SACRAMENTO, Calif. — University of Iowa men’s track and field added six events to its itinerary at the NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas, in June after the third day of the NCAA West Preliminaries on Friday.
Juniors Kalen Walker, Austin Kresley, and Gratt Reed, and senior DeAndre Stapleton Jr. ran the Hawkeyes fifth-fastest 4×100-meter relay (39.19) in program history to move on to the next round. The relay’s qualification marks the 10th-consecutive championships for Iowa, dating back to 2013 — the longest current streak in NCAA Division I track and field.
The 4×400-relay quad consisting of junior Austin West, sophomore Chadrick Richards, junior Spencer Gudgel, and senior Julien Gillum also qualified through, marking the sixth-straight NCAA advancement in the event.
Four individuals will continue the season in Austin, including Kresley in the 200 meters (20.35), senior James Carter Jr. in the triple jump (15.75 meters, 51’ 8.25”), Reed in the 110 hurdles (13.69), and Gillum in the 400 hurdles (50.40).
The Hawkeyes wrap up the NCAA West Preliminaries on Saturday as the women compete in the quarterfinals, starting with the discus competition at 3 p.m. CT. Running events begin at 7 p.m. CT and will be live streamed on ESPN+.
Hearing from Iowa Director of Track & Field Joey Woody…
“We had a terrific day today with multiple qualifiers to Austin! I was super impressed with how our guys competed with confidence from the first event in the 4×100 relay to the last event in the 4×400 relay.”
“We challenge the guys every year that we will always have a great relay to kick off the meet and a great relay to finish the meet and we did that again today. The 4×100 had an awesome performance qualifying to the NCAA Finals site for the 10th-consecutive year which is the best out of any program in the NCAA.”
“I was very impressed with how the 4×400 relay competed today without Jenoah (McKiver) to qualify to the NCAA Finals site for the sixth consecutive year!”
“I thought James (Carter Jr.) came back today on a mission to qualify in the triple jump after not making it in the long jump. He made it happen!”
“Gratt (Reed), Julien (Gillum), and Austin (Kresley) all did amazing today to make it in their individual events and to give them all a shot to become NCAA All-Americans.”
HAWKEYE RESULTS:
200 Meters
7. Austin Kresley – 20.35, NCAA Qualifier
5,000 Meters
31. Max Murphy – 14:02.97
110 Hurdles
9. Gratt Reed – 13.69, NCAA Qualifier
400 Hurdles
9. Julien Gillum – 50.40, NCAA Qualifier
High Jump
38. Zack Pluff – 2.04 meters (6’ 8.25”)
Triple Jump
7. James Carter Jr. – 15.75 meters (51’ 8.25”), NCAA Qualifier
45. DeAndre Stapleton Jr. – 13.83 meters (45’ 4.5”)
Discus
40. Jordan Johnson – 53.03 meters (173’ 11”)
4×100-Meter Relay (9th consecutive NCAA qualification)
7. Walker, Kresley, Reed, and Stapleton Jr. – 39.19, tied 5th all-time at Iowa, NCAA Qualifiers
4×400 Meter Relay
11. West, Richards, Gudgel, Gillum – 3:04.94, NCAA Qualifiers