T&F NOTEBOOK: Meyo Invitational

IOWA CITY, Iowa –– University of Iowa track and field hits the road for thesecond-consecutive week, traveling to South Bend, Indiana, for the Meyo Invitational on Friday and Saturday at Meyo Field inside Loftus Sports Center. The pentathlon is scheduled to begin Friday at 10:30 a.m. (CT). Field events begin at 3 p.m. (CT) with running events slated to start at 3:30 p.m. (CT). On Saturday, running resumes at 9 a.m. (CT). Field events begin with the triple jump at 9:30 a.m. (CT).

THE COMPETITION
Notre Dame hosts the Hawkeyes and 37 additional programs, including Auburn, Ball State, Bradley, Butler, Central Michigan, Depaul, Eastern Illinois, Eastern Michigan, Grand Valley State, Illinois, Illinois-Chicago, Illinois State, Indiana, Indiana State, Iowa State, IUPUI, Kent State, Loras, Louisville, Loyola-Chicago, Marquette, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northern Colorado, Northern Illinois, Oakland, Ohio State, Purdue, Rutgers, Saint Louis, Southern Indiana, Tennessee, Valparaiso, Western Illinois and Youngstown State.

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 (ESPN+).

IN THE RANKINGS
The Hawkeye men rank inside the top-10 for the second-consecutive week in the USTFCCCA National Track and Field Index. The No. 10 Hawkeyes are the highest-ranked Big Ten team. No. 12 Nebraska and No. 23 Wisconsin are the only other Big Ten teams in the top-25. Additionally, the Hawkeye men are ranked first in the Midwest Region, and the women rank third in the Midwest Region.

B1G HONORS
Two Hawkeyes have earned Big Ten accolades so far this season:

LaSarah Hargrove (So.) B1G Women’s Track Athlete of the Week (Dec.15)
Jenoah McKiver (Fr.) B1G Men’s Track Athlete of the Week (Feb.2)

BREAKING RECORDS IS A HABIT
Five school records have gone down in the first four meets for the Hawkeyes. Senior Tyler Lienau broke his own scool record in the weight throw not once, but twice. Freshman 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. The most recent record to fall happened on Jan. 28 at the Razorback Invitational when sophomore Austin West proved to be the top-heptathlete in Hawkeye history.

B1G TIME(S) FOR MCKIVER
Freshman sprinter Jenoah McKiver has been on an absolute tear to start the season. Through four meets, the Hawkeye currently leads the conference in a trio 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). On Jan. 29, McKiver ran a Big Ten-leading time (45.78) in the 400 meters at the Razorback Invitational to win the event and is currently second-fastest in the NCAA and the third-fastest all-time at Iowa. He went on to anchor the conference-leading 4×400-meter relay (3:05.68) at the Razorback Invitational on Jan. 29 with a 45.12 split. Iowa’s time currently ranks seventh in the NCAA and is No. 5 all-time at Iowa. McKiver was named Men’s Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week on Feb. 2 for his performance.

HARGROVE GROOVING
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. 27 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. 30 nationally. Hargrove finished fifth in the 60-meter finals of the Razorback Invitational with a time of 7.36 and ninth in the 200 meters (23.63).

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 continued his consistency and ran 6.68 in the prelims at the Razorback Invitational and 6.74 in the finals to finish sixth. 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. Antonio Abrego added another sub-1:50 800 meters to his season resume by finishing third at the Razorback Invitational in 1:49.22.

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. Nia Britt (20.68m / 67’10.25”)
• 3. Amanda Howe (20.67m / 67’9.75”)
• 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 No. 7 in the Big Ten and 30th in the NCAA. Senior Nia Britt won the event at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational with a 20.35-meter throw and moved to second all-time at Iowa at Razorback Invitational, winning the meet with a career-best mark (20.68m / 67’10.25”). Britt’s mark ranks No. 6 in the conference and 29th 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 Julien Gillum, Spencer Gudgel, Wayne Lawrence Jr., Jenoah McKiver ran a conference-leading time of 3:05.68 in the 4×400-meter final at the Razorback Invitational on January 29. The relay team consisting of one freshman (McKiver), one sophomore (Gudgel) and two juniors (Lawrence, Jr., Gillum) ranks seventh-fastest in the NCAA. On the women’s side, the quartet of junior Mariel Bruxvoort, senior Payton Wensel and freshmen Jaiden Itson and Tesa Roberts passed the baton around in a Big Ten-leading time of 3:35.90 (No. 9 in the NCAA).