Tausaga-Collins Advances to World Championships

EUGENE, Ore. – Former University of Iowa track and field NCAA discus champion (2019) Laulauga Tausaga-Collins advanced to the World Championships with a runner-up finish in discus at the USATF Championships at Hayward Field on Friday.

Tausaga-Collins threw the disc a personal-best mark of 64.49 meters (211’7”). Her second-place finish secured her a spot representing the United States at the World Championships back in Eugene slated for July 15-24. Tausaga-Collins also represented the United States at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar, where she finished 12th.

Two-time long jump All-American junior James Carter jumped eight meters for the first time in his career (8.00m / 26’3”). He finished seventh place and improved his No. 3 all-time long jump mark in program history. He will compete in the triple jump on Sunday at 2:15 p.m. (CT).

Former Hawkeye and 2012 NCAA 800-meter runner up Erik Sowinski advanced to the 15th USATF final of his storied career, qualifying sixth-fastest in the 800 meters on time (1:46.76). The 32-year old is aiming to make his fourth World Championships.

World 200-meter silver medalist and Hawkeye 200-meter school-record holder Brittany Brown (10.96) advanced to the 100-meter final and finished eighth in the final (11.04). She will join sophomore three-time All-American LaSarah Hargrove in the 200-meter prelims Saturday afternoon at 2:10 p.m. (CT). Brown (22.30) and Hargrove (22.72) are No. 1 and No. 2 on Iowa’s all-time 200-meter list and Brown’s time of 21.99 is No. 3 in the world this year.

Big Ten Champion Julien Gillum and former Hawkeye All-American Austin Lietz both competed in the first round of the 400-meter hurdles Friday evening. Gillum (52.76) and Lietz (53.19) finished 20th and 23rd, respectively.

Indoor and outdoor school-record holder Nik Curtiss finished 17th (19.01m / 62’4.5”) in shot put to finish his Hawkeye career. He finished as a First Team All-American at the NCAA Outdoor Championships on June 8.

On Thursday, freshman Sean Smith finished sixth in the U20 division hammer throw (64.32m / 211’0”). LaSarah Hargrove competed in the first round of the 100 meters (11.25) and finished 19th. Sophomore First Team All-American Jordan Johnson finished a strong season with a 13th-place finish in discus (56.86m / 186’6”). Senior All-American Erin Dowd (58.20) and sophomore All-American Paige Magee (58.43) finished 18th and 21st in the 400-meter hurdles, respectively.

Saturday’s action includes Brown and Hargrove in the 200-meter prelims (2:10 p.m. CT) and senior All-American Josh Braverman, junior All-American Gratt Reed, sophomore All-American Grant Conway and former Hawkeye All-Americans Aaron Mallet and Jamal Britt in the first round of the 110-meter hurdles (2:35 p.m.).