BOSTON – University of Iowa junior Rivaldo Marshall became Iowa’s first 800-meter national champion on Saturday during the final day of competition at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
The men’s team placed ninth with 21 team points, marking the second-highest finish in program history. Iowa placed eighth in 2011 at the indoor national meet.
Marshall was one of seven Hawkeyes to earn indoor All-American honors, including three first-team members. Marshall clocked a 1:46.96, just one-tenth of a second behind his own school record set earlier this season at the Tyson Invitational on Feb. 10.
A native of Kingston, Jamaica, Marshall is the first Iowa men’s track and field athlete to win a national championship since 1998, when Bashir Yamini won gold in the indoor long jump.
Yamini and Marshall combine for the two indoor event national titles in men’s program history. Marshall is the 11th individual male athlete from Iowa to win a national championship, earning the 14th title in men’s program history.
Laulauga Tausaga won Iowa’s most recent national championship in 2019, winning the discus title outdoors. The Hawkeye women and men combine for 18 total event national championships and five indoor event titles. Kineke Alexander won Iowa’s most recent indoor championship in 2006 with a victory in the 400 meters.
Marshall was an NJCAA Indoor National Champion in the 800 meters last year for Indian Hills.
This season, Marshall was the USTFCCCA men’s athlete of the week on Dec. 13 for his facility-record performance (1:47.83) at the Jimmy Grant Invitational. Marshall placed fifth in the 800 meters at the Big Ten Championships last time out (1:49.32), where he also anchored the Iowa 4×400-meter relay team to a third place conference finish (3:07.48).
Marshall headlines an Iowa class of seven indoor All-Americans. Iowa now combines for 109 indoor All-Americans and 479 total All-Americans across both the men’s and women’s program.
Senior Kalen Walker placed second in the 60-meter dash, racing 6.59 to finish one-hundredth of a second ahead of Texas Tech’s Don’dre Swint in third place. Walker was, himself, just five-hundredths of a second behind event champion Terrence Jones.
Walker entered the weekend as a two-time All-American second teamer. Walker placed 13th at indoor nationals in 2022 with a 6.64, and was also a second-team All-American as part of Iowa’s outdoor school-record 4×400-meter relay team last season.
The Eddyville, Iowa, native was also runner-up at the Big Ten Championships this season. Walker’s 6.51 time in the prelims at the conference meet set the Hawkeye program record.
Senior Austin West rounded out Iowa’s group of first-team All-Americans, placing sixth in the men’s heptathlon. West finished with 5,900 points, just 75 points shy of his PR and 447 points back from first place.
Competing in the triple-jump, freshman Daniela Wamokpego finished 15th with a jump of 12.66 meters (41’ 6.5”).
Iowa had three second-team All-Americans on Friday in long jumper Tionna Tobias, along with 60-meter hurdlers Grant Conway and Paige Magee.
HEAR FROM DIRECTOR OF TRACK AND FIELD JOEY WOODY
“That was a tremendous performance by Rivaldo today. He executed that race perfectly and made a move at the right time going into the last lap that set him up to run away from the field in the last 100 meters. I’m so proud of him and super happy for Coach Wakenight to get our first National Champion since 1998.
“Austin had a great weekend to earn his first top-eight finish and become a first-team All-American. He has made this meet four times, and it was great to see him make the podium and get the momentum going for our team today.
“I was so excited for Kalen after having a disappointing final at the Big Ten Championships. To come here and finish runner-up in the nation is an amazing accomplishment. These guys all had a mission to finish top 10 in the country, and they made it happen.”
UP NEXT
Iowa races into outdoor season at the USF Alumni Invitational on March 15-16 in Tampa, Florida.
HAWKEYE RESULTS
NCAA Indoor Nationals
Men’s Heptathlon
6. Austin West – 5,900 points
10. 60-Meter Hurdles – 8.17 (7.95 PR)
12. Pole Vault – 4.36 meters (14’ 33.5”) (4.40m 14’ 5.25” PR)
1. 1,000 Meters – 2:34.73 (2:32.64 PR)
7. 60 Meters – 7.01
9. Long Jump – 7.32 meters (23’10.75”)
7. Shot Put – 14.56 meters (47’ 9.25”)
9. High Jump – 1.97 meters (6’ 5.25”)
Men’s 60-Meter Final
2. Kalen Walker – 6.59
Men’s 800-Meter Final
1. Rivaldo Marshall – 1:46.96
Women’s Triple Jump Final
15. Daniela Wamokpego – 12.66 meters (41’ 6.5”)