T&F Notebook: B1G Invite #1

THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa track and field team travels to Bloomington, Indiana, to compete at the B1G Invite #1 on Friday and Saturday at the Robert C. Haugh Track & Field Complex. Competition begins Friday at 5:30 p.m. (C.T) with the women’s pole vault. Competition will begin Saturday at 10 a.m. (C.T) with the women’s hammer throw.

FOLLOW THE HAWKEYES
Fans can follow live results at view the complete schedule of events with meet entries at hawkeyesports.com/tracklive. Results throughout the meet will also be posted on the team’s official twitter account @iowaxc_tf.

SUPER SENIORS RETURN TO THE SCENE
The men’s Big Ten champions and a women’s team that placed third at the 2021 conference indoor meet will be even stronger when the 2021 outdoor season begins this week.
The Hawkeyes return 17 seniors who were unable to finish their outdoor eligibility last spring. The group includes one national champion, 15 All-America performances, four school-record holders, and 31 Big Ten Championship medals.

The women’s group includes Tia Saunders, Laulauga Tausaga, Jenny Kimbro, Courtney Strohman, Karina Joyner, Erin Dowd, Allison Wahrman, and Serena Brown.
The men’s group includes Will Daniels, Tysen VanDraska, DeJuan Frye, Ray Clarke, Austin Lietz, Dan Soto, Nathan Mylenek, Jaylan McConico, and Antonio Woodard.

RETURNING “SUPER SENIOR” ALL AMERICANS
DeJuan Frye: outdoor and indoor 4×400 relay, 2018, second team, ninth
DeJuan Frye: outdoor 4×400 relay, 2017, first team, third
DeJuan Frye: indoor 4×400 relay, 2017, first team, fifth
Ray Clark: indoor 4×400 relay, 2020
Nathan Mylenek: outdoor 3000 steeplechase, 2019, second-team, ninth
Jaylan McConico: outdoor 110 hurdles, 2019, second-team, 11th
Jaylan McConico: indoor 60 hurdles, 2019, second-team, 12th
Antonio Woodard: outdoor 4×400 relay, 2019, first-team, fourth
Antonio Woodard: outdoor 4×400 relay, 2018, second-team, nineth
Laulauga Tausaga: outdoor discus, 2019, first-team, champion
Laulauga Tausaga: indoors weight throw, 2019, first-team, fifth
Laulauga Tausaga: outdoors shot put and discus, 2019, first-team, fourth
Laulauga Tausaga: outdoor discus, 2017, first-team, seventh
Jenny Kimbro: pentathlon, 2019, second-team, 15th

WHAT 2: WATCH 4: LAULAUGA TAUSAGA
Laulauga Tausaga holds the school record in the indoor and outdoor shot put, weight throw, hammer throw, and discus (two indoor and three outdoor school records). Tausaga is a five-time All-American and captured the national championship in the discus throw with a mark of 207’6” (63.26m) at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Tausaga also won the discus and the hammer throw at the 2019 Big Ten Championships. She set the school record in discuss at the 2019 World Championships (209-9, 63.94m).
Tausaga will be competing in the discus and the shot put this weekend.

WHAT 2: WATCH 4: WILL DANIELS
Will Daniels last competed for the Hawkeyes at the 2020 Big Ten Indoor Championships where he finished second in the heptathlon with 5,689 points. Daniels score was a school record at the time but has since been passed by fellow teammate Peyton Haack. Daniels was a national champion heptathlete for Central College in 2018. He did not compete outdoors in 2019 or 2020. This weekend is Daniel’s first outdoor competition for the Hawks. He is expected to compete in the long jump and the 4×400 meter relay.

WHAT 2: WATCH 4: JENNY KIMBRO
Jenny Kimbro opens her senior season as the school record holder in the pentathlon and heptathlon. In her last heptathlon, Kimbro finished 23rd at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Kimbro was named second- team All-America in 2019 with a 15th place finish in the pentathlon. Kimbro is competing in the 100 hurdles, 400 hurdles and the 4×400 meter relay this weekend.

WHAT 2: WATCH 4: JAYLAN MCCONICO
Jaylan McConico opens his senior season tied for third all-time in the 110-meter hurdles with Dion Trowers in 13.62. In his last outdoor competition, McConico placed 11th at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships in 13.69, earning second-team All-America honors. He was also Big Ten runner-up in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2019 outdoor conference championships. McConico is a two-time Big Ten champion int he indoor 60-meter hurdles. This weekend he is expected to compete in the 4×100 meter relay, 110 hurdles and the 4×400 meter relay.

WHAT 2: WATCH 4: NATHAN MYLENEK
Nathan Mylenek broke the 63-year-old school record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, placing second in 8:38.53 at Mt. SAC Relays in 2019. He earned All-America honors that same year, placing ninth in 3,000-meter steeplechase at 2019 NCAA Championships (8:49.40). He placed second in 1,500 meters with a team-leading and collegiate-best 3:44.49 at 2019 Drake Relays, a time ranks fourth all-time at Iowa. Mylenek is expected to compete in the 1,500 meters and the 800 meters this weekend.

WHAT 2: WATCH 4: MARISSA MUELLER
Marissa Mueller finished 35th in the javelin throw with a mark of 42.80 meters at the NCAA West Regional Championships in 2019. Mueller threw a career best of 47.02 meters at the 2019 Big Ten Outdoor Championships to finish seventh. This mark currently ranks third all-time in program history. Mueller will be competing in the javelin throw this weekend.

WHAT 2: WATCH 4: ANTONIO WOODARD
Antonio Woodard returns to the track as a three-time 2019 All-American. He ran the second leg on the school record-setting 1,600-meter relay (3:00.14) that placed fourth, and the second leg on 400-meter relay that placed 10th (39.17) at 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships. The 400-meter relay time ranks second all-time at Iowa. He placed 18th in 200 meters at 2019 NCAA Championships (20.68), earning honorable mention All-America honors. Woodard is expected to compete in the 100 meters and the 400- and 1,600-meter relay this weekend.

REIGNING BIG TEN OUTDOOR CHAMPIONS
The Iowa men’s track and field team won the 2019 Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships on its home track in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes claimed their fourth program title, and as defending Big Ten Outdoor champions (2019) and the reigning 2019 indoor champions, are among the favorites to win it again.
The last Big Ten men’s team to win consecutive outdoor championships was Minnesota in 2009-10.

2021 BIG TEN INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS WRAP UP
The Hawkeye men won the 2021 Big Ten Indoor Championships with a school record 119 points. It was Iowa’s first outright Big Ten Indoor Championship since 1929. The men won two gold medals, including James Carter in the long jump and Peyton Haack in the heptathlon. The women placed third with a total of 75 points, matching the highest finish in program history. Paige Magee won gold in the 60-meter hurdles.