THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa track and field team heads to Bloomington, Indiana, to compete at the B1G Invite #2 on Friday. The meet will be held at the Robert C. Haugh Complex and is hosted by the University of Indiana. Competition begins at 2 p.m. (CT) with the women’s 4×100 relay and women’s hammer. A full schedule of events and link to live results is located at hawkeyesports.com/tracklive.
USTFCCCA TEAM RATINGS
The Hawkeye women are rated No. 20 in the April 5 USTFCCCA Rating Index. The Hawkeyes are the third highest ranked Big Ten women’s team and check in at No. 2 in the Midwest Region.
The Hawkeye men are rated No. 18 in the nation and No. 3 in the Midwest. Iowa is the only top 25 nationally rated men’s team in the Big Ten.
TAUSAGA EARN B1G WEEKLY HONORS FOR SECOND STRAIGHT WEEK
For the second straight week University of Iowa senior Laulauga Tausaga has been named Big Ten track and field athlete of the week, the conference office announced April 7. Tausaga was named women’s field athlete of the week. She swept the shot put and discus events last week at the Big Ten North Florida Invitational. She won the shot put with a throw of 17.94 meters, the No. 1 mark in the country. She won the discus with a mark of 59.24 meters. Her top discus mark of 60.81 meters, set March 26 at the Big Ten Invite #1, also leads the country. Tausaga leads a Hawkeye discus event squad that ranks No. 1 in the country and a shot put group that ranks No. 2 in the country. The weekly conference honor is the ninth of Tausaga’s career and second in as many weeks.
“DISCUS U” RINGS TRUE
On April 5, the USTFCCCA released their second installment of the #EventSquad rankings. The Hawkeye women’s and men’s discus squads are ranked No. 1 in the nation. The women are led by stellar performances by Laulauga Tausaga and Serena Brown at the B1G North Florida Invitational. Tausaga and Brown finished first and second with throws of 59.24 meters and 57.44 meters respectively. Tausaga and Brown are ranked first and second in the Big Ten and first and fourth in the NCAA West Region. Moreover, not to be ignored, Jamie Kofron finished sixth in the open discus last weekend with a mark of 48.88 meters. This mark moved Kofron to eighth all-time in program history. Kofron also sits 13th in the Big Ten. The men are led by Jordan Johnson and Tyler Lienau, who hold season bests of 57.74 meters and 54.99 meters. Johnson and Lienau rank first and third in the Big Ten and fifth and 16th in the NCAA West Region. Elijah Barnes recorded a career best A with a throw of 51.81 meters. This mark ranks 10th in the Big Ten.
NO ONE DOES SHORT HURDLES BETTER
On April 5, the USTFCCCA released their second installment of the #EventSquad rankings. The men’s 110-meter hurdles squad is ranked No. 1 in the nation. The Hawkeyes qualified four men to the 110-meter hurdle final last weekend at the B1G North Florida Invitational. Jamal Britt led the way, winning the event with a career-best 13.52. Jaylan McConico, the 2020 Big Ten indoor 60-meters hurdle champion, ran a season best in the prelims with a time of 13.64. Britt and McConico are currently ranked first and second in the Big Ten and first and fourth in the NCAA West Region. Josh Braverman recorded a career best in the prelims with a time of 13.90. Gratt Reed set his career best the previous week at the B1G Invite #1 with a time of 14.07. Braverman and Reed currently sit fifth and seventh in the Big Ten and 12th and 23rd in the NCAA West Region.
WHAT 2: WATCH 4: WAYNE LAWRENCE JR.
Wayne Lawrence Jr. returned to track at the B1G North Florida Invitational for the first time since his impressive performance at the Big Ten Championships where he finished second in the 200 meters and the 400 meters. Lawrence recorded times of 20.89 and 45.40 at the championships. Lawrence Jr. ran a leg of the winning 4×400 relay last weekend with a time of 3:09.18. This time puts Lawrence and the Hawkeyes 26th in the NCAA West Region. Lawrence Jr. will be competing in the 400 meters and the 4×400 relay this weekend.
WHAT 2: WATCH 4: ELYSE PRESCOTT
Elyse Prescott last competed at the Big Ten Invite #1 in the 800 meters and the 1500 meters. Prescott recorded career bests in both events finishing sixth and seventh in 2:17.38 and 4:33.88. Prescott’s time in the 1500 meters ranks 18th in the Big Ten. Prescott returns to the track this weekend competing in her debut 3,000-meter steeplechase as a Hawkeye.
WHAT 2: WATCH 4: JENOAH MCKIVER
Jenoah Mckiver will be making his outdoor Hawkeye debut this weekend. Mckiver has been out of competition since Feb. 9, where he ran a leg of the winning 4×400 relay that recorded a time of 3:09.50 at the Husker Quad. Mckiver became a major asset for the 400-meter crew when he recorded a career best of 46.93 at the Hawkeye Border Battle on Jan. 9. Mckiver will be competing in the 400 meters this weekend.
WHAT 2: WATCH 4: MALLORY KING
Mallory King finished fifth in the 800 meters last weekend with a time of 2:08.01. This time currently ranks second in the Big Ten and 25th in the NCAA West Region. King also ran a leg of the silver medal 4×400 relay that posted a time of 3:41.25. The Hawkeye 4×400 relay currently ranks second in the Big Ten and 23rd in the nation. King will be making her collegiate 1,500 meter debut 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.
