EUGENE, Ore. — University of Iowa track and field and its 15-combined men’s and women’s entries head to Eugene, Oregon, for the NCAA Championships at Hayward Field, June 8-11. The men qualified 10 entries and are led by a pair of No. 3 seeded athletes (sophomore Austin West – decathlon, junior James Carter, Jr. – long jump). The women punched 5 tickets, led by sophomore LaSarah Hargrove in the 100 meters (No. 10 seed), 200 meters (No. 8 seed) and leadoff leg of school-record setting and 13th-seeded 4×100-meter relay team. The men’s semifinal round, first half of the decathlon and select finals begin Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. (CT). The women’s semifinal round, select finals and the second half of men’s decathlon competition are scheduled to begin Thursday at 1:30 p.m. (CT). The final round of men’s competition will be held on Friday, beginning at 7:30 p.m. (CT), and the women’s finals are slated for 4 p.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.The meet will be televised on ESPNU on Wednesday (6:30 p.m. CT) and Thursday (7:30 p.m. CT), ESPN2 on Friday (8 p.m. CT) and ESPN on Saturday (4:30 p.m. CT). All action will also be streamed online on ESPN3, including decathlon and field events.
NCAA QUALIFIERS
On the men’s side, the No. 26 Hawkeyes have 10 entries headed to the NCAA Championships in Eugene. The Iowa men are led by sophomore decathlete Austin West, whose school-record 8,179-point total in the decathlon at the Mt. Sac Relays has him as the No. 3 seed in the country. Junior James Carter, Jr.’s long jump of 7.93m (26’0.25”) at the NCAA West Regional in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on May 25 won the West Region and has him seeded third at the national meet. Carter, Jr. also qualified in the triple jump (16.12m / 52’10.75”) as the No. 9 seed. Senior Josh Braverman (13.55, No. 11) and junior Gratt Reed (13.75, No. 24) make a pair of Hawkeye 110-meter hurdlers for the second-consecutive season and the seventh-consecutive season the Hawkeyes have had at least one high hurdler at the NCAA Final site – every year of the Joey Woody era. Big Ten Champ junior Julien Gillum is the No. 13 seed in the 400-meter hurdles (50.26). Senior shot put school-record holder and second-team indoor All-American Nik Curtiss comes in as the No. 14 seed (19.54m / 64’1.25”) and sophomore discus thrower Jordan Johnson enters as the No. 12 seed (57.09m/ 187’3”). The 4×400-meter relay team (West, Bryson, Gudgel, Gillum – 3:03.62) qualified ninth-fastest, and the 4×100-meter relay team (Johnson, Kresley, Reed, K. Jefferson) is the No. 23 seed (39.56).
The women are led by sophomore LaSarah Hargrove in the 100 meters (11.05w, No. 10 seed), 200 meters (22.58w, No. 8 seed) and leadoff leg of school-record setting (43.69) and 13th-seeded 4×100-meter relay team. The 4×100-meter relay team is made up of Hargrove, freshman Lia Love, senior Erin Dowd and sophomore Paige Magee. Dowd (57.01, No. 12 seed) and Magee (57.06, No. 14 seed) each qualified in the 400-meter hurdles, additionally.
Austin West – So. (Iowa City, Iowa)
Decathlon – Wednesday, Thursday | 4×400-meter relay – Wednesday (s), Friday (f)
The Iowa City native became the first Iowa decathlete to eclipse the 8,000-point barrier with his school-record breaking performance (8,179 points) at the Mt. SAC Relays on April 15. West’s mark is No. 3 in the NCAA this season. In addition, he helped the 4×400-meter relay team that ran the eighth-fastest time in program history (3:03.62) punch its ticket to Eugene with a strong leadoff leg. This marks the fifth-consecutive season that the men have qualified a 4×400-meter relay to the NCAA Final site.
James Carter, Jr. – Jr. (Oak Creek, Wis.)
Long jump – Wednesday | Triple jump – Friday
Carter, Jr. jumped a lifetime-best mark (7.93m / 26’0.25”) to win the NCAA West Region in the long jump on May 25 to give him the No. 3 seed for the NCAA Championships. He was a second-team All-American in long jump last outdoor season. Carter, Jr. doubled back in Fayetteville and qualified in the triple jump (16.12m / 52’10.75”) as the No. 9 seed.
Josh Braverman – Sr. (Lacey, Wash.)
110-meter hurdles – Wednesday (s), Friday (f)
Braverman is peaking at the right time. In his past two meets, he has recorded lifetime-best marks (13.56, 13.55). The Big Ten bronze medalist punched a ticket back to the Pacific Northwest with the 11th-fastest time in the country. Braverman enters the NCAA Championships as the fifth-fastest high hurdler ever at Iowa. This year marks the seventh-consecutive season the Hawkeyes have had at least one high hurdler at the NCAA Final site – every year of the Joey Woody era.
Gratt Reed– Jr. (Atlantic, Iowa)
110-meter hurdles – Wednesday (s), Friday (f) | 4×100-meter relay – Wednesday (s), Friday (f)
After qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Championships and finishing as a second-team All-American in the 60-meter hurdles in February, Reed punched a ticket to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene. The Atlantic, Iowa, native’s time of 13.75 from the West Regional has him seeded 24th in the country and has a career-best time of 13.67. This year marks the seventh-consecutive season the Hawkeyes have had at least one high hurdler at the NCAA Final site – every year of the Joey Woody era. Reed will also run the third leg of Iowa’s 4×100-meter relay (39.56) that enters the week as the No. 23 seed. The relay is the ninth-consecutive men’s 4×100-meter team to qualify to the NCAA Final site.
Julien Gillum – Jr. (Biloxi, Miss.)
400-meter hurdles – Wednesday (s), Friday (f) | 4×400-meter relay – Wednesday (s), Friday (f)
Gillum won the Big Ten Championships in the 400-meter hurdles on May 15 (51.12) to mark the third-consecutive conference meet that a Hawkeye has won the event. Gillum stayed hot, running 50.40 in the first round of the NCAA West Region preliminaries. He improved his time to 50.26 in the quarterfinal round to qualify for the NCAA Championships as the No. 13 seed. In addition, Gillum anchored the 4×400-meter relay at the NCAA West Region prelims that qualified for Eugene ninth-fastest in the country and clocked the No. 8 time in program history. It marked the fifth-consecutive season that the Iowa men have qualified a 4×400-meter relay to the NCAA Championships. Gillum aims for the third and fourth All-America honors of his Hawkeye career.
Jordan Johnson – So. (Quincy, Ill.)
Discus – Friday (f)
Johnson will be competing at his first NCAA Championships. The sophomore discus thrower launched a heave of 57.09m / 187’3” at the NCAA West Regional and punched his ticket to Eugene as the No. 12 seed. His season and career-best throw (57.77m / 189’6”) is No. 7 all-time at Iowa.
Nik Curtiss – Sr. (Lancaster, Ohio)
Shot Put – Wednesday (f)
Indoor and outdoor shot put school-record holder Nik Curtiss will throw at the NCAA Championships to finish a strong senior season with the Hawkeyes after a decorated career at DII Tiffin University. He finished as a second-team All-American during the indoor season and aims to earn another All-America honor. Curtiss (19.54m / 64’1.25”) enters the championships as the No. 14 seed. Curtiss became the first Hawkeye in program history to eclipse the 20-meter mark earlier this season (20.04m / 65’9”).
Armando Bryson – So. (Long Beach, Calif.)
4×400-meter relay – Wednesday (s), Friday (f)
Bryson ran a key second leg of the 4×400-meter relay (3:03.62) at the NCAA West Region prelims. The Hawkeyes qualified for Eugene ninth-fastest in the country and clocked the No. 8 time in program history. It marked the fifth-consecutive season that the Iowa men have qualified a 4×400-meter relay to the NCAA Championships.
Spencer Gudgel – So. (Carmel, Ind.)
4×400-meter relay – Wednesday (s), Friday (f)
Gudgel ran an important third leg of the 4×400-meter relay (3:03.62), splitting 45.69 and putting the Hawkeyes in a qualifying spot for anchor Julien Gillum at the NCAA West Region prelims. The Hawkeyes qualified for Eugene ninth-fastest in the country and clocked the No. 8 time in program history. It marked the fifth-consecutive season that the Iowa men have qualified a 4×400-meter relay to the NCAA Championships.
Kalil Johnson – Fr. (Evanston, Ill.)
4×100-meter relay – Wednesday (s), Friday (f)
110-meter hurdles NCAA-Regional qualifier Kalil Johnson is capping off an excellent freshman season as the first leg on an NCAA-qualifying 4×100-meter relay. This marks the ninth-consecutive season that the Iowa men have advanced a 4×100-meter relay team to the NCAA Final site, but not without some adversity. The Hawkeyes lost 100-meter school-record holder and leadoff leg Kalen Walker early in the season to injury, and Johnson stepped up to help Iowa keep its streak of nine-straight relay qualifications alive. The Hawkeyes (39.56) head to Eugene as the No. 23 seed.
Austin Kresley – So. (Oakley, Calif.)
4×100-meter relay – Wednesday (s), Friday (f)
100 and 200-meter NCAA-Regional qualifier Austin Kresley will run the second leg on the NCAA-qualifying 4×100-meter relay. The Hawkeyes (39.56) head to Eugene as the No. 23 seed. In addition, this marks the ninth-consecutive season that the Iowa men have advanced a 4×100-meter relay team to the NCAA Final site. Kresley ran the second leg of Iowa’s school-record setting relay at the Jim Click Shootout on April 9 (39.03).
Khullen Jefferson – So. (Lynwood, Ill.)
4×100-meter relay – Wednesday (s), Friday (f)
200-meter NCAA-Regional qualifier Khullen Jefferson will run the anchor leg on the NCAA-qualifying 4×100-meter relay. The Hawkeyes (39.56) head to Eugene as the No. 23 seed. In addition, this marks the ninth-consecutive season that the Iowa men have advanced a 4×100-meter relay team to the NCAA Final site. Jefferson anchored Iowa’s school-record setting relay at the Jim Click Shootout on April 9 (39.03).
LaSarah Hargrove – So. (Tampa, Fla.)
100 meters – Thursday (s), Saturday (f) | 200 meters – Thursday (s), Saturday (f) | 4×100-meter relay – Thursday (s), Saturday (f)
Iowa Director of Track and Field Joey Woody called Hargrove’s NCAA West Regional performance “one of the best in Iowa track and field history”. The speedy sophomore punched three tickets to the NCAA Championships (100m, 200m, 4x100m relay). Harrgove ran all-conditions personal-best times in both the 100 meters (11.05w) and 200 meters (22.58w) and led off the school-record setting 4×100-meter relay (43.69). Hargrove qualified eighth-fastest in the 200 meters and 10th-fastest in the 100 meters. Hargrove will be making her first appearance at an NCAA Championships.
Erin Dowd – Sr. (Brighton, Mich.)
400-meter hurdles – Thursday (s), Saturday (f) | 4×100-meter relay – Thursday (s), Saturday (f)
Dowd has led the No. 1 400-meter hurdle group in the nation for the entirety of the season. The senior transfer from Western Michigan is No. 4 all-time at Iowa in the 400-meter hurdles (56.77) and qualified for her first NCAA Championships as the No. 12 seed (57.01). Dowd will also compete in the 4×100-meter relay as the third leg. She was a part of the school-record breaking relay at the NCAA West Region prelims (43.69) that qualified 13th-fastest for Eugene.
Paige Magee – So. (Columbia, Mo.)
400-meter hurdles – Thursday (s), Saturday (f) | 4×100-meter relay – Thursday (s), Saturday (f)
Magee had a breakout performance at the NCAA West Region prelims to qualify for the NCAA Championships in the 400-meter hurdles. The 100-meter hurdles school-record holder cut over eighth-tenths of a second off of her career-best 400-meter hurdles time to qualify to Eugene 14th-fastest (57.06). Magee is also the anchor leg on Iowa’s 4×100-meter relay team that broke the school record (43.69) and qualified 13th-fastest for the NCAA Championships.
Lia Love – Fr. (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
4×100-meter relay – Thursday (s), Saturday (f)
Love is finishing off an excellent freshman season as the second leg of Iowa’s 4×100-meter relay team that broke the school record (43.69) at the NCAA West Regional and qualified 13th-fastest for the NCAA Championships. In addition, Love qualified for the NCAA West Region prelims in the 100 meters and ends her freshman year tied for second all-time (11.33) with teammate LaSarah Hargrove, and No. 10 on Iowa’s all-time 200-meter list (23.64).