T&F Notebook: Alex Wilson Invite / St. Valentine's Invite

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa track and field hits the road, traveling to Madison, Wisconsin, for the Badger St. Valentine’s Invitational and South Bend, Indiana, for the Alex Wilson Invitational. The Badger St. Valentine’s Invitational begins at 2 p.m. (CT) on Friday, and the Alex Wilson Invitational starts at 10 a.m. (CT) on Saturday.

 

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.

 

IN THE RANKINGS 

The Hawkeye men rank inside the top-10 for the fourth-consecutive week in the USTFCCCA National Track and Field Rating Index. The No. 6 Hawkeyes moved up two spots this week to reach the highest ranking in program history. Iowa is also the highest-ranked Big Ten team. No. 15 Nebraska, No. 18 Michigan State and No. 24 Indiana also represent the conference in the top-25 this week. Additionally, the Hawkeye men are ranked first and the women rank third in the Midwest Region.

 

B1G HONORS

The Hawkeyes have earned Big Ten accolades on three occasions 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, Feb.  9)

 

BREAKING RECORDS IS A HABIT

Ten school records have gone down this indoor season for the Hawkeyes:

60 meters, 6.61, Kalen Walker

60 meters, 7.25, LaSarah Hargrove

400 meters, 45.39, Jenoah McKiver

600 meters, 1:15.36, Jenoah McKiver

800 meters, 2:04.56, Mallory King

4×400 Relay, 3:02.40, Richards, Gillum, Lawrence, Jr., McKiver

4×400 Relay, 3:32.38, Bruxvoort, Roberts, Wensel, King

Weight Throw, 22.20m / 72-10, Tyler Lienau

Shot Put ,19.57 / 64-2.5, Nik Curtiss

Heptathlon, 5,832 pts, Austin West

 

B1G TIME(S) FOR MCKIVER

Through four meets, sprinter Jenoah McKiver leads the conference in a trio of events. Last weekend at the Meyo Invite, McKiver ran the eighth-fastest 600 meters in NCAA history (all conditions) and improved his school record (1:15.36). At the Meyo Invite, McKiver ran the eighth-fastest 600 meters in NCAA history (all conditions) and improved his school record (1:15.36). McKiver continued as he won the 400 meters at the Tyson Invitational with yet another school record (45.39). The freshman also ran the anchor leg of the school-record setting 4×400-meter relay (3:02.40). McKiver currently ranks third nationally in the quarter-mile while Iowa’s time currently ranks second in the NCAA. McKiver earned back-to-back Men’s Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week honors (Feb. 2, Feb. 9) for his performances.

 

2FAST4U

The Hawkeye men and women know how to run a quarter mile. The men’s squad of Chadrick Richards, Julien Gillum, Wayne Lawrence Jr. and Jenoah McKiver ran a conference-leading time of 3:02.40 in the 4×400-meter final at the Tyson Invitational on Feb. 11. The relay team consisting of two freshmen (Richards and McKiver) and two juniors (Gillum and Lawrence Jr.) broke the school record and currently rank second-fastest in the NCAA. Additionally, the Hawkeyes became the fifth-fastest program ever in the event indoors. The group bested the previous school record by 2.36 seconds. On the women’s side at the Tyson Invite, the quartet of junior Mariel Bruxvoort, freshman Tesa Roberts, and seniors Payton Wensel and Mallory King passed the baton in a Big Ten-leading time of 3:32.38 – seventh in the NCAA – to break the Iowa record.

 

RUN DON’T WALK(ER)

The Hawkeye sprint group was a force in the Big Ten a year ago. Kalen 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 (6.71). Walker improved his all-time best mark 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 bested top-level SEC competition at the Tyson Invitational, winning the 60 meters and improving his school record-time to 6.61. Walker’s time currently ranks second in the conference and 12th nationally. He joins sophomore Austin Kresley, who owns a career-best time of 6.72 in the 60 meters, to form a strong one-two punch in the short sprints.

 

MID-DISTANCE DOMINANCE

Freshmen Antonio Abrego and Jenoah McKiver led a mid-distance assault in the 600 meters and 800 meters at the Meyo Invitational. McKiver won the 600 meters, besting his own school record with a time of 1:15.36. McKiver’s time ranks eighth all-time in NCAA history (all surfaces). Abrego recorded a personal best by finishing fifth in the 800 meters (1:48.48). Abrego’s time puts him first in the Big Ten and 13th in the NCAA. Junior Tyler Olson followed suit, finishing second with a personal-best of 1:16.70. Olson’s time ranks fourth in school history. The Hawkeyes grabbed the top-seven spots in the 600 meters. Junior Julien Gillum and freshman Armando Bryson grabbed third and fourth place, posting times of 1:17.02 and 1:17.70, respectively. This season, the Hawkeyes have had 10 athletes finish under 1:20 in the 600 meters and five athletes under 1:50 in the 800 meters.

 

LAUNCHING RECORDS

Four current Hawkeye women have thrown all-time top-10 program marks in the weight throw this season:

            2. Nia Britt (20.94m / 68’8.5”)

            3. Amanda Howe (20.85m / 68’5”)

            4. Jamie Kofron (19.39m / 63’7.5”)

            9. Alivia Bauer (18.11m / 59’5”)

Senior Nia Britt improved upon her career-best weight-throw mark (20.94m / 68’8.5”) at the Meyo Invitational, finishing third. Amanda Howe was close behind in fourth improving upon her career best (20.85m / 68’5”). Britt and Howe currently rank fourth and fifth in the Big Ten and 26th and 30th in the NCAA. In the shot put, the Iowa women again have four Hawkeyes on the program’s all-time top-10 list. Britt’s mark (16.75m / 54’11.5”) 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, winning 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.

On the men’s side, four Hawkeye men have thrown all-time top-10 program marks in the weight throw this season:

            1. Tyler Lienau (22.20m / 72’10”)

            6. Jordan Hawkins (20.11m / 65’11.5”)

            8. Jordan Johnson (19.47m / 63’10.25”)

            10. Sean Smith (19.11m / 62’8.5”)

Senior Tyler Lienau comes off a season-best throw (22.20m / 72’10”) at the Meyo Invite, winning the meet and improving his school record. Three other Hawkeyes have joined the top-10 this season. Sophomores Jordan Hawkins and Jordan Johnson both registered a new career-best marks as well. Hawkins and Johnson rank sixth and eighth in program history.

 

HARGROVE GROOVING

LaSarah Hargrove broke her own school record in the prelims of the 60 meters at the Tyson Invitational with a blazing time of 7.25.  Hargrove currently ranks second in the conference and 15th nationally. At the Larry Weiczorek Invitational, Hargrove ran a 7.31 in the prelims to initially break the school record. The sophomore earned Big Ten Women’s Track Athlete of the Week honors on Dec. 15 for her performance – the first conference honors of Hargrove’s career. Hargrove also ran an impressive 23.58 seconds in the 200 meters at the Hawkeye Invite on Jan. 15, winning the meet and running the fifth-fastest time in Iowa history. Her time currently ranks second in the conference and 44th nationally.

 

HURDLE U? HURDLE U.

The Hawkeye hurdlers have risen to expectations this year. The men have four athletes ranked inside the top-10 of the Big Ten and two inside the top-48 of the NCAA. Sophomores Grant Conway (7.77) and Gratt Reed (7.85) currently sit 18th and 35th in the NCAA. Senior Josh Braverman (7.89) and junior Peyton Haack (7.93) are currently ninth and 10th in the Big Ten. On the women’s side, sophomore Myreanna Bebe leads the way (8.26), ranking third in the Big Ten, 36th in the NCAA and third in program history.  Sophomore Tionna Tobias is eighth  in the Big Ten (8.44) and moved onto Iowa’s all-time list, ranking 10th.

 

FAST AND FURIOUS

At the Jimmy Grant Invite, 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 personal-best (24.58). Hargrove followed up her 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 Jan. 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 improved their 60-meter times at the Wieczorek Invite. Hargrove ran a school-record time (7.31), while Love moved up to third all-time at Iowa (7.40). Hargrove continued her tear this season by besting her own school record in the 60 meters (7.25) at the Tyson Invitational. Hargrove is now second in the conference and 15th in the NCAA.

 

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 Geneva, Ohio, on Feb. 25-26 for the Big Ten Championships .