THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa track and field team travels to Madison, Wisconsin, to compete at the B1G Preview #4 on Saturday. Competition begins with the women’s hammer throw at noon (CT). Track events begin with the women’s 100 hurdles at 2 p.m. A full schedule of events and a link to live results is located at hawkeyesports.com/tracklive.
USTFCCCA TEAM RANKINGS
The Hawkeye men are ranked No. 21 in the nation and No. 4 in the Midwest. Iowa is the highest ranked men’s team in the Big Ten. The Hawkeye women are ranked No. 30 in the May 3 USTFCCCA Rating Index. The Hawkeyes are the third highest ranked Big Ten women’s team and check in at No. 6 in the Midwest Region.
USTFCCCA EVENT SQUAD
The Hawkeyes have nine events ranked in the May 3 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. 2 men’s discus, No. 3 men’s 400 hurdles, No. 3 women’s 400 hurdles, No. 7 men’s long jump, and No. 8 women’s hammer and No. 8 men’s 800.
MCONICO NAMED B1G TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Senior Jaylan McConico won the gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles at the Billy Hayes Invitational last weekend, recording back-to-back career bests in the prelims and finals. He recorded a time of 13.54 in the prelims and bested that mark by winning the finals in 13.42, the second-best mark in program history and the fourth-best time in the NCAA this season. McConico also ran the lead leg of Iowa’s 4×100 meter relay. The team of McConico, Antonio Woodard, Austin Kresley, and Wayne Lawrence, Jr. recorded a season best and winning time of 39.68. The weekly conference honor is the fourth of McConico’s career and the fourth for Iowa this outdoor season.
WHAT 2: WATCH 4: AMANDA HOWE
Amanda Howe brought home the gold medal in the hammer throw last weekend at the Billy Hayes Invite. Howe recorded a career-best throw of 62.65 meters. This mark is a new school record, besting teammate Laulauga Tausaga’s previous mark of 61.34 from 2019. Howe is ranked second in the Big Ten and 19th in the NCAA West Region. Howe will be competing in the hammer throw again this weekend.
WHAT 2: WATCH 4: COLE MOELLER
Cole Moeller finished fourth in the high jump at the Billy Hayes Invite last weekend. Moeller recorded a career best mark of 2.09 meters. Moeller recorded a mark of 1.93 meters just a week prior. Moeller’s best mark currently ranks sixth in the Big Ten and 41st in the NCAA West Region. Moeller will be competing the high jump this weekend.
WHAT 2: WATCH 4: GABBY SKOPEC
Gabby Skopec recorded a career best in the 1500 meters last weekend at the Billy Hayes Invite. Skopec finished 22nd with a career best time of 4:39.74. The race was Skopec’s debut in the 1500 meters. She holds a career best in the mile with a time of 5:01.21. Skopec will be competing in the 1500 meters again this weekend.
WHAT 2: WATCH 4: NOLAN KEMBEL
Nolan Kembel will be returning to the track for the first time since the Husker Big Ten Invite on April 16, where he finished 12th in the 400 meters with a time of 48.32. Kembel recorded two career bests in the 200 meters and the 400 meters this outdoor season at the Big Ten Invite #2. Kembel finished 15th in the 200 meters with a career best time of 22.86. Kembel finished fourth in the 400 meters with a career best time of 47.69, a time that ranks 14th in the Big Ten. Kembel will be competing in the 200 meters and the 400 meters this weekend.
WHAT 2: WATCH 4: KAT MOODY
Kat Moody finished fourth in the shot put and the discus throw last weekend at the Billy Hayes Invite. Moody recorded a career best in both events with throws of 16.30 meters in the spot put and 50.87 meters in the discus throw. Moody currently sits third all-time in program history in the shot put and sixth all-time in the discus throw. Moody’s throw in the shot put ranks 11th in the Big Ten and 23rd in the NCAA West Region. Moody’ throw in the discus throw ranks 13th in the Big Ten and 45th in the NCAA West Region. Moody will be competing in the shot put and discus throw this weekend.
WHAT 2: WATCH 4: ARMANDO BRYSON
Armando Bryson recorded a career best in the 800 meters in back to back weeks at the Fighting Illini Relays and the Billy Hayes Invite. Bryson, in just his fifth 800 meter race of his career, finished 13th this past weekend with a career best 1:50.46. This improved upon Bryson’s previous career best by a little over a second. Bryson ranks 21st in the Big Ten and 65th in the NCAA West Region.
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 ranks sixth all-time in program history. He ran the 200 in 21.22. Senior Jayland McConico was named men’s track athlete of the week following a pair of gold medal performances at the Billy Hayes Invite. He ran the lead leg on the winning 400-meter relay (39.68) and moved to No. 2 on Iowa’s all-time top 10 list with a 13.42 PR in the 110-meter hurdles.
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.
