot put (13.66m, 44-9.75)
Gabby Skopec: mile (5:03.38)
Kylie Welch: 60-meter dash (8.12)
The men added nine personal bests:
Josh Andrews: 600 meters (1:19.91)
Will Daniels: 60-meter hurdles (8.24)
Peyton Haack: high jump (1.95m)
Tanner Iske: 60-meter dash (6.92)
Jordan Johnson: shot put (16.14m, 52-11.5)
Nathan Mylenek: 3,000 meters (7:58.37)
Daniel Soto: 3,000 meters (8:06.03)
Deandre Stapleton Jr.: long jump (7.12m)
Austin West: shot put (12.81m, 42-00.5)
NEXT ON THE BLOCK
The Hawkeyes split up to head to the Frank Sevigne Husker Invite in Lincoln, Neb. and the Meyo Invite in South Bend, Ind. The meets take place on Feb. 7-8.
