Track and Field Notebook: Iowa Open

THIS WEEK

The Hawkeyes are back home for the first time this month, hosting the Iowa Open on Friday, February 21. The high jump kicks off the Iowa Open at 11:00 am at the Hawkeye Indoor Track Facility. Action starts at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex at 12:30 pm with the men’s and women’s weight throw.

HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG

The meet schedule and results can be found on track and field schedule page at hawkeyesports.com. Updates and results will also be posted on the team's official 'X' account (iowaXC_TF).

2024-25 NEWS

• Sophomore Ryan Johnson crushed his previous program record at the Robinson Family Open in Tiffin, Ohio, with a 24.59-meter throw. His throw is the second-farthest in NCAA D1 in 2025. Johnson climbed to fourth in NCAA division one history and also ranks fifth among all NCAA competitors all time in the men’s weight throw.
• At the Jarvis Scott Open, senior Lia Love updated her lifetime best in the women’s 200-meter invitational. She clocked a 23.38, good for second place. Love remains fourth all-time at Iowa.
• The women’s 4x400-meter relay team of Chioma Nwachukwu, Alivia Williams, Olicia Lucas, and Damaris Mutunga claimed the second all-time spot at Iowa with the time of 3:31.62.
• Senior Jaiden Itson made her mark in the women’s 600 yards with a time ranked eighth at Iowa. Itson’s 1:23.80 secured her fifth place.
• At the Tyson Invitational, sophomore James Fingalsen cracked into the program-best list with a 1:49.10 finish in the 800-meter invitational.
• The Hawkeyes dominated the shot put and weight throw at the Robinson Family Open with first place finishes in both events. Junior Wisdom Williams collected the gold with a 15.75-meter finish. Sophomore Sydnie Smith secured first in the weight throw (17.94 meters), with freshman Peyton Wilson (17.60 meters) taking second.
• In New Mexico, the men’s 4x400 team of Josh Pugh, Isaac Lewis, Terrick Johnson and Zidane Brown posted a 3:05.31, which stands as the fifth-best time in Iowa history.
• Lewis led the men’s 400 meter group with a personal best, finishing with a time of 46.67, which ranks seventh all-time at Iowa. On the women’s side, three Hawkeyes made their mark on the all-time list. Nwachukwu (52.46) now sits in fourth, while Mutunga and Williams hold the fifth and eighth spots, respectively. Lucas (54.16) and Gabby Cortez (54.68) tallied personal bests.
• In the 60-meter hurdles, freshman Lillian Harden set a personal best with a time of 8.16, landing her fourth all-time at Iowa and ranking in the top 20 nationally.
• Freshman Pauline Bikembo and sophomore Maud Zeffou-Poaty climbed to third and fourth, respectively, on Iowa’s all-time list in the long jump.
• Sophomore Annie Wirth won the pentathlon with a personal best 3,890 points at the Dr. McGuire Invite. Wirth scored the sixth-most points in school history.
• Returning All-American Daniela Wamokpego kicked off 2025 with a school record 13.32-meter mark in the triple jump.

LAST TIME OUT

University of Iowa track and field concluded competition at the Tyson Invitational, Jarvis Scott Open, BU Hemery Valentine Invitational and Robinson Family Open with a record-setting performance from Ryan Johnson in the weight throw. Johnson climbs to fourth in NCAA division one history with his throw of 24.59 meters. He also ranks fifth among all NCAA competitors all time in the men’s weight throw. Freshman Emmanuel Njoku highlighted the action in Arkansas with a first-place finish in the long jump. His 7.69 meter (25’ 2.75”) jump ranks fifth all-time at Iowa and is a personal best. Maud Zeffou-Poaty set a personal record of 6.27 meters (20’ 7”), updating her all-time ranking of fourth at Iowa. The women’s 400-meter invitational saw two freshman phenoms update the Iowa all-time best list. Mutunga and Nwachukwu now rank third and fourth respectively. Junior Wisdom Williams collected the gold with a 15.75-meter finish. Sophomore Sydnie Smith secured first in the weight throw (17.94 meters), with freshman Peyton Wilson (17.60 meters) taking second. Lia Love updated her lifetime best in the women’s 200-meter invitational. She clocked a 23.38, good for second place. Love remains fourth all-time at Iowa.

IN THE RANKINGS

The Hawkeyes are ranked in the USTFCCCA top 25 team rankings this week, with the men’s group sitting at No. 23. In the event rankings, the men’s and women’s team have a combined 10 events ranked in the top 20. The women’s pentathlon and men’s weight throw holds the number one spot nationally. The men’s and women’s 400-meters are both ranked with the women claiming the No. 4 spot and the men at No. 10. The Hawkeyes close out the top 10 with women’s high jump at No. 9. The 60-meter hurdle groups were ranked No. 11 and No. 15 respectively. Women’s weight throw finished in the No. 14 spot. The women’s 800 meters and long jump close out the Hawks in the top 20 with both events ranked No. 18. In total, the women were ranked in seven events with the men being named to three events.

JOHNSON CONTINUES TO DOMINATE 

Hawkeye sophomore Ryan Johnson dominated another weekend of competition at the Robinson Family Open in Tiffin, Ohio, crushing the Iowa program record in the weight throw. Johnson launched a 24.59-meter throw to climb to fourth in NCAA D1 history. He also ranks fifth among all NCAA competitors all time in the men’s weight throw. Johnson has updated Iowa’s program record multiple times this season, starting at the Hawkeyes Invitational where he fired a 24-meter throw in his debut.

HAWKEYES IN THE TOP 10

The Hawkeyes have eight ranked athletes and events in the top 10 nationally. Ryan Johnson claims the third spot for the men’s weight throw. Abraham Vogelsang ranks third in the nation in the men’s heptathlon. The men’s pentathlon features Sal Capaldo (No. 3), Canaan Burnett (No. 6) and Will Davidson (No. 7). Pauline Bikembo holds the eighth spot in the women’s pentathlon while Damaris Mutunga also sits eighth in the 600 meters. The women’s 4x400 relay team of Williams, Nwachukwu, Mutunga and Lucas claim the No. 10 spot nationally.

B1G ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Hawkeyes Abraham Vogelsang and Damaris Mutunga earned their first B1G Athlete of the Week awards following their performances at the Meyo Invitational and the Dr. Rick McGuire Invitational. Vogelsang dominated the men’s heptathlon at the Dr. Rick McGuire Invite in Columbia, Missouri, claiming the top spot with 5,882 points. Vogelsang soared to second in the nation and third all-time at Iowa, while holding the 11th-highest point total in the world in 2025. Mutunga shined in the 600 meters at the Meyo Invitational, claiming first place with an all-time best 1:27.77. This time now ranks second at Iowa. Mutunga is currently the top-ranked freshman in the event and ranks eighth nationally. Five Hawkeyes earned B1G Athlete of the Week awards this season. Sean Smith and Ryan Johnson won men’s field athlete of the week, Daniela Wamokpego was named co-field athlete of the week and Pauline Bikembo and Chioma Nwachukwu won freshman athlete of the week honors.

SCHOOL-RECORD HOLDERS

Seven school records have been set by current members of the 2025 Iowa roster:

• Lia Love: Women’s 60 meters (7.24)

• Kalen Walker: Men’s 60 meters (6.51)

• Paige Magee: Women’s 60-meter hurdles (7.99)

• Alli Bookin-Nosbisch: Women’s 800 meters (2:03.42)

• Ryan Johnson: Men’s Weight Throw (24.59 meters)

• Daniela Wamokpego: Women’s Triple Jump (13.24 meters)

• Alivia Williams, Chioma Nwachukwu, Damaris Mutunga, and Olicia Lucas: Women’s 4x400 Relay (3:30.42)

UPDATING THE ALL-TIME LISTS

This season, the Hawkeyes have made 34 updates to the top-10 lists:

• Men’s 60-Meter Hurdles: Kai Graves-Blanks (8th)
• Women’s 60-Meter Hurdles: Lillian Harden (4th)
• Men’s 200 Meters: Austin Kresley (3rd)
• Women’s 200 Meters: Lia Love (4th)
• Men’s 400 Meters: Isaac Lewis (7th)
• Women's 400 Meters: Damaris Mutunga (3rd), Chioma Nwachukwu (4th), Alivia Williams (8th)
• Women’s 600 Meters: Damaris Mutunga (2nd), Gabby Cortez (5th)
• Women’s 600 Yards: Jaiden Itson (8th)
• Men's 800 Meters: Terrick Johnson (9th)
• Men’s 3,000 Meters: Luke Knepp (6th)
• Men’s 5,000 Meters: Brayden Burnett (8th)
• Women's High Jump: Jeanne Le Goff (9th)
• Men's Long Jump: Emmanuel Njoku (5th)
• Women's Long Jump: Pauline Bikembo (3rd), Maud Zeffou-Poaty (4th)
• Men's Triple Jump: Precious Irivi (7th)
• Women’s Triple Jump: Daniela Wamokpego (1st), Jeanne Le Goff (4th)
• Men's Pole Vault: Abraham Vogelsang (7th)
• Women's Weight Throw: Wisdom Williams (9th)
• Men's Weight Throw: Ryan Johnson (1st), Sean Smith (2nd), Austin Busch (4th), Bryce Ryland (8th)
• Women’s Shot Put: Wisdom Williams (5th)
• Women’s Pentathlon: Pauline Bikembo (2nd), Annie Wirth (6th)
• Men's Heptathlon: Abraham Vogelsang (3rd), Sal Capaldo (5th)
• Men’s 4x400 Relay: Pugh, Lewis, Johnson, Brown (5th)
• Women’s 4x400 Relay: Williams, Nwachukwu, Mutunga, Lucas (1st)

UP NEXT

The Hawkeyes travel to the Big Ten Indoor Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana. Competition begins on February 28th.