IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa track and field teams concluded the Larry Wieczorek Invitational on Saturday at the UI Recreation Building and Hawkeye Indoor Track. A pair of school records fell, as sophomores Kalen Walker (6.67) and LaSarah Hargove (7.31) ran school-record breaking times in their respective 60-meter preliminary races.
“Seeing two school records broken in the prelims was a really good sign of where things were going to be today,” Iowa director of track and field Joey Woody said. “I think all across the board was phenomenal and it started last night in the 600 meters with Jenoah (McKiver) running a school record. We kept the ball rolling today, that is what this meet is all about; it’s having this spectacle for our fans to showcase our program. I thought our athletes came out and performed at a high level across the board.”
The Iowa men and women both won the team race in dominating fashions. The men posted 232 team points over second place Baylor’s 63, and the women bested Baylor with a 183 to 92 margin.
Freshman Antonio Abrego made his 800-meter debut for the Hawkeyes and joined elite company. Abrego ran 1:48.88 to land fourth all-time at Iowa, winning the meet. The Hawkeyes had the top-five finishers in the race as juniors Tyler Olson and Alec Still, sophomore Spencer Gudgel and freshman Armando Bryson closed behind Abrego.
“The 800 meters was phenomenal and we have some star young athletes,” Woody said. “Antonio Abrego is going to be a star for our program for the foreseeable future. He had a phenomenal performance. Mallory opened up and led from the gun to the tape and that is hard to do in any race.”
On the women’s side, senior Mallory King won the 800-meter race in 2:09.40, followed by Alli Bookin-Nosbisch, Clare Pitcher and Grace Bookin-Nosbisch to sweep the top four.
Freshman Max Murphy moved up to eighth on Iowa’s all-time mile list (4:05.45), finishing second in a field that included Wisconsin’s Olin Hacker running a sub-four minute mile.
In the 60-meter hurdles, the Hawkeyes qualified three men and three women to the final. Sophomore Grant Conway improved his lifetime-best time, running 7.77 in the prelims and leading Iowa with a fourth-place finish in the final. Sophomore Tionna Tobias moved up to ninth on Iowa’s all-time list (8.44) with a fourth-place finish.
In the triple jump, junior James Carter, Jr. jumped a career-best mark of 15.64 meters (51’3.75”) to finish runner up, and freshman Kayla Hutchins finished as the runner up (11.54m, 37’10.5”) on the women’s side.
Iowa capped the day by winning both the men’s and women’s 4×400-meter relays. For the women, Mariel Bruxvoort, Jaiden Itson, Payton Wensel and Tesa Roberts passed the baton around in 3:38.95 for a Big Ten lead.
“In the 4×400-meter relays, the women really started to take it to another level,” Woody said. “For them to go out and beat Purdue and Baylor head-to-head is big time. They are getting a lot of confidence as we roll toward the middle of our season.”
The quartet of Everett Steward, Chadrick Richards, Jenoah McKiver and Julien Gillum finished the weekend off by edging Baylor with a Big Ten-leading time of 3:07.85 that currently ranks seventh in the NCAA.
“It was very impressive, especially without two of our top guys,” Woody said. “To see them go out and post the seventh-best time in the country right now and run a season’s best was great. They are trying to run low three minutes this year and we definitely have the guys to do it.”
The Hawkeyes head to Fayetteville, Arkansas, next weekend for the Razorback Invite.
HAWKEYE RESULTS
Women’s 60 Meters Premier Prelims:
1. LaSarah Hargrove – 7.31Q Personal Best, School Record
3. Lia Love – 7.40q Personal Best, No. 3 all-time
15. Miya Brines – 7.78
16. Myreanna Bebe – 7.81
17. Mytika Mayberry – 7.84
Men’s 60 Meters Premier Prelims:
1. Kalen Walker – 6.67Q Personal Best, School Record
9. Gratt Reed – 6.86
12. Kalil Johnson – 6.96
15. Deandre Stapleton Jr. – 7.02
16. Austin West – 7.05
17. Josh Braverman – 7.07
18. Grant Conway – 7.07
Women’s 60 Meters Finals:
2. LaSarah Hargrove – 7.34
4. Lia Love – 7.46
Men’s 60 Meters Finals:
3. Kalen Walker – 6.67
Women’s 60 Hurdles Premier Prelims:
3. Myreanna Bebe – 8.36q
6. Tionna Tobias – 8.50q
8. Paige Magee – 8.57q
9. Miya Brines – 8.66 Personal Best
10. Jade McDonald – 8.76 Personal Best
16. Elli Johnson – 9.21
Men’s 60 Hurdles Premier Prelims:
3. Grant Conway – 7.77q Personal Best
6. Gratt Reed – 7.95q
6. Josh Braverman – 7.95q
9. Kalil Johnson – 8.17 Personal Best
Women’s 60 Hurdles Premier Final:
4. Tionna Tobias – 8.44 Personal Best, T-No. 9 all-time
7. Myreanna Bebe – 8.53
8. Paige Magee – 8.62
Men’s 60 Hurdles Premier Final:
4. Grant Conway – 7.85
5. Josh Braverman – 7.89
7. Gratt Reed – 7.96
Women’s 400 Meters:
2. Sarah Bova – 57.05 Personal Best
3. Chloe Larsen – 57.17 Personal Best
5. Laney Fitzpartrick – 57.56 Personal Best
Women’s Jimmy Grant 400m Premier:
4. Tesa Roberts – 55.58
5. Mariel Bruxvoort – 55.60 Personal Best
Men’s John Raffensperger 400 Meters Premier:
1. Julien Gillum – 46.88 Personal Best, No. 9 all-time
2. Khullen Jefferson – 47.13
3. Phillip Jefferson – 48.81 Personal Best
4. Everett Steward – 48.95
7. Evan Shuster – 49.99
9. Nolan Roethler – 50.63
Women’s 800 Meters:
1. Katie Moore – 2:16.66
Women’s 800 Meters Premier:
1. Mallory King – 2:09.40
2. Alli Bookin-Nosbisch – 2:10.76
3. Clare Pitcher – 2:11.88
4. Grace Bookin-Nosbisch – 2:12.39 Personal Best
Men’s 800 Meters Premier:
1. Antontio Abrego – 1:48.88 Personal Best, No. 4 all-time
2. Tyler Olson – 1:49.60 Personal Best
3. Alec Still – 1:49.95
4. Spencer Gudgel – 1:51.41
5. Armando Bryson – 1:51.76
Women’s Mile:
3. Abby Ryon – 5:09.26 Personal Best
4. Logan Akason – 5:12.78
6. Samantha Strauss – 5:22.99 Personal Best
Men’s Mile:
2. Eli Ward – 4:19.29 Personal Best
4. Jack Pendergast – 4:19.92 Personal Best
5. Ian Geisler – 4:21.09 Personal Best
Women’s Jerry Hassard Mile:
4. Emma Gordon – 4:56.11
Men’s Larry Wieczorek Mile:
2. Max Murphy – 4:05.45 Personal Best, No. 8 all-time
4. Daniel Klysh – 4:12.38 Personal Best
5. Jason Hoffman – 4:12.68 Personal Best
7. Kal Lewis – 4:13.58
8. Jeff Roberts – 4:16.23
Women’s 4×400 Relay Premier:
1. IOWA A – 3:38.95 (Bruxvoort,Itson,Wensel,Roberts)
5. IOWA B – (Fitzpatrick, Bova, Larsen, Akason)
Men’s 4×400 Relay Premier:
1. IOWA A – 3:07.85 (Steward, Richards, McKiver, Gillum)
5. IOWA B – 3:15.63 (Woody,Abrego,Shuster,Roethler)
Women’s Triple Jump:
2. Kayla Hutchins – 11.54m (37’10.5”)
Men’s Triple Jump:
2. James Carter Jr. – 15.64m (51’3.75”) Personal Best
TEAM RESULTS:
MEN:
1. Iowa: 232 Points
2. Baylor: 63 Points
2. Purdue: 63 Points
4. Wisconsin: 46 Points
5. UNI: 42 Points
WOMEN:
1. Iowa: 183 Points
2. Baylor: 92 Points
3. Wisconsin: 87 Points
4. Purdue: 64 Points
5. Gonzaga: 18 Points
6. UNI: 11 Points