SACRAMENTO, Calif. – University of Iowa senior Amanda Howe will advance to the NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas, after throwing the hammer 62.56 meters (205’ 3”) at the NCAA West Preliminaries on Thursday.
“The women had a terrific day today,” Iowa Director of Track and Field Joey Woody said. “I’m super excited for Amanda (Howe) qualifying to her first NCAA finals in her senior season.”
“Amanda (Howe) came out with something to prove today,” assistant coach Ray Robinson added. “She wasn’t pleased with how Big Tens went and decided she was going to make the NCAA final for her last go. She accomplished that goal. She’s one of the hardest working people I’ve ever met, and it’s shown in how far she has come the past couple of years. She earned this!”
Nine additional Hawkeyes advanced to quarterfinals on Saturday in hopes of joining Howe at the NCAA Championships in June.
The hurdle group showed star power as six advanced to the next round. In the 100 hurdles, juniors Paige Magee (13.06), Tionna Tobias (13.11), and Myreanna Bebe (13. 12) automatically qualified, finishing top-3 in their respective heats. Tobias’ 13.11 is a personal best and good for third all-time in the Iowa record books.
All three 400-meter hurdlers posted qualifying times with Magee (57.15) and junior Mariel Bruxvoort (57.32) automatically qualifying off their heat place, finishing first and second in their respective heats, while sophomore Nylah Perry qualified off time as she crossed the finish in 59.20.
“The hurdlers got the momentum going on the track with three automatic qualifiers to the quarterfinals in the 100 hurdles,” Coach Woody said. “The 400-hurdle group went 3-for-3 and are in a great position for Saturday.”
Sophomore Lia Love continued what the hurdlers started, automatically qualifying with the third-fastest time of her heat and crossing the finish in 11.42. Freshman Audrey Biermann followed suit, qualifying for the 400-meter quarterfinals with a personal best and the seventh-fastest time in program history, 52.67. Sophomore Alli Bookin-Nosbisch rounded out the qualifiers with the second-fastest 800 meters of her heat, crossing the finish in 2:06.43.
“Lia Love earned an automatic qualification and punched her ticket to the quarterfinals on Saturday in the 100, and Audrey Biermann had a terrific performance, leading our 400 group with a huge PR and qualifying to the quarterfinals. I thought that entire group competed very well and are in a great position for the 4×400 relay on Saturday,” Woody said. “The 800 group continued the successful day with Alli (Bookin-Nosbisch) getting an auto-qualifying mark and setting herself up for a great shot in the quarterfinals.”
The men’s team is back at it on Friday and they head into the NCAA West Preliminary quarterfinal rounds. Events begin at 3 p.m. CT, starting with the men’s discus.
HAWKEYE RESULTS:
100 Meters:
16. Lia Love – 11.42, quarterfinals qualifier
400 Meters:
21. Audrey Biermann – 52.67, PR, 7th all-time at Iowa, quarterfinals qualifier
32. Tesa Roberts – 53.38
34. Ali Dorn – 53.42, PR
40. Chloe Larsen – 54.21
800 Meters:
17. Alli Bookin-Nosbisch – 2:06.43, quarterfinals qualifier
28. Clare Pitcher – 2:07.35
42. Grace Bookin-Nosbisch – 2:09.42
100 Hurdles:
6. Paige Magee – 13.06, quarterfinals qualifier
11. Tionna Tobias – 13.11, PR, 3rd all-time at Iowa, quarterfinals qualifier
13. Myreanna Bebe – 13.12, quarterfinals qualifier
32. Natalie Harris – 13.70
400 Hurdles:
6. Paige Magee – 57.15, quarterfinals qualifier
9. Mariel Bruxvoort – 57.32, quarterfinals qualifier
22. Nylah Perry – 59.20, quarterfinals qualifier
Long Jump:
15. Tionna Tobias – 6.10 meters (20’ 0.25”)
Shot Put:
T-36. Kat Moody – 15.14 meters (49’ 8.25”)
Hammer:
12. Amanda Howe – 62.56 meters (205’ 3”), finals qualifier
Javelin:
38. Lizzie Korczak – 44.48 meters (145’ 11”)