THIS WEEK
The Hawkeyes send sprints and hurdles to the Jarvis Scott Open in Lubbock, Texas, mid-distance and jumps to the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and distance and throwers to the Windy City Invite in Chicago on Feb. 9-10. Competition begins on Friday with the Windy City Invite at 2 p.m. (CT), followed by the Tyson Invitational at 2:30 and the Jarvis Scott Open at 5 p.m. Action resumes at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.
HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG
Fans can stream the Jarvis Scott Open on ESPN+. The Tyson Invitational will be streamed on SEC Network+. Results for all three meets 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) throughout the weekend.
IN THE RANKINGS
In this week’s USTFCCCA regional rankings, the Hawkeyes are ranked No. 3 in both the women’s and men’s polls. 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.
BOOKIN-NOSBISCH REWRITES RECORD BOOK
Senior Alli Bookin-Nosbisch improved her 800-meter school record on Feb. 3 at the Meyo Invitational. The senior from Ottumwa, Iowa, shaved her program best down to 2:04.20. Bookin-Nosbisch had most recently set the record last year at the Music City Challenge in Nashville.
SPRINTING TO THE TOP
Senior Kalen Walker once again updated his program-best 60-meter dash time at the Black & Gold Invite. The Eddyville, Iowa, native posted a 6.58 en route to the title and broke the 60-meter school record for the third time this season. Walker currently leads the Big Ten and is ranked eighth nationally in the event.
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
In Albuquerque, 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. Sophomore 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 26 updates to the top-10 lists:
Women’s 60-meters: Love (2nd), Duax (5th), Magee (8th)
Men’s 60-meters: Walker (1st)
Women’s 60-meter hurdles: Magee (1st), Tobias (3rd)
Men’s 60-meter hurdles: Conway (4th)
Women’s 600-meters: A. Bookin-Nosbisch (6th)
Women’s 800-meters: A. Bookin-Nosbisch (1st), G. Bookin-Nosbisch (8th)
Men’s 800-meters: Marshall (4th)
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 (2nd)
Men’s Triple Jump: Irivi (7th)
Heptathlon: Capaldo (6th)
SPEED THRILLS
Kalen Walker leads the men’s sprint group in 2024. Walker owns the program’s 60-meter school record (6.58), set on Jan. 27 at the Black & Gold Invite. Hurdlers Grant Conway, Kai Graves–Blanks, Kalil Johnson and Gratt Reed are off tostrong starts in 2024. Conway is first in the Big Ten and fifth in the NCAA following his opener (7.68) at the Black & Gold Invite. Junior Lia Love leads the Hawkeye women’s sprints unit into the 2023-24 season. She holds five top-10 program marks, including the second-best 60-meter time (7.28). Sophomore Holly Duax joins Love at the top of the sprints group and climbed to fifth in program history with a 7.42 at the opener. Senior Paige Magee returns as a hurdle specialist. Magee ranks fourth in the NCAA following her record-breaking 60-meter hurdle performance at the Wieczorek Invitational.
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. Senior 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 wrap up regular season competition, hosting the Iowa Open on Feb. 16. Iowa is also scheduled to travel to the Arkansas Qualifier in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Feb. 16 and the Alex Wilson Invite in South Bend, Indiana, on Feb. 17.