THIS WEEK
University of Iowa track and field wraps up the regular season this weekend, sending a small group to Ames, Iowa, for the Iowa State Alumni Invitational on Saturday.
FOLLOW ALONG
Fans can follow the meet on the live results link on the track and field schedule page at hawkeyesports.com/tracklive. Results will also be posted on the team’s official twitter account @IowaXC_TF.
LAST WEEK
The Hawkeyes broke two school records at the Desert Heat Classic in Tucson, Arizona, on Saturday night. Junior Austin Kresley broke the men’s 200-meter dash record, shaving four-tenths off his previous best to finish first amongst collegians and third overall in 20.32. Saturday’s record was the third broken by Kresley this year (100 meters; 4×100 relay). Freshman Mike Stein continued his stellar rookie campaign, breaking the javelin record with a 75.59 meter (248’ 0”) throw to win the event. Senior Kat Moody claimed two flags at the Drake Relays on Saturday, winning both the shot put (16.46 meters | 54’ 0”) and discus 53.60 meters (175’ 10”). Iowa won a combined seven events spanned across the Drake Relays and the Desert Heat Classic.
IN THE RANKINGS
This week’s national USTFCCCA rankings highlight the Hawkeyes’ continued success, with the men’s team entering the top-10 at No. 8. The men’s team holds the top spot in the Midwest region, while the women’s team is ranked No. 2. In the fourth week of the conference rankings, the men’s team holds strong at No. 1, while the women’s team is No. 2. Additionally, the women’s team is ranked in the Top-20 in nine event groups, including a No. 1 ranking in the 400-meter hurdles and a second-place ranking in the 100-meter hurdles. The Hawkeye men have eight in the top-20, with their highest ranking being No. 2 in the 400-meter hurdles. Both the 4×100 relay and the 200-meter groups are No. 4 in the country.
ALL-TIME HAWKEYES
15 current Hawkeyes combine to hold 14 outdoor school records including:
Austin Kresley – 100 meters (10.10)
LaSarah Hargrove – 100 meters (11.20)
Paige Magee – 100 meter hurdles (13.15)
Austin Kresley – 200 meters (20.32)
Jenoah McKiver – 400 meters (44.74)
Max Murphy – 1,500 meters (3:40.63)
Max Murphy – 5,000 meters (13:39.77)
Austin West – Decathlon (8,179 points)
James Carter Jr. – Triple Jump (16.68 meters | 54’ 8.75”)
Kalen Walker, Kresley, Gratt Reed, Damoy Allen – 400 meter relay (38.70)
Hargrove, Lia Love, Magee – 400 meter relay (43.69)
Grant Conway, Kalil Jefferson, Reed – Shuttle Hurdle Relay (56.74)
Javelin – Mike Stein (75.59 meters | 248’ 0”)
Amanda Howe – Hammer Throw (64.84 meters | 212’ 9”)
RANKED AMONG THE BEST
The Hawkeyes have posted 13 top-20 individual marks in the NCAA this season thus far. The women hold top-20 marks in the 4×100 and 4×800 meter relays. The men are also ranked in the 4×100, 4×400 and 4×800 meter relays.
Women’s Top-20 Marks
13. Mariel Bruxvoort – 400 Hurdles (56.71)
14. Paige Magee – 400 Hurdles (56.79)
16. Lia Love – 100 Meters (11.10)
Men’s Top-20 Marks
3. Austin West – Decathlon (8,038)
4. Walker, Kresley, Reed, Allen – 4×100 Relay (38.70)
8. Gratt Reed – 110 Hurdles (13.50)
8. Julien Gillum – 400 Hurdles (49.73)
9. Jenoah McKiver – 400 Meters (45.25)
11. Austin Kresley – 200 Meters (20.32)
13. Austin Kresley – 100 Meters (10.10)
14. Austin West – 400 Hurdles (50.26)
17. James Carter Jr. – Long Jump (7.85 meters, 25’ 9.25”)
T-20. Jordan Johnson – Discus (59.27 meters, 194’ 5”)
2022 BIG TEN CHAMPIONS
Last year, the Hawkeyes crowned a pair of individual champions at the 2022 Big Ten Outdoor Championships. Amanda Howe won the women’s hammer throw and improved her school record (64.84m / 212’9”). On the men’s side, Julien Gillum won the 400-meter hurdles (51.12) and became the third-consecutive Hawkeye to win gold in the event at the Big Ten meet (Jamal Britt – 2021, Chris Douglas – 2019).
A LOOK BACK AT 2022
University of Iowa track and field earned 17 all-America honors at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. The men’s team claimed 10 total honors, with seven earning first-team status. Last year, the 4×400-meter relay team of Everett Steward, Chadrick Richards, Spencer Gudgel and Julien Gillum sped to a 3:03.04, sixth place finish, and first-team all-America status. Jordan Johnson fired a career best discus toss of 59.52 meter (195’ 3”) to place eighth and grab his first all-America honor of his career. James Carter, Kalil Johnson, Austin Kresley, Gratt Reed and Khullen Jefferson return as All-Americans. The Iowa women combined for seven total All-Americans, including returners LaSarah Hargrove, Lia Love, Paige Magee in the 4×100-meter relay. Hargrove earned second-team honors in the 100-meter and 200-meter races.
REGIONAL QUALIFIERS
In 2022, the Hawkeye men had 12 entries ranked inside the top-20 regionally, plus Austin West in the decathlon. West secured a berth to the NCAA Championships as the No. 3 seed. James Carter, Jr. entered regionals with the sixth-best long jump mark (No. 23 in NCAA). For the women, LaSarah Hargrove (No. 9, 200m; No. 11, 100m) and Mariel Bruxvoort (No. 11, 400m hurdles) were the top-ranked athletes regionally for the Hawkeyes. Amanda Howe was ranked just outside of the top-15 (No. 16, hammer throw) and Paige Magee was the 17th-ranked 400-meter hurdler in the region and the fourth-fastest Hawkeye in the event. Sophomore Nylah Perry was the fifth Hawkeye to qualify for the 400-meter hurdles, coming in at 44th in the region. All four of Iowa’s relays entered regionals ranked inside the top-10. The men’s 4×400-meter relay team was seeded No. 4 in the region and the 4×100-meter relay checked in at No. 6. On the women’s side, both the 4×100-meter relay and 4×400-meter relay qualified as the No. 10 seeds.
NCAA HISTORY
The Hawkeye men have eight top-10 NCAA Outdoor Championship finishes in program history, the last coming in 1932 (sixth). The Hawkeyes finished third on three occasions (1921, 1923 and 1930). In modern history, the Hawkeyes best NCAA finish was in 2021 when they placed 12th. Other top-25 finishes include 17th in 2017, 19th in 1995, 21st in 1993 and 21st in 1989. The Hawkeye women’s best finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships came in 2018, when they placed 13th with 19 points. Laulauga Tausaga scored 10 points that year, placing fourth in both shot put and discus. The women also placed in the top-25 in 2019 (25th), 2006 (20th), 1992 (19th) and 1985 (20th).
JUMP, JUMP, JUMP!
Returning men’s indoor long jump and triple jump All-American senior James Carter, Jr. transitions to the outdoor season, where he won the triple jump at last year’s Jim Click Shootout (15.84m | 51’11.75). Carter, Jr. improved his lifetime-best in the long jump at the Mt. SAC Relays (7.81m | 25’7.5”) – the fifth-furthest jump ever at Iowa. Carter, Jr. became the first university division men’s athlete at the Drake Relays in 16 years to complete a sweep of the horizontal jumps, winning the long jump (7.84m / 25’8.5” w) and the triple jump (15.79m / 51’9.75”) – the second and third Drake Relays flags in his Hawkeye career. At the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, Carter finished as the runner-up in both events.
IOWA STRONG
Senior school-record holder Amanda Howe geared up for the outdoor season after being crowned the 2022 Big Ten Champion in the hammer throw. Senior Kat Moody returns as the leader of the women’s shot put and discus. Both Howe and Moody saved their best for last by setting season bests at the Big Ten Championships in their respective events.
Junior Jordan Johnson returns as an NCAA outdoor qualifier in the discus, throwing a career best 59.52 meters (195’ 3”) at the NCAA Championships in Eugene. The senior thrower earned All-American honors with an eighth-place finish. Johnson began his postseason push with a 2nd place finish at the Big Ten Championships (57.63 meters | 189’ 1”), followed by a 6th place mark at the NCAA West Prelims (57.09 meters | 187’ 4”).
NEXT UP
The Hawkeyes begin postseason competition, traveling to the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in Bloomington, Indiana, on May 12-14. The Championships are hosted by Indiana University.