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GENEVA, Ohio — The University of Iowa Track and Field team competed at the Big Ten Championships in Geneva, Ohio on Saturday. The men placed second with 107 points, runner-up to Indiana University with 120 points. The last time the Hawkeye men placed this high at a Big Ten Indoor Championship was in 1963 when they took first. The women placed eighth with 51 points. The Ohio State University women finished first with 104 points.
Sophomore Wayne Lawrence was the highlight of Day 2, claiming gold medals in the 200, 400, and 4×400-meter relay.
“Realistically, I was only planning on getting two medals (400m, 4×4) coming into the meet,” said Lawrence. “It was a blessing I got the 200m medal. Coming in, I didn’t think I could end up getting three and I just happened to get three.”
DeJuan Frye, Raymund Clarke, and Antonio Woodard made up the rest of the winning relay team (3:04.91).
Senior Jaylan McConico proved he was still number one in the Big Ten by taking gold in the 60-meter hurdles (7.61). McConico has stayed at the top of the conference since the Jimmy Grant Invitational on Dec. 14, the first meet of the season.
COACH WOODY’S QUOTE
“Obviously we wanted the trophy, but I feel really good. We did about everything we thought we could do. We missed on a few things here and there, but I thought the guys really battled hard all weekend. A lot of people stepped up when things didn’t go right, and you saw that in the 4×4. Ray (Clarke) had a great weekend helping us out in both relays. Hats off to Indiana. They had a fantastic meet. We fought the whole time and we put ourselves in a position to win, but we would have needed to have almost a perfect meet and we didn’t do that.”
“When you look at what he’s (Wayne Lawrence) done just in a year’s time… he had just run the 400 and got eighth, didn’t run on the 4×4 team or the 200… and then what he’s done in 365 days, is really incredible. He dominated in the 400, came through for us big time in the 200, and then ended our 4×4 with a time that I think ranks fourth in the nation. To get three gold medals at the Big Ten is pretty unheard of. He started training this summer because he’s got big goals. He wants to be on the Jamaican Olympic team. He’s set himself up going into the national championship.”
“He’s (Jaylan McConico) had an incredible season. The guy is still undefeated, and we want to keep it that way. He’s just an ultra-competitor. Another Big Ten champ in the hurdles and we want to keep that tradition going. That whole hurdle group did a great job this weekend.”
“For the women, Lagi (Tausaga) and Jenny (Kimbro) came through with the runner-up performances. Both those girls battled back. Really happy for Jenny, just fighting to make it to the final after the 800 in the pentathlon, then to get runner-up is just fantastic. Lagi has big goals for when she gets to the national meet and that will just add more fuel to her fire. I thought the women’s 600 competed really well. Even for Hannah (Schilb) to fight back and get points for the team in the triple jump, was pretty impressive.”
BIG TEN MEDALISTS
Raymund Clarke: 4×400-Meter Relay (gold)
Will Daniels: Heptathlon (silver)
DeJuan Frye: 4×400-Meter Relay (gold)
Jenny Kimbro: 60-Meter Hurdles (silver)
Wayne Lawrence: 200 Meters, 400 Meters, 4×400-Meter Relay (gold)
Austin Lietz: 600 Meters (silver)
Jaylan McConico: 60-Meter Hurdles (gold)
Laulauga Tausaga: Shot Put (silver)
Antonio Woodard: 4×400-Meter Relay (gold)
BIG TEN POINT SCORERS
Josh Braverman: 60-Meter Hurdles, 4th place (5 points)
James Carter: Triple Jump, 4th place (5 points)
DeJuan Frye: 400 Meters, 7th place (2 points)
Peyton Haack: Heptathlon, 4th place (5 points)
Dallyssa Huggins: High Jump, 7th place (2 points)
Jay Hunt: High Jump, 8th place (1 point)
Mallory King: 600 Meters, 4th place (5 points)
Matt Manternach: 600 Meters, 4th place (5 points)
Tia Saunders: 600 Meters, 8th place (1 point)
Hannah Schilb: Triple Jump, 5th place (4 points)
Daniel Soto: 5,000 Meters, 6th place (3 points)
Tysen VanDraska: 800 Meters, 6th place (3 points)
Payton Wensel: 600 Meters, 5th place (4 points)
Austin West: Heptathlon, 5th place (4 points)
Antonio Woodard: 200 Meters, 7th place (2 points)
UP NEXT
Qualifying Hawkeyes will head to the NCAA Championships on March 13-14 in Albuquerque, N.M. to compete for national titles. A full schedule of events will be posted on hawkeyesports.com.
