GENEVA, Ohio – University of Iowa track and field wrapped up day one of the Big Ten Indoor Championships at the SPIRE Institute, advancing 16 men and 11 women to the finals on Saturday.
Junior James Carter, Jr. finished as Big Ten runner up in the long jump and senior Nik Curtiss finished third in the shot put.
Carter earned the second Big Ten indoor long jump medal of his career (Big Ten Champion in 2021) and his fourth Big Ten medal overall.
“As the defending champ, I know James wanted the gold medal again,” Iowa Director of Track and Field Joey Woody said. “I thought he competed very well and did a tremendous job putting up a good mark in the second round to give himself a shot of winning.”
After a decorated Division II career, Curtiss earned the first Big Ten medal of his career in his first Big Ten competition — throwing the shot 19.44 meters (63’9.5”).
“I’ve been coaching Nik [Curtiss] for five years now and he took a leap of faith to come here to continue being coached by me, so it was very special and fitting for both of us that the first Big Ten medalist I coached was Nik,” assistant coach Ray Robinson said. “He deserves it and I’m so proud of him.”
Robinson coached Curtiss to an NCAA Division II National runner-up performance in the shot put (indoors and outdoors) in 2021 at Tiffin University in Ohio. This weekend served as a homecoming for Curtiss, whose parents and high school coach were in the stands to see him earn his first Big Ten medal. Robinson is also an Ohio native.
The men’s 600-meter group dominated in the prelims. All five Hawkeyes who ran advanced to the final. Freshman Jenoah McKiver continued his breakout season, qualifying fastest overall for the final. He was followed by junior Spencer Gudgel (1:17.12) who moved up to eighth all-time at Iowa. Junior Julien Gillum ran third fastest, and freshmen Armando Bryson and Phillip Jefferson qualified fifth and eighth fastest, respectively.
“What is crazy is that we had a few other guys that could have potentially made the final, but we could only enter five,” Woody said. “To be able to do that in an event is very special, and it proves how tough those guys are.”
In the 200 meters, four Hawkeye men and two women will race in tomorrow’s finals. Freshman Khullen Jefferson dipped under 21 seconds for the first time in his career (20.93) and moved to fifth all-time at Iowa. Sophomore Gratt Reed nearly did the same (21.03), moving to sixth on Iowa’s all-time list, and freshman Chadrick Richards (21.09) moved to seventh. Junior Wayne Lawrence, Jr. (21.24) also advanced.
On the women’s side, sophomore LaSarah Hargrove (23.63) was just shy of a personal-best and finished second fastest in the prelims. Freshman Lia Love was fifth fastest (23.94) and recorded a new personal best.
Hargrove (7.31) and Love (7.45) each qualified for the 60-meter final as well. On the men’s side, sophomore Kalen Walker qualified fastest overall in the 60 meters (6.62).
Senior Nia Britt (16.52m / 54’2.5”) scored points with a fifth-place finish in the shot put and sophomore Tionna Tobias finished fourth in the pentathlon for the highest Big Ten finish in her career.
Tobias was also one of three Hawkeye women to make the final in the 60-meter hurdles (8.44). Sophomores Myreanna Bebe (8.31) and defending Big Ten Champion Paige Magee (8.45) also moved on.
In the men’s hurdles, Reed (7.72, fifth all-time at Iowa) and sophomore Grant Conway (7.73, sixth all-time at Iowa) both recorded new personal-best times and qualified second and third fastest.
“Gratt [Reed] and Grant [Conway] are out here on a mission. I have been seeing it in practice, but I thought they executed their races very well,” Woody said. “It was great to get the women that we did into the finals in the hurdles and the 60 meters. We are in a really good spot going into the final day.”
Sophomore and returning Big Ten-medalist Austin West leads the heptathlon after day one and will aim to improve on his third-place finish from a year ago. West turned in a pair of runner-up finishes in the long jump and shot put and currently has 3,260 points.
The Hawkeyes return to the SPIRE Institute tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. (CT) for the final day of the Big Ten Championships.
HAWKEYE RESULTS:
Pentathlon:
4. Tionna Tobias / 3,764 POINTS, No. 6 all-time, Personal Best
1. 60 Hurdles – 8.40, No. 8 all-time, Personal Best
4. High Jump – 1.61m (5’3.25”)
7. Shot Put – 9.91m (32’6.25”), Personal Best
1. Long Jump – 5.70m (18’8.50”)
7. 800 Meters – 2:29.81
Heptathlon Day 1:
1. Austin West / 3,260 POINTS
4. 60 Meters – 7.01
2. Long Jump – 7.35m (24’1.5″)
2. Shot Put – 14.10m (46’3.25”)
6. High Jump – 1.94m (6’4.25”)
Women’s Shot Put:
5. Nia Britt – 16.52m (54’2.50”)
13. Nicole Berry – 15.58m (51’1.50”)
19. Kat Moody – 14.74m (48’4.50”)
20. Jamie Kofron – 14.64m (48’.50”)
22. Ianna Roach – 14.42m (47’3.75”)
Men’s Shot Put:
3. Nik Curtiss – 19.44m (63’9.50”)
13. Elijah Barnes – 17.37m (57’)
14. Dawson Ellingson – 17.11m (56’1.75”)
18. Jordan Johnson – 16.89m (55’5”)
Women’s Long Jump:
14. Tionna Tobias – 5.75m (18’10.50”)
Men’s Long Jump:
2. James Carter Jr. – 7.55m (24’9.25”)
Women’s 3,000 Meters:
20. Brooke McKee – 9:41.46, Personal Best
34. Kelli Tosic – 10:08.35
Women’s Mile Prelims:
17. Amber Aesoph – 4:49.72
Women’s 400 Meters Prelims:
3. Tesa Roberts – 53.91 q, No. 7 all-time, Personal Best
13. Mariel Bruxvoort – 54.97
16. Chloe Larsen – 55.15, Personal Best
29. Sarah Bova – 57.09
Men’s 400 Meters Prelims:
2. Wayne Lawrence Jr. – 46.27 q
4. Chadrick Richards – 46.90 q
13. Everett Steward – 47.61, Personal Best
17. Drake Woody – 48.22, Personal Best
Women’s 60 Meters Prelims:
2. LaSarah Hargove – 7.34 Q
7. Lia Love – 7.45 q
23. Mytika Mayberry – 7.70
Men’s 60 Meters Prelims:
1. Kalen Walker – 6.62 Q
10. Austin Kresley – 6.79
Women’s 800 Meters Prelims:
1. Mallory King – 2:05.89 Q
12. Alli Bookin-Nosbisch – 2:08.38, Personal Best
25. Katie Moore – 2:13.18
Men’s 800 Meters Prelims:
2. Alec Still – 1:49.99 q
3. Antonio Abrego – 1:50.09 q
9. Tyler Olson – 1:50.94
13. Jason Hoffman – 1:51.16
Women’s 60 Hurdles Prelims:
3. Myreanna Bebe – 8.31 q
8. Tionna Tobias – 8.44 q
9. Paige Magee – 8.45 q
14. Jade McDonald – 8.52, Personal Best
16. Miya Brines – 8.54
Men’s 60 Hurdles Prelims:
2. Gratt Reed – 7.72 Q, No. 5 all-time, Personal Best
3. Grant Conway – 7.73 Q, No. 6 all-time, Personal Best
12. Kalil Johnson – 8.10
Women’s 600 Meters Prelims:
4. Clare Pitcher – 1:29.36 q, No. 5 all-time, Personal Best
6. Payton Wensel – 1:29.97 q
9. Laney Fitzpatrick – 1:32.19, Personal Best
Men’s 600 Meters Prelims:
1. Jenoah McKiver – 1:15.69 q
2. Spencer Gudgel – 1:17.12 q, No. 8 all-time, Personal Best
3. Julien Gillum – 1:17.45 q
5. Armando Bryson – 1:17.97 q
8. Phillip Jefferson – 1:19.30 q
Women’s 200 Meters:
2. LaSarah Hargrove – 23.63q
5. Lia Love – 23.94q, Personal Best
25. Sarah Bova – 25.01
Men’s 200 Meters:
1. Khullen Jefferson – 20.93 q, No. 5 all-time, Personal Best
4. Gratt Reed – 21.03 q, No. 6 all-time, Personal Best
6. Chadrick Richards – 21.09 q, No. 7 all-time, Personal Best
8. Wayne Lawrence Jr. – 21.24 q
12. Austin Kresley – 21.35
Women’s Distance Medley Relay:
6. IOWA (Gordon, Bruxvoort, G. Bookin-Nosbisch, Aesoph) – 11:21.29, No. 2 all-time
Men’s Distance Medley Relay:
6. IOWA (Lewis, Woody, Olson, Murphy) – 9:49.95