IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa track and field team is back at home on Friday and Saturday, hosting the Hawkeye Invitational. The teams competing include Arkansas State, Bradley, Hawkeye CC, Indian Hills CC, Iowa Central CC, Loyola-Chicago, Northern Iowa, UW-Milwaukee, Western Illinois and South Dakota. The weight throw will take place at 5 p.m. (CT) on Friday evening at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex (HTRC). On Saturday, the meet begins at 10 a.m. (CT) with the high jump at the UI Rec Building (Indoor Track Facility). Admission is free.
FOLLOW ALONG
Fans can follow the meet on the live results page at hawkeyesports.com/tracklive. Results will also be posted on the team’s official twitter account @iowaxc_tf. A live video feed is available at www.bigtenplus.com.
B1G HONORS FOR HARGROVE
Hargrove, a native of Tampa, Florida, ran the third-fastest 60-meter time in program history (7.40) at the Jimmy Grant Invitational on December 11. The Hawkeye sprinter’s time currently ranks seventh in the NCAA and leads the Big Ten. The sophomore earned Big Ten Women’s Track Athlete of the Week honors on December 15 for her performance – the first conference honors of Hargrove’s career.
WALKER ADDS DEPTH TO MEN’S SHORT-SPRINT SQUAD
The Hawkeye sprint group was a force in the Big Ten a year ago, but lacked a single qualifier in the 60-meter final at the Big Ten Championships. Kalen Walker is perhaps one of the most intriguing additions to the men’s team this year. Walker is a sophomore transfer from Indian Hills Junior College and held career-best times of 6.90 (60 meters) and 21.52 (200 meters) when he came to Iowa City. Walker exploded onto the scene in his Hawkeye debut at the Jimmy Grant Invitational, tying the 60-meter school record with a time of 6.69 in the prelims. Walker joins sophomore Austin Kresley, who owns a career-best time of 6.72 in the 60 meters, and he adds some needed depth to the short sprints group. The 60 meters was the only sprint event that the Hawkeyes did not score in at last season’s Big Ten meet.
WOMEN’S THROWS PERFORM STRONG AT JIMMY GRANT
Junior Amanda Howe set a new meet record (20.67m / 67’9”) and moved into second all-time at Iowa in the weight 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.
FAST TRACK FOR MCKIVER
Freshman Jenoah McKiver cruised to victory in the 600 meters at the Jimmy Grant Invitational, posting a career-best time of (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).
WOMEN’S SHORT-SPRINT GROUP RUNS DEEP
The Hawkeye women short sprinters had an excellent start to the season at the Jimmy Grant Invitational, adding two marks to Iowa’s all-time top 10 list in the 60-meters and winning the event individually. 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. The women were without a qualifier in the 60-meter final at the Big Ten Championships last season, but have added a pair of talented freshmen to the squad in Lia Love and Mytika Mayberry.
MURPHY RETURNS TO THE OVAL
The Jimmy Grant Invitational on December 11 marked 289 days since Max Murphy competed for the Hawkeyes. Murphy picked up right where he left off, winning the mile in a meet-record time of 4:08.71. Murphy was followed closely by sophomore teammates Nick Trattner (4:09.61) and Daniel Klysh (4:13.33) who both recorded career-best times. The last time Murphy competed at the Hawkeye Indoor Track, he recorded the fourth-best 3,000-meter time in school history (7:59.30). Murphy is a welcomed sight to the men’s distance program as a returning Big Ten scorer from 2021. Murphy anchored the DMR to a seventh-place finish at the Big Ten Championships last season.
2021 INDOOR ALL-AMERICANS
The Hawkeyes finished the 2020-21 indoor season with five All-America honors. Returning this season on the men’s side is five-time indoor All-American Wayne Lawrence Jr. (400m honorable mention 2021) and second-team All-America heptathletes Peyton Haack and Austin West. Senior Mallory King returns for the Iowa women after earning second-team All-America honors in the 800m a year ago.
RETURNING BIG TEN LEADERS
The Hawkeyes return 16 athletes who ranked in the Big Ten top five in 2020-21.
Austin Kresley: 60 meters (5th), 200 meters (5th)
Wayne Lawrence, Jr.: 200 meters (2nd), 400 meters (2nd)
Jenoah McKiver: 400 meters (5th)
Julien Gillum: 600 meters (3rd)
Spencer Gudgel: 600 meters (5th)
Mallory King: 600 meters (4th), 800 meters (1st)
Alec Still: 800 meters (5th)
Gratt Reed: 60m hurdles (3rd)
Josh Braverman: 60m hurdles (4th)
Paige Magee: 60m hurdles (1st)
Tionna Tobias: 60m hurdles (4th)
James Carter, Jr.: long jump (1st), triple jump (5th)
Nia Britt: shot put (5th)
Tyler Lienau: weight throw (3rd)
Peyton Haack: heptathlon (2nd)
Austin West: heptathlon (4th)
BIG TEN COACH OF THE YEAR
The Hawkeyes come off one of the best seasons in program history. A season ago, director of track and field Joey Woody became the first coach in program history to sweep the indoor and outdoor coach of the year awards. Iowa completed a Big Ten Championship sweep on the men’s side for the first time since 1963 — its outdoor title marking two-in-a-row. The indoor conference championship was the fourth in school history. The Hawkeyes had 10 medalists, including Big Ten champions James Carter, Jr. in long jump and Peyton Haack in the heptathlon.
NEXT ON THE BLOCK
The Hawkeyes host the Larry Wieczorek Invitational Jan. 21-22 – the third and final home meet of the indoor season. Teams competing include Baylor, Gonzaga, Northern Iowa, Purdue and Wisconsin.