MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – University of Iowa track and field junior Amanda Howe improved her school record (64.84 meters / 212’9”) and won the first Big Ten Championship of the weekend for the Hawkeyes in the women’s hammer throw Friday afternoon on day one of the conference championships.
“I’m so proud of her,” Iowa Director of Track and Field Joey Woody said. “I think she came out and dominated with a monster throw right at the start. She had multiple throws further than her previous school record. She wanted it and went out and earned it, and I’m really proud of her.”
Howe came into the meet ranked second in the conference and threw the hammer over 64 meters on two occasions en route to victory – her best coming on her first throw of the day. It is the first Big Ten Championship of the Southington, Connecticut, native’s career.
The majority of the day’s action came in the multi-events. Sophomore Austin West leads the decathlon going into day two thanks to a win in the 400 meters (47.18) and runner-up finishes in the 100 meters (10.68) and shot put (13.97m / 45’10”). Junior Tionna Tobias occupies third place in the heptathlon after a strong day-one performance, highlighted by a runner-up finish in the 100-meter hurdles (13.68). Freshman Miya Brines currently sits in ninth.
“I think Austin (West) felt like he wasn’t having a great day, but he came back and ran a great 400 and I think he has the wheels going now,” Woody said. “He’s going to have to battle and compete all the way through the tenth event to give himself a shot at a Big Ten title.”
A combined eight Hawkeye men and women advanced to Sunday’s finals in the 400-meter hurdle races. Senior Erin Dowd (56.77), junior Mariel Bruxvoort (57.45), senior Payton Wensel (57.63) and sophomore Paige Magee (57.89) all ran career-best times and qualified for the final first-, fourth-, sixth- and eighth-fastest, respectively. On the men’s side, junior Julien Gillum (50.98) and sophomore Drake Woody (51.27) both won their heat to secure automatic-qualifying spots. Freshman Phillip Jefferson (51.35) and senior Raymonte Dow (51.38) both ran season-best times to qualify seventh and eighth-fastest overall.
“They all competed tremendously. I think Paige Magee got things rolling in that first heat and that gave everybody a lot of confidence,” Woody said. “That’s what we wanted to do, that was the expectation – that’s why we put five women into the race. We felt like we could get four or five into the final and they all did a great job.”
Sophomores LaSarah Hargrove (23.34) and Khullen Jefferson (20.75) qualified for the 200-meter finals. Both qualified third-fastest overall and Jefferson ran a wind-legal personal-best time.
“We talked about it last night – we have to make finals if we want to compete to win this championship,” Woody said. “Our back is against the wall this weekend, so we have to get people into the finals to give us a shot to win this thing.”
In the men’s 10,000-meters, freshman Max Murphy finished 15th (29:57.75), and sophomore Kal Lewis finished 18th in the 1,500 meters (3:52.15). In the women’s 1,500-meter race, sophomore Amber Aesoph finished 19th (4:31.23) and senior Emma Gordon was 36th (4:47.53).
The Hawkeyes return to the track Saturday morning, starting with the decathlon 110-meter hurdles at 10 a.m. (CT).
HAWKEYE RESULTS:
Decathlon (Day 1)
1. Austin West – 4150 pts. (+50)
100m – 2. West (10.68)
Long Jump – 3. West (7.02m / 23’0.5”)
Shot Put – 2. West (13.97m / 45’10”)
High Jump – 7. West (1.91m / 6’3.25”)
400m – 1. West (47.18)
Heptathlon (Day 1)
3. Tobias – 3258 pts. (-167)
9. Brines – 2946 pts. (-479)
100m Hurdles – 2. Tobias (13.68), 5. Brines (14.09, PR)
High Jump – 6. Tobias (1.65m / 5’5”), 12. Brines (1.56m / 5’1.25”)
Shot Put – 7. Tobias (10.86m / 35’7.75”, PR), 11. Brines (9.12m / 29’11.25”)
200m – 4. Tobias (25.37), 7. Brines (25.75)
Women’s Hammer Throw
1. Amanda Howe – 64.84m / 212’9”, PR, School Record
Men’s Hammer Throw
11. Tyler Lienau – 60.29m / 197’9”
20. Jordan Hawkins – 56.30m / 184’8”
Women’s 400-Meter Hurdles Prelim
1. Erin Dowd – 56.77 Q, PR, No. 4 all-time
4. Mariel Bruxvoort – 57.45 q, PR, No. 5 all-time
6. Payton Wensel – 57.63 q, PR, No. 6 all-time
8. Paige Magee – 57.89, PR, No. 7 all-time
12. Nylah Perry – 59.67, PR
Men’s 400-Meter Hurdles
3. Julien Gillum – 50.98 Q, PR
6. Drake Woody – 51.27 Q
7. Phillip Jefferson – 51.35 q, PR
8. Raymonte Dow – 51.38 q
Women’s 200 Meters
3. LaSarah Hargrove – 23.34 q
24. Laney Fitzpatrick – 25.11
Men’s 200 Meters
3. Khullen Jefferson – 20.75, PR
10. Austin Kresley – 21.07
12. Gratt Reed – 21.18
Women’s 1,500 Meters
19. Amber Aesoph – 4:31.23
36. Emma Gordon – 4:47.53
Men’s 1,500 Meters
18. Kal Lewis – 3:52.15
Women’s 10K
DNF – Kelli Tosic
Men’s 10K
15. Max Murphy – 29:57.75