THIS WEEK
The Hawkeyes conclude their indoor regular season hosting the Iowa Open on Friday, Feb. 16 at the Hawkeye Indoor Track Facility. Competition begins with the high jump at 11 a.m. followed by the start of running events at 1 p.m. Shot put and weight throw will take place at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex beginning at 1 p.m.
HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG
Fans can stream the Iowa Open on B1G+. Results can be found on the live results link on the track and field schedule page at hawkeyesports.com. Updates and results will also be posted on the team’s official ‘X’ account (iowaXC_TF).
IN THE RANKINGS
In this week’s USTFCCCA regional rankings, the Hawkeyes are ranked No. 3 in the women’s poll and No. 4 in the men’s. Iowa has eight women’s event groups ranked in the top 20, while the men are ranked within the top 20 in five event groups.
SPRINTING TO THE TOP
Senior Kalen Walker updated his program-best 60-meter dash time at the Jarvis Scott Open in Lubbock, Texas, on Feb. 9. Walker ran a 6.52 in the semifinals before setting the program’s new best of 6.51 in the finals. The Eddyville, Iowa, native leads the Big Ten and is ranked third nationally. Junior Lia Love claimed Iowa’s top spot on the all-time list, sprinting to a 7.24 school record in Lubbock. Her time is in second in the conference and inside the top 20 nationally.
BOOKIN-NOSBISCH REWRITES RECORD BOOK
On back-to-back weekends, Alli Bookin–Nosbisch improved her 800-meter school record. At the Tyson Invite on Feb. 10, the senior from Ottumwa, Iowa, improved her program best to 2:03.42. Bookin-Nosbisch had most recently set the record on Feb. 3 at the Meyo Invite.
RIVALDO’S RETURN
Competing for the first time since the Jimmy Grant Invite on Dec. 9, junior Rivaldo Marshall etched his name in Hawkeye history at the Tyson Invite by running a 1:46.86 to set the new 800-meter school record. Marshall leads the conference and has moved to fifth in the national rankings.
FRONT PAIGE NEWS
Senior Paige Magee shattered her own school record at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational on Jan. 20, crossing the line of the 60-meter hurdles in 8.00. This is the second time Magee has broken the program’s record this season, after matching the previous all-time record (8.07) in the opener on Dec. 9. The senior from Columbia, Missouri, is currently ranked atop the Big Ten in the event group and fourth in the NCAA.
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
At the New Mexico Collegiate Classic, redshirt sophomore Chloe Larsen completed a strong weekend by moving into tenth on Iowa’s all-time list in the 400-meter race. After climbing to third in the 600 meters on the opening day, Larsen doubled up with a 54.20 personal best to lead the Hawkeyes in the 400 meters. Additionally, sophomore Gabby Cortez (55.11) and freshman Olicia Lucas (55.22) posted career bests. The men’s 400-meter group notched three personal records courtesy of freshmen Josh Pugh (47.40) and James Fingalsen (47.64), along with sophomore Tyrese Miller (48.13). The women’s 4×400-meter relay team of sophomore Audrey Biermann, Magee, Larsen and senior Nylah Perry ran a 3:34.24 to post the program’s sixth-fastest time.
PERFECTING THEIR CRAFT
Multi-event specialists Sal Capaldo and Tionna Tobias opened their campaigns with event victories at the Wieczorek Invite. Capaldo was crowned the champion and moved to sixth in program history with his 5,256-point performance. The sophomore from Polk City, Iowa, notched the individual title in the high jump (1.96m) before earning three second-place finishes (60mH, pole vault, 1,000m) over the weekend. Tobias, the Big Ten’s reigning outdoor heptathlon champion, totaled 4,049 points in her pentathlon championship. The senior from Sicklerville, New Jersey, ranks third in program history and leads the Big Ten following her performance. Tobias set a pair of meet, track and facility records within the pentathlon (60mH, long jump) on her way to the title.
CLEAN SWEEP
For the first time in program history, the Hawkeyes swept Big Ten Athlete of the Week honors following the Jimmy Grant Alumni Invitational. Paige Magee won the women’s track athlete of the week honor by breaking the program’s 60-meter hurdles record. Kalen Walker broke his own 60-meter school record twice (6.60 | 6.59) in the season opener. Daniela Wamokpego, a freshman from Meaux, France, made an instant impact with her triple jump of 13.12 meters (43′ 0.5″) to win the women’s field award. Sean Smith set a facility record in the weight throw on his way to the men’s field honor, tossing a 21.66-meter (71′ 0.75″) mark.
UPDATING THE ALL-TIME LISTS
This season, the Hawkeyes have made 30 updates to the top-10 lists:
Women’s 60-meters: Love (1st), Duax (4th), Magee (8th)
Men’s 60-meters: Walker (1st)
Women’s 60-meter hurdles: Magee (1st), Tobias (3rd)
Men’s 60-meter hurdles: Conway (3rd)
Men’s 200-meters: Reed (4th)
Women’s 400-meters: Larsen (10th)
Women’s 600-meters: A. Bookin-Nosbisch (6th)
Women’s 800-meters: A. Bookin-Nosbisch (1st), G. Bookin-Nosbisch (7th)
Men’s 800-meters: Marshall (1st), Schreiner (5th), O’Connor (7th)
Women’s 4×400: Biermann, Magee, Larsen, Perry (6th)
Women’s Pentathlon: Tobias (3rd), Wirth (6th), Rochford (10th)
Women’s High Jump: Wirth (6th)
Men’s Weight Throw: Smith (2nd), Busch (4th)
Women’s Weight Throw: Kofron (3rd), Bauer (5th)
Women’s Long Jump: Tobias (2nd), Zeffou-Poaty (3rd), Hutchins (8th)
Women’s Triple Jump: Wamokpego (1st)
Men’s Triple Jump: Irivi (7th)
Heptathlon: Capaldo (6th)
LAUNCH PARTY
Sophomores Sean Smith and Austin Busch are leading the men’s throws unit through the first month of the season. The duo holds top five marks in the weight throw. Smith is second all-time (21.83m), while Busch is fourth (20.91). Senior Alivia Bauer has two weight throw titles to start the indoor campaign. Jamie Kofron ranks third in the weight throw and 10th in the shot put. Kat Moody holds the third-best shot put mark (54’ 7.25” | 16.64m), set at last season’s Tyson Invite.
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes shift to postseason competition, heading to the Big Ten Championships in Geneva, Ohio, Feb. 23-24. The meet is hosted at The SPIRE Institute.