IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa Track and Field team kicked off its indoor season Saturday at the Jimmy Grant Invitational. The Hawkeyes posted 11 top-10 marks on the school’s all-time record list, while breaking seven meet records.
The short-sprints group was a bright spot for the Hawkeye women. Sophomore LaSarah Hargrove ran the third-fastest 60-meter time in school history (7.40), with freshman Lia Love close behind (7.44), who jumped onto the all-time list, ranking fifth. Love also finished runner-up in the 200 meters, recording a new personal-best (24.58). Freshman Mytika Mayberry recorded back-to-back personal-bests in the 60-meter prelims (7.70) and finals (7.64), winning the final.
For the men, newcomer Kalen Walker tied the 60-meter school record (6.69) in his first race as a Hawkeye. Sophomore Deandre Stapleton won the 60-meter final (6.86) and junior James Carter, Jr. was the runner-up (6.91) — both recorded personal-bests. Freshman Austin Kresley ran just shy of his personal-best mark in the 200 meters, winning the event in 21.31.
The reigning long jump Big Ten Indoor Champion, Carter, Jr., also set a new meet record (7.49m / 24’7”) and won the long jump. Sophomore Zack Pluff won the high jump (2.05m / 6’8.75”).
Freshman Jenoah McKiver cruised to victory in the 600 meters, posting a career-best (1:17.44). McKiver’s time bested the previous meet record and puts him ninth all-time in Iowa history. McKiver doubled back and competed as the anchor leg in the 4×400-meter relay for the “B” team, posting a team-best split (45.80).
Gratt Reed dipped under seven seconds in the 60 meters for the first time in his career, posting a 6.77. Reed doubled back in the 60-meter hurdles and took home the win (7.85). Junior Peyton Haack finished runner-up (7.93) and sophomore Austin West ran a personal best (8.20).
For the women, sophomore Myreanna Bebe posted a career best in the 60-meter hurdles, finishing in 8.45 to win her heat. Bebe improved upon her career best again in the 60-meter hurdles final (8.42). Bebe’s time is good for eighth all-time in Iowa history.
The Hawkeyes picked up event wins in the men’s and women’s weight throw. Junior Amanda Howe set a new meet record (20.67m / 67’9”) and moved into second all-time at Iowa. For the men, senior Tyler Lienau won with a 20.51-meter (67’3”) throw. Senior Nia Britt won the women’s shot put (15.72m / 51’7”), while junior teammate Nicole Berry moved into the top-five in program history (15.54m / 51’), finishing as the runner-up.
Freshman Khullen Jefferson won the 400 meters with an indoor-career best of 47.64. Jefferson went on to run the second leg of the Iowa “A” 4×400-meter relay that took first with a new meet-record (3:11.26).
Senior Mallory King won the 1,000 meters, recording a meet record (2:50.46). Freshman Amber Aesoph was right on her heels in second (2:51.50) with Alli Bookin-Nosbisch finishing third (2:52.51). All three Hawkeyes ran faster than the previous meet record.
Freshman Antonio Abrego (2:24.05) made his Iowa debut and led a group of five Hawkeyes under 2:30 in the 1,000 meters. Junior Tyler Olson and freshman Jason Hoffman recorded times of 2:25.11 and 2:25.75, respectively, to finish second and third. Freshmen Kal Lewis and Martin Strong finished fourth and fifth with times of 2:25.85 and 2:28.98, respectively.
Indoor freshmen Max Murphy and Nick Trattner each bested the previous meet record in the mile. Murphy won in 4:08.71, and Trattner was the runner-up in 4:09.61.
Up next, the Hawkeyes are back at home on January 14 and 15 to host the Hawkeye Invitational.
IOWA DIRECTOR OF TRACK & FIELD JOEY WOODY ON THE MEN’S PERFORMANCE…
“It was a terrific first meet across all the event areas. I am really pleased with where we are at. Starting with the field events and the high jump, Zack Pluff was jumping at his personal-record height and just missed it today. That was really good to open up at that height.
“James Carter coming out here and jumping 24-plus from a short-approach jump was really impressive and it was a good way to get things going.
“It was good to Kalen Walker come out here and tie the school record his first time wearing an Iowa uniform. That is what we have been seeing in practice. For him to go out and execute it the way that we have been working on was really fun to see.
“The hurdlers took care of business. Gratt Reed had a fantastic day running close to his best time in the hurdles, and then had a huge personal best in the 60 meters. All the events on the track were phenomenal.
“The 600 meters was fantastic. Jenoah (McKiver) is a phenomenal talent. For him to come out here and run 1:17 (600m) comfortably, that’s a really fast time on this track. I was really impressed with that, and then he came back and split 45.80 in the 4×400 relay. He is a special talent and we’re excited to see what he is going to do.
“Across the board, from the beginning of the meet to the end of the meet, I was really pleased with how things came out. We got some good work in and now it is just about taking care of business next week with finals and then making sure we continue to train hard and get ready for January.”
IOWA DIRECTOR OF TRACK & FIELD JOEY WOODY ON THE WOMEN’S PERFORMANCE…
“I thought the women’s long jump went really well. We had a lot of our women who were going from a shoulder approach, and they were already jumping in the upper five-meter range, so that’s a really good sign.
“The hurdles went spectacular. I was really pleased with Myreanna [Bebe] and Paige [Magee] coming off of an injury last year, so it was great to see her back and performing at a really high level. Myreanna had two personal bests in the 60-meter hurdles today.
“Our multis ran very well. I was also really pleased with Tionna [Tobias] in the 60-meter hurdles after coming off the long jump.
“I was really happy to see our women’s short-sprint group shine. LaSarah [Hargrove] cut over a tenth of a second off of her personal record in the 60 meters. It was great to see Lia Love come out here as a freshman and run two-tenths faster than she did in high school in the 60 meters, and then come out and have a personal best in the 200 meters as well.
“Mallory King was fantastic in the 1,000 meters as she always is. She has been consistent and I think that’s the biggest thing. She is always going to come out and put her best out there.
“The mile I thought went really well. I thought those women competed well. The 4×400 relays had some really nice marks. I was happy with Mariel Bruxvoort — she just continues to improve every single race.
“The women’s 300 meters had a lot of young athletes in there. If you look at what Chloe [Larsen] and Sarah [Bova] did in their first race. Nylah Perry (Big Ten Finalist) has been limited in training, but she is a competitor and definitely a talented athlete. I thought Payton Wensel had a great close on the end of that too. “
HAWKEYE RESULTS:
Men’s Weight Throw
- Tyler Lienau – 20.51m (67’3”)
- Jordan Hawkins – 18.98m (62’3”)
- Jordan Johnson – 18.44m (60’6”)
- Sean Smith – 18.31m (60’1”)
Women’s Weight Throw
- Amanda Howe – 20.67m (67’9”) *Meet Record, No. 2 all-time
- Nia Britt – 19.79m (64’11”) No. 3 all-time
- Jamie Kofron – 18.88m (61’11”) No. 6 all-time
- Alivia Bauer – 18.11m (59’5”)
Men’s High Jump
- Zack Pluff – 2.05m (6’8.75”)
- Keith Keahna – 1.95m (6’4.75”)
- Austin West – 1.90m (6’2.75”)
- Noah James – 1.90m (6’2.75”)
Women’s High Jump
T4. Kiersten Fisher – 1.60m (5’3”)
T4. Maria Gorham – 1.60m (5’3”)
- Anne Guest – 1.60m (5’3”)
- Jade Hunter – 1.55m (5’1”)
Men’s Shot Put
- Elijah Barnes – 17.82m (58’5.75”)
- Jordan Johnson – 17.13m (56’2.5”)
- Quintin Lyons – 17.03m (55’10.5”)
- Dawson Ellingson – 16.95m (55’7.5”)
Women’s Shot Put
- Nia Britt – 15.72m (51’7”)
- Nicole Berry – 15.54m (51’) (PR) T-No. 5 all-time
- Kat Moody – 15.50m (50’10.25”)
- Jamie Kofron – 14.50m (47’7”)
- Ianna Roach – 13.91m (45’7.75”)
Men’s Long Jump
- James Carter Jr. – 7.49m (24’7”) *Meet Record
- Peyton Haack – 6.93m (22’9”)
- Deandre Stapleton Jr. – 6.76m (22’2.25”)
Women’s Long Jump
- Tahlee McVee – 5.65m (18’6.5”)
- Kayla Hutchins – 5.63m (18’5.75”)
- Tionna Tobias – 5.58m (18’3.75”)
- Jade McDonald – 5.55m (18’2.5”)
- De’Anna Robinson – 5.50m (18’0.5”)
- Ellie Johnson – 5.37m (17’7.5”)
60H Men’s Prelims
- Gratt Reed – 7.90 Q
- Peyton Haack – 8.05 q
- Austin West – 8.31 q
60H Women’s Prelims
- Myreanna Bebe – 8.45 (PR) T9 all-time Q
- Tionna Tobias – 8.54 q
- Paige Magee – 8.75 q
- Jade McDonald – 8.79 (PR) q
- Tahlee McVee – 8.88 (PR)
- Ellie Johnson – 8.90 (PR)
- Miya Brines – 9.20 (PR)
Men’s 600m
- Jenoah McKiver – 1:17.44 (PR) No.9 all-time *Meet Record
- Alec Still – 1:19.42
- Armando Bryson – 1:20.83
- Drake Woody – 1:22.33 (PR)
Men’s 1000m
- Antonio Abrego – 2:24.05
- Tyler Olson – 2:25.11
- Jason Hoffman – 2:25.75
- Kal Lewis – 2:25.85
- Martin Strong – 2:28.98
Women’s 1000m
- Mallory King – 2:50.46 *Meet Record
- Amber Aesoph – 2:51.50
- Alli Bookin-Nosbisch – 2:52.51
- Emma Gordon – 2:57.07
- Logan Akason – 3:00.17
- Samantha Strauss – 3:16.00
Men’s 60m Prelims
- Kalen Walker – 6.69 (PR) T-School Record *Meet Record Q
- Gratt Reed – 6.77 (PR) Q
- Austin Kresley – 6.79q
- James Carter Jr. – 6.92 (PR)q
- Deandre Stapleton – 6.93q
Women’s 60m Prelims
- LaSarah Hargrove – 7.40 (PR) No. 3 all-time Q
- Lia Love – 7.44 (PR) T No.5 all-time Q
- Mytika Mayberry – 7.70 (PR) Q
- Kayla Hutchins – 8.06
- De’Anna Robinson – 8.07 (PR)
Women’s 400m
- Mariel Bruxvoort – 55.97 (PR)
Men’s 400m
- Khullen Jefferson – 47.64
- Chadrick Richards – 50.23
Men’s 60 Hurdles Final
- Gratt Reed – 7.85
- Peyton Haack – 7.93
- Austin West – 8.20 (PR)
Women’s 60 Hurdles Final
- Myreanna Bebe – 8.42 (PR) No. 8 all-time
- Tionna Tobias – 8.49
- Paige Magee – 8.81
- Jade McDonald – 8.83
- Tahlee McVee – 8.92
Men’s 60 Meters Final
- Deandre Stapleton Jr. – 6.86 (PR)
- James Carter Jr. – 6.91 (PR)
Women’s 60 Meters Final
- Mytika Mayberry – 7.64 (PR)
Men’s 300m
- Evan Shuster – 34.80
- Nolan Roethler – 35.87
Women’s 300m
- Nylah Perry – 39.22
- Tesa Roberts – 39.46
- Payton Wensel – 39.97
- Chloe Larsen – 40.05
- Sarah Bova – 40.30
Men’s Mile
- Max Murphy – 4:08.71 *Meet Record
- Nick Trattner – 4:09.61 (PR)
- Daniel Klysh – 4:13.33 (PR)
- Jeff Roberts – 4:18.92
- Aidan King – 4:23.81
- Ian Geisler – 4:24.99 (PR)
- Konnor Sommer – 4:25.14 (PR)
Women’s Mile
- Claire Edmondson – 5:14.86
- Abby Ryon – 5:16.34
- Ellie Twedt – 5:16.66
- Maddie Block – 5:31.66
Men’s 200m
- Austin Kresley – 21.31
Women’s 200m
- Lia Love – 24:58 (PR)
Men’s 4×400 Relay
- IOWA A (Richards, K. Jefferson, Olson, Bryson) – 3:11.26 *Meet Record
- IOWA B (West, Abrego, Woody, McKiver) – 3:12.55
- IOWA C (Haack, Still, Shuster, Roethler) – 3:18.77
Women’s 4×400 Relay
- IOWA A (Fitzpatrick, Larsen, Roberts, Bruxvoort) – 3:46.44
- IOWA B (Tobias, Bova, Wensel, King) – 3:48.35
- IOWA C (Aesoph, Akason, McVee, Gordon) – 4:05.21