THIS WEEK
University of Iowa track and field opens the 2022-23 indoor season Saturday at home, hosting the Jimmy Grant Invitational. The teams competing include Northern Iowa, Western Illinois and Wisconsin (sprints). The meet begins at 11 a.m. (CT) with the weight throw at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex. Jumps begin at noon at the Iowa Indoor Track Facility, and the running events start at 3 p.m. with the 60-meter hurdle prelims. Admission is free.
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. A live stream is also available on B1G+ (subscription required).
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL
For only the fourth time since the men’s and women’s teams combined in 2009, the Hawkeyes will compete in the month of December.
MEET CURRENT RECORD HOLDERS
Eight Hawkeyes on the roster account for seven indoor school records. They include:
• Kalen Walker: 60 meters (6.61)
• Jenoah McKiver: 400 meters (45.39) | 600 meters (1:15.36)
• Chadrick Richards, Julien Gillum, McKiver: 4×400-meter relay (3:02.40)
• Austin West: Heptathlon (5,832 points)
• LaSarah Hargrove: 60 meters (7.25)
• Mariel Bruxvoort & Tesa Roberts: 4×400-meter relay (3:32.38)
FIVE MORE YEARS
Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Joey Woody has received a contract extension through June 2027. Woody, an Iowa City native and World Champion, is in his ninth season at the helm of Iowa track and field. He is a four-time Big Ten Coach of the Year and a six-time USTFCCCA Regional Coach of the Year. Since arriving on campus, Woody has led Iowa to 49 Big Ten individual titles, 12 conference relay titles, four men’s Big Ten team titles, four Big Ten Athletes of the Year, and 199 All-America honors.
BIG TEN COACH OF THE YEAR
Iowa Director of Track and Field Joey Woody earned his fourth-consecutive Big Ten Coach of the Year honor on March 2 after leading the Hawkeye men to their second consecutive Big Ten Indoor Championship. A season ago, 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.
2022 INDOOR ALL-AMERICANS
The Hawkeyes finished the 2021-22 indoor season with 12 All-America honors. Iowa returns 400-meter first-team All-Americans Jenoah McKiver (2nd) and Chadrick Richards (7th). Second-team All-Americans Austin West (heptahlon), Gratt Reed (60-meter hurdles), Grant Conway (60-meter hurdles), Kalen Walker (60-meters) and Julien Gillum (4×400-meter relay) will also be back for the Hawkeyes. On the women’s side, senior Mariel Bruxvoort and junior Tesa Roberts return as first-team All-Americans in the 4×400-meter relay.
BREAKING RECORDS IS A HABIT
Iowa returns eight student-athletes that broke indoor school records last season.
• 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
• 4×400 Relay 3:02.40 Richards, Gillum, McKiver
• 4×400 Relay 3:32.38 Bruxvoort, Roberts
• Heptathlon 5,832 pts. Austin West
LEADING THE WAY
After narrowly missing the NCAA indoor championships, senior sprinter LaSarah Hargrove returns for a chance to break into the field in the 60-meter and 200-meter events. Hargrove holds the 60-meter school record with a time of 7.25. Senior Amanda Howe looks to build on her 2022 Big Ten Outdoor Championship performance by taking things to the next level in the weight throw. Junior Tionna Tobias has shown improvement in different field events in preparation for the pentathlon. Tobias holds a team-best mark of 20-1 1/2 in the long jump and a time of 8.40 in the 60-meter hurdles. Fellow junior Paige Magee aims to jump back to the top of the Big Ten in the 60-meter hurdles, after taking gold at the 2021 B1G Indoor Championships.
RUN DON’T WALK(ER)
Junior Kalen Walker exploded onto the scene in his Hawkeye debut at last years Jimmy Grant Invitational, tying the 60-meter school record (6.69) in the prelims. Walker improved his all-time best mark at the Larry 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 (6.61) once again. Walker finished third at the Big Ten Championships last time out and his time ranks 14th nationally.
HURDLE U.
Sophomores Grant Conway (7.72) and Gratt Reed (7.72) each qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 11-12 of 2022 after they each put down personal-best times at the Big Ten Championships. Conway finished as Big Ten runner-up and Reed took bronze.
B1G TIME(S) FOR MCKIVER
Standout sprinter Jenoah McKiver broke three school records last season. At the Meyo Invite, McKiver ran the seventh-fastest 600 meters in NCAA history (all conditions) and improved his school record (1:15.36). McKiver’s hot streak continued as he won the 400 meters at the Tyson Invitational with yet another school record (45.39). The then-freshman also ran the anchor leg of the school-record setting 4×400-meter relay (3:02.40). McKiver currently ranks fifth nationally in the quarter-mile while Iowa’s time 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. At the Big Ten Championships, McKiver won two gold medals (600 meters, 4×400-meter relay) to lead the Hawkeyes to back-to-back indoor titles.
NEXT ON THE BLOCK
The Hawkeyes have a month-long break from competition before returning home to host their second of four indoor home meets with the Hawkeye Invitational Jan. 14.