EUGENE, Ore. — University of Iowa seniors Will Daniels and Laulauga Tausaga earned first-team All-America honors Thursday at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Tausaga placed sixth in the shot put, topping out a 17.29 meters on her second attempt. The All-America honor is the fifth of her outdoor career and her second in the shot put. She will aim for another All-America honor Saturday when she defends her 2019 NCAA discus title.
“Lagi didn’t have the competition she expected but she still came out as a first-team All-American and scored big points in one of the most competitive competitions in NCAA history,” said Iowa director of track and field Joey Woody.
Daniels recorded a pair of top 10 efforts Thursday to secure a seventh-place finish and first-team All-America honors in the decathlon. His seventh place finish is the highest of any decathlete at the NCAA Championships in program history.
“Today was a great day for Will. He competed strong throughout the two days and came away with our first first-team All-America honor in the decathlon in school history,” said Woody. “Will has had an amazing two years at Iowa and etched his name in the record books indoor and out.”
Kat Moody also competed in the shot put alongside Tausaga. The sophomore hit 16.45 meters on her second attempt and placed 18th overall to earn honorable mention All-America honors.
“Kat had a fantastic day for her first NCAA Championships appearance,” said Woody. “All three throws were over 16 meters and she will be a big player in that event throughout the next few years.”
UP NEXT
Iowa returns to the track Friday for Day 3 of the NCAA Outdoor National Championships. Jaylan McConico and Jamal Britt compete in the 110-meter hurdles finals at 7:42 p.m. (CT). The men’s 4×400 relay competes in the finals at 9:21 p.m. and Jenny Kimbro kicks off the first day of the heptathlon with the 100-meter hurdles at 2 p.m. A complete schedule of events and links to live streaming and results can be found at hawkeyesports.com/tracklive.
HAWKEYE RESULTS
Shot Put
6. Laulauga Tausaga / 17.29 meters
18. Kat Moody / 16.65 meters
Men’s Decathlon (Thursday/Wednesday*)
7. Will Daniels / 7,635 points
5. 110 Hurdles / 14.63
11. Discus / 38.54 meters
12. Pole Vault / 4.51 meters
10. Javelin Throw / 52.42 meters
16. 1,500m / 4:55.02
2. 100m / 10.73*
2. Long Jump / 7.29 meters*
12. Shot Put / 13.77 meters*
4. High Jump / 2.04 meters*
17. 400m / 50.97*
*Wednesday
