IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa track and field hits the road for the first time this season, traveling to Fayetteville, Arkansas, for the Razorback Invite on Friday and Saturday at the Randal Tyson Track Center. Multi-events are scheduled to begin Friday at 11:45 a.m. (CT). Field events begin at 2 p.m. (CT) with running events slated to start at 6 p.m. (CT). On Saturday, multi-events resume at 10:15 a.m. (CT). Running begins with the 3,000 meters at 11 a.m. (CT) and field events start at 1 p.m. (CT).
THE COMPETITION
The Razorback Invite will play host to the Hawkeyes and eleven additional high-caliber programs, including Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa State, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Stanford and USC.
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 espn.com (SEC Network +).
IN THE RANKINGS
The Hawkeye men rank ninth in the initial USTFCCCA National Track and Field Index. The No. 9 ranking matches the highest in program history to start a season (2021). The Hawkeyes are the highest-ranked Big Ten team. No. 12 Nebraska is the only other Big Ten team in the top-25. Additionally, the Hawkeye men are ranked first in the Midwest Region, and the women rank second in the Midwest Region.
BREAKING RECORDS IS A HABIT
Four school records have gone down in the first three meets for the Hawkeyes. Tyler Lienau broke his own school record in the weight throw not once, but twice. Jenoah McKiver is the new owner of the 600-meter school record, and sophomores Kalen Walker and LaSarah Hargrove each posted their names atop the 60-meter lists for men and women, respectively.
WORDS FROM WOODY
“This is a terrific meet against some of the best competition in the nation. We are a complete track and field program and we are excited to showcase that this weekend.”
“We are excited to get Wayne [Lawrence, Jr.] back on the track this weekend. He is one of the best long sprinters in the NCAA, so getting him back out there is big for our program.”
”The DMR is a great team event. We feel confident that we can put together a relay this year to qualify to the NCAA Championships. This weekend will give us a very good indication of how good we can be this season.”
“This is the first time for our multi-athletes to compete this season and they’ll be doing so in one of the best fields in the country. We are very excited to see what that group can do in a great competition.”
LIFE IN THE FAST LANE
Freshman sprinter Jenoah McKiver has been on an absolute tear to start the season. Through three meets, the Hawkeye currently leads the conference in a pair of events. McKiver took down teammate Wayne Lawrence, Jr.’s 600-meter school record at the Wieczorek Invite on January 21, setting a new meet record, facility and track record and new Big Ten lead (1:16.08). He doubled back to run the third leg of the 4×400-meter relay the following night, carrying a team-best split of 45.56 on the third leg. The squad ran a Big Ten lead (3:07.85), good for No. 8 in the NCAA. Additionally, McKiver ran the 400 meters in 46.83 at the Hawkeye Invite on January 15 – good for second in the conference and eighth in the country to date.
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 Invite on December 11. 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 Invite on January 15, winning the meet and running the fifth-fastest time in Iowa history. Her time currently ranks second in the conference and No. 13 nationally. Hargrove stayed hot, returning to the 60-meter race at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational and running 7.31 to break the school record in the prelims. That time currently clocks in at No. 2 in the Big Ten and No. 17 nationally.
RUN DON’T WALK(ER)
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 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 added a win at the Hawkeye Invitational, winning the 60 meters with a meet-record time of 6.71. Walker improved his all-time best mark last time out at the Wieczorek Invitational, becoming the lone school-record holder in the 60 meters (6.67), running that time in both the prelims and final. Walker joins sophomore Austin Kresley, who owns a career-best time of 6.72 in the 60 meters, and 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.
MID-DISTANCE DOMINANCE
Freshmen Antonio Abrego and Jenoah McKiver led a mid-distance assault in the 600 meters and 800 meters at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational. McKiver won the 600 meters with a new school record, meet record, facility record and track record with a time of 1:16.08. Abergo won the 800 meters with a career-best time of 1:48.88, putting him No. 4 all-time in school history. Additionally, Abrego competed in the 600 meters on Friday night, placing fourth with a personal-best time of 1:17.78. the Junior duo of Tyler Olson and Alec Still both doubled in the 800 meters and 600 meters. Olson finished sixth in the 600 meters (1:17.94) and runner up in the 800 meters with a personal-best time of 1:49.60. Still finished ninth in the 600 meters with a new personal-best time (1:18.59) and finished third in the 800 meters (1:49.95). In total, the Hawkeyes had 10 athletes finish under 1:20 in the 600 meters and three athletes under 1:50 in the 800 meters.
LAUNCHING RECORDS
Four current Hawkeyes have thrown all-time top-10 program marks in the weight throw in the first three meets of the season:
- 2. Amanda Howe (20.67m / 67’9.75”)
- 3. Nia Britt (20.35m / 66’9.25”)
- 4. Jamie Kofron (19.39m / 63’7.5”)
- 9. Alivia Bauer (18.11m / 59’5”)
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 sixth in the Big Ten and 26th in the NCAA. Senior Nia Britt won the event at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational with a 20.35-meter throw to move to third on Iowa’s all-time list. Britt’s mark ranks No. 8 in the conference and 32nd nationally. In the shot put, the Iowa women again have four current athletes on the program’s all-time top-10 list. Britt’s mark came in 2019, but three Hawkeyes (Moody, Berry, Kofron) have thrown top-10 marks this season. Sophomore Kat Moody has the best mark this season. Moody 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.
2FAST4U
The Hawkeye men and women know how to run a quarter mile. The men’s squad of Everett Steward, Chadrick Richards, Jenoah McKiver and Julien Gillum ran a meet-winning and conference-leading time of 3:07.85 in the 4×400-meter final at the Wieczorek Invitational on January 22. The relay team consisting of three freshmen and a junior (Gillum) ranks eighth-fastest in the NCAA. On the women’s side, the quartet of Mariel Bruxvoort, Jaiden Itson, Payton Wensel and Tesa Roberts passed the baton around in Big Ten-leading time of 3:38.95 (No. 16 in the NCAA) to edge Baylor.
FAST AND FURIOUS
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, recording a new personal-best (24.58). Hargrove followed Big Ten Women’s Track Athlete of the week 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. 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. Hargrove and Love both improved their 60-meter times last time out at the Wieczorek Invite. Hargrove ran a new school-record time of 7.31, while Love moved up to third all-time at Iowa with a 7.40. 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.
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 800 meters a year ago.
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 head to South Bend, Indiana, on Feb. 4 and 5 for the Meyo Invitational.