T&F Notebook: Billy Hayes Invitational

THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa track and field team travels to Bloomington, Indiana, to compete at the Billy Hayes Invitational on Friday and Saturday. Iowa’s competition begins Friday with the men’s 3,000 meter steeplechase 6:45 p.m. (CT). Competition begins Saturday with the women’s hammer throw at noon (CT). A full schedule of events and a link to live results is located at hawkeyesports.com/tracklive.

USTFCCCA TEAM RANKINGS
The Hawkeye women are ranked No. 26 in the April 19 USTFCCCA Rating Index. The Hawkeyes are the second highest ranked Big Ten women’s team and check in at No. 5 in the Midwest Region. The Hawkeye men are ranked No. 30 in the nation and No. 1 in the Midwest. Iowa is the highest ranked men’s team in the Big Ten.

USTFCCCA EVENT SQUAD
The Hawkeyes have eight events ranked in the April 26 USTFCCCA Event Squad Ratings. The events include the nation’s top-ranked women’s discus squad and men’s 110-meter hurdles group. The other events include No. 2 women’s shot put, No. 4 men’s 400 hurdles, No. 4 men’s discus, No. 6 women’s hurdles, No. 6 men’s long jump, and No. 9 women’s hammer.

WHAT 2: WATCH 4: JAMAL BRITT
Jamal Britt was one of two Hawkeyes that headed to the Drake Relays last weekend to compete in the 110 hurdles. Britt brought home the bronze medal in the “Journey to Gold” 110 hurdles with a career best 13.45. The time was a career best by .07 seconds and ranks second all-time in program history. Britt’s time also ranks first in the Big Ten and first in the NCAA West Region. Britt is competing in the 110 hurdles and the 400 hurdles this weekend. He has improved his 110 hurdles time in every meet he has competed this season, including marks of 13.68, 13.52 and 13.45. He has moved from sixth, to third, to second on Iowa’s all-time top 10 list.

WHAT 2: WATCH 4: CLARE PITCHER
Clare Pitcher finished seventh in the 800 meters at the Fighting Illini Big Ten Relays with a career best 2:08.64. This time was an improvement by almost three seconds from the prior weekend and a career best by almost a full second. Pitcher is currently ranked 14th in the Big Ten in the event. Pitcher is competing in the 800 meters and the 4×400 meter relay this weekend.

WHAT 2: WATCH 4: WAYNE LAWRENCE JR.
Wayne Lawrence, Jr. brought home two gold medals in the 200 meters and the 400 meters last weekend at the Fighting Illini Big Ten Relays. Lawrence won the 200 meters with a career best 20.71, a time that ties for 10th on Iowa’s all-time top 10 list. Lawrence currently ranks third in the Big Ten and 13th in the NCAA West Region in the 200 meters. Lawrence won the 400 meters last week with a time of 46.72. Lawrence’s season best ranks first in the Big Ten and 13th in the NCAA West Region. Lawrence is competing in the 200 meters, 400 meters, and the 4×400 meter relay this weekend.

WHAT 2: WATCH 4: TIONNA TOBIAS
Tionna Tobias finished seventh in the 200 meters last weekend at the Fighting Illini Big Ten Relays. Tobias recorded a career best time of 24.43. Tobias improved her time by over two tenths of a second. Tobias’s time moves her to 20th in the Big Ten. Tobias also finished seventh in the long jump with a mark of 5.73 meters. Tobias is competing in the 200 meters, 100 hurdles, and the 4×100 meter relay this weekend.

WHAT 2: WATCH 4: NATHAN MYLENEK
Nathan Mylenek finished ninth last weekend in the 1500 meters at the Fighting Illini Big Ten Relays with a time of 3:50.58. Mylenek is coming off of a career best performance in the 5,000 meters at the Big Ten Invite #3, where he finished seventh with a time of 13:54.15. On April 2, Mylenek made his outdoor season debut in the 3,000 meter steeplechase. The current school record holder (8:38.53) in the event brought home gold with a time of 8:50.26. Mylenek’s time is currently first in the Big Ten and 13th in the NCAA West Region. Mylenek is competing in the 1500 meters and the 3,000 meter steeplechase this weekend.

WHAT 2: WATCH 4: EMMA GORDON
Emma Gordon continued her incredible outdoor campaign with another career best in the 800 meters at the Fighting Illini Big Ten Relays. Gordon won her section and finished 19th overall with a career best time of 2:15.21. Gordon has posted career bests in four events over her last three meets. Gordon’s 1500 and 800-meter career bests rank 33rd and 51st in the Big Ten. Gordon is competing in the 1500 meters this weekend.

WHAT 2: WATCH 4: ELIJAH BARNES
Elijah Barnes last competed in the shot put and discus throw at the Husker Big Ten Invite on April 16-17. Barnes finished fourth in the shot put with a season’s best mark of 17.80 meters. Barnes finished 14th in the discus throw with a career best mark of 46.50 meters. Barnes’s mark in the shot put currently ranks ninth in the Big Ten and 35th in the NCAA West Region. Barnes will be competing in the shot put and the discus throw this weekend.

WHAT 2: WATCH 4: SERENA BROWN
Serena Brown last competed in the discus throw at the Husker Big Ten Invite where she brought home the gold with a mark of 55.80 meters. Brown’s career best came at the B1G Florida Invitational where she finished second with a mark of 57.44 meters. This throw ranks third on Iowa’s all-time top 10 list, second in the Big Ten and eighth in the NCAA West Region. Brown is competing in the discus throw this weekend.

BIG TEN HONORS
Senior Laulauga Tausaga has been awarded Big Ten Field Athlete of the Week two times this season. She swept the shot put and discus events at the Big Ten North Florida Invitational on April 2-3. She won the shot put with a throw of 17.94 meters, then the No. 1 mark in the country. She won the discus with a mark of 59.24 meters. She also swept the discus and shot put evets at the Big Ten Invite #1 on March 26-27. Her discus mark of 60.81 meters leads the country. Junior Jamal Britt was named men’s track athlete of the week after setting career bests in the 110-meter hurdles and 200 meters at the Big Ten Invite #1. He won the 110-meter hurdles in 13.68, a mark that ranked sixth all-time in program history at the time. He ran the 200 in 21.22.

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.