Iowa T&F Notebook: Razorback Invitational

THIS WEEK
University of Iowa track and field hits the road for the first time in 2023, heading to Fayetteville, Arkansas, for the Razorback Invitational. The meet begins Friday at 11:45 a.m. (CT) with the men’s heptathlon, followed by field events at 3 p.m. and running events at 6 p.m. The meet resumes on Saturday at 9:10 a.m. with running events, before shifting to the conclusion of the heptathlon at 10:15 a.m. and field events at noon.

FOLLOW ALONG
• Fans can follow the meet on the Meet Day page at hawkeyesports.com/tracklive.
• Results will also be posted on the team’s official twitter account @iowaxc_tf.
• A live stream is available on SEC Network +.

THE COMPETITION
The Razorback Invitational features 16 teams, with Iowa being the lone Big Ten representative. The remaining field consists of six teams from the SEC, four from the PAC-12, three from the Big 12, and one each from the ACC and MPSF.

LAST TIME OUT
The Hawkeyes hosted their third consecutive home meet with the Larry Wieczorek Invitational on Jan. 20-21. The Hawkeye women earned the team title with 98 points, while the men’s team finished third. Myreanna Bebe highlighted the meet by breaking a 14-year school record in the 60-meter hurdles, clocking a time of 8.11. Her mark ranks seventh nationally. Alli Bookin-Nosbisch improved on a personal best with a 2:06.59 in the women’s 800-meter event, positioning herself fourth on Iowa’s top-10 list. LaSarah Hargrove and Khullen Jefferson swept the Hawkeye Pro 200-meter races for the Hawkeyes. Hargrove crossed the line in 23.79 to earn gold in the women’s event, while Jefferson finished in 21.07 to take the title on the men’s side.

BEBE SHATTERS SCHOOL RECORD
Myreanna Bebe broke a school record on Saturday that had held since 2009. Bebe registered a speedy time of 8.11 in the 60-meter hurdles, which also ranks seventh nationally. Her mark shattered the previous record set by Karessa Farley (8.21) and improved on her previous best, which was set earlier in January at the Hawkeye Invitational (8.22).

WELCOME TO THE TOP-10
Two more Hawkeyes made strides in the record books at last weekend’s Larry Wieczorek Invitational. Junior Alli Bookin-Nosbisch etched her name in Hawkeye history with a fourth-best time of 2:06.59 in the women’s 800-meter race. Freshman Wisdom Williams set a career best in the women’s shot put with her toss of 15.19 meters (49’ 10”), good for tenth overall. Four additional marks were added to the history books during the Hawkeye Invitational on Jan. 14. Bookin-Nosbisch also stepped into the top 10 in the 600-meters (1:30.02), ranking sixth. Zack Pluff is tied for eighth all-time in the high jump following his leap of 2.11 meters (6’ 11”). DeAndre Stapleton Jr. used an impressive triple jump effort to land sixth all-time with his mark of 15.12 meters (49’ 7.25”). Jordan Johnson’s toss of 20.06 meters (65’ 9.75”) improved his standing of ninth-best in the men’s weight throw record books.

MCKIVER IS BACK
Jenoah McKiver made his season debut on Jan. 14 at the Hawkeye Invitational, cruising to victory in the 400-meter event with a time of 46.26. McKiver, a sophomore from High Point, N.C., ranks seventh, nationally, in the event.

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 ranked fifth nation-ally in the quarter-mile, while Iowa’s time ranked 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.

MEET THE RECORD HOLDERS
Nine Hawkeyes account for eight 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)
Myreanna Bebe – 60-meter hurdles (8.11)

HURDLE U.
Junior Grant Conway picked up where he left off last season, setting a season best time of 7.69 in the 60-meter hurdles at the Jimmy Grant Invitational. He currently ranks third, nationally, in the event. Conway (7.72) and junior 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. Junior Myreanna Bebe claimed the 60-meter hurdles title at the Hawkeye Invitational on Jan. 14, but improved on that by breaking the school record at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational with a time of 8.11.

FIVE MORE YEARS
Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Joey Woody 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. In 2021, 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.

LEADING THE WAY
After narrowly missing the NCAA indoor championships, senior sprinter LaSarah Hargrove returned 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 6.14 meters (20’ 1.75”) in the long jump. 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.

NEXT ON THE BLOCK
The Hawkeyes will split and travel to the Meyo Invitational in South Bend, Indiana, and the Iowa State Classic in Ames, Iowa, on Feb. 3-4.