IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa track and field team is back at home on Friday and Saturday, hosting the Larry Wieczorek Invitational. The weight throw will take place at 1 p.m. (CT) on Friday afternoon at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex (HTRC), with high jump starting at the UI Rec Building (Indoor Track Facility) at 3 p.m. On Saturday, the meet begins at 1 p.m. (CT) with the pole vault at the UI Rec Building (Indoor Track Facility). Admission is free.
THE COMPETITION
The Wieczorek Invitational will include six teams, including three Big Ten teams – Iowa, Purdue and Wisconsin – as well as Baylor, Gonzaga and Northern Iowa.
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
LaSarah 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 29th in the NCAA and No. 4 in 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. Hargrove followed up her performance with a time of 23.58 seconds in the 200 meters at the Hawkeye Invitational on January 15, winning the meet and running the fifth-fastest time in Iowa history. Her mark currently leads the conference and ranks fourth nationally.
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 ex-ploded 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 added a win at the Hawkeye Invitational, winning the 60 meters with a meet-record time of 6.71. 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 START SEASON STRONG
Junior Amanda Howe set a new meet record (20.67m / 67’9”) at the Jimmy Grant Invitational and moved into second all-time at Iowa in the weight throw. Howe’s throw currently ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 15th in the NCAA. Senior Nia Britt won the women’s shot put (15.72m / 51’7”) at the Jimmy Grant Invitational, while junior teammate Nicole Berry moved into the top-five in program history (15.54m / 51’), finishing as the runner-up. Britt’s mark currently ranks 11th in the Big Ten and 26th in the nation. Britt also finished third in the weight throw (19.69m / 64’11.75”) at the Hawkeye Invitational and her mark ranks eighth in the Big Ten and No. 26 in the NCAA. Kat Moody added her name to the top 20 in the NCAA, as she won the shot put (16.32m / 53’6.5”) at the Hawkeye Invitational. Moody’s mark was a career best that moved her into third all-time at Iowa.
FAST TRACK FOR MCKIVER
Freshman Jenoah McKiver kicked off his season with a pair of individual victories in the 600 meters and the 400 meters at the Jimmy Grant Invitational and the Hawkeye Invitational. McKiver cruised to victory in the 600 meters, posting a career-best time of (1:17.44). McKiver’s time bested the previous Jimmy Grant Invitational meet record and put him ninth all-time at Iowa. The Hawkeye sprinter won 400 me-ters at the Hawkeye Invitational with a conference-leading time of 46.83 that currently ranks fifth in the NCAA. McKiver doubled back at both meets and competed in the 4×400-meter relay. At the Jimmy Grant Invitational, he posted a team-best split (45.80) and followed that up at the Hawkeye Invitational by posting a 46.95-second split to help the Hawkeyes record a meet-record time of 3:09.98 that currently leads the Big Ten and is No. 7 in the country.
WOMEN’S SHORT-SPRINT GROUP RUNS DEEP
The Hawkeye women short sprinters had an excellent start to the season at the Jimmy Grant Invitation-al, adding two marks to Iowa’s all-time top 10 list in the 60 meters. 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, record-ing a new personal-best (24.58). Hargrove followed Big Ten Women’s Track Athlete of the week per-formance with a time of 23.58 seconds in the 200 meters at the Hawkeye Invitational on January 15, winning the meet and running the fifth-fastest time in Iowa history. Her mark currently leads the conference and ranks fourth nationally. Freshman Mytika Mayberry recorded back-to-back personal-bests in the 60-meter prelims (7.70) and finals (7.64), winning the final at the Jimmy Grant Invitational. 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 Love and Mayberry.
MEN’S MILER’S ADD TWO MORE UNDER 4:10
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) who recorded a career best. Freshman Antonio Abrego and senior Noah Healy added their names to the sub-4:10 mile list as they both recorded new career-best times at the Hawkeye Invitational. Abrego and Healy finished third and fourth with times of 4:09.75 and 4:09.98, respectively.
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 heat to Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Jan. 28 and 29 for the Razorback Invitational.