Track and Field Notebook: Florida Relays, Stanford Invite, Mike Fanelli Track Classic

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). 

2025 NEWS

• Sophomore Ryan Johnson posted a program record in the hammer throw at the Texas State Invitational along with a victory in the men’s hammer throw at the Texas Relays. In San Marcos, Johnson shattered the school record he set just last week in his outdoor debut at the UCF Black and Gold Invitational. His throw of 71.87 meters not only earned him the gold but also secured the fifth best throw nationally.
• Junior Lizzy Korczak took home the gold in the women’s javelin with a 57.69-meter throw at the Texas Relays. Last week, Korczak crushed the program record in the javelin on her first throw of the 2025 outdoor season. Korczak launched a throw of 58.10 meters. She surpassed her previous personal best and top-10 mark of 50.62 meters, with five of her throws exceeding that mark.
• Freshman Maria Arboleda won the women’s high jump, clearing 1.83 meters at the Texas Relays. Arboleda posted a program record in her debut in the high jump to open the outdoor season at the UCF Black and Gold Invitational. She cleared 1.87 meters to win the event and ranks first in the NCAA in the high jump.
• Junior Walker Whalen finished first in the men’s hammer throw with a lifetime best 58.70 meters at the Texas State Invite.
• Junior Mike Stein was the top collegiate finisher in the javelin with a 76.69-meter throw in Austin.
• Junior Wisdom Williams took home the gold in the women’s shot put with a personal-best 16 meters at the UCF Black and Gold Invitational. Williams improved on her fourth all-time rank at Iowa with this mark.
• In the men’s high jump, freshman Ethan Glyde closed out his outdoor debut with a first-place finish. He hit the 2.09-meter mark to secure the win for the Hawkeyes.
• In the men’s discus, freshman Bryce Ruland secured the win for the Hawkeyes with a mark of 55.75 meters at the UCF Black and Gold Invitational. That mark lands Ruland tenth all-time at Iowa.
• Sophomore Sydnie Smith had an impressive day in her outdoor season opener in the women’s discus with a personal best. She finished with a 50.52-meter mark, good for eighth all-time at Iowa.
• In the women’s 4x100 relay, the team of Holly Duax, Olicia Lucas, Brynley McDermott and Lia Love took home first place, clocking in with a time of 44.63.
• The Hawkeyes finished the NCAA Championships with three first-team All-Americans in Abraham Vogelsang, Pauline Bikembo and Ryan Johnson.

LAST TIME OUT

The Hawkeyes secured six event wins from their trip to the Texas Relays, Texas State Invitational, and Illinois State Redbird Challenge. Sophomore Ryan Johnson highlighted the action posting a program record in the hammer throw at the Texas State Invitational along with a victory in the men’s hammer throw at the Texas Relays. In San Marcos, Johnson shattered the school record he set just last week in his outdoor debut at the UCF Black and Gold Invitational. His throw of 71.87 meters not only earned him the gold but also secured the fifth best throw nationally. Freshman Lizzy Korczak took home the gold in the women’s javelin with a 57.69-meter throw at the Texas Relays. Junior Walker Whalen finished first in the men’s hammer throw with a lifetime best 58.70 meters at the Texas State Invite. In Austin, freshman Maria Arboleda won the women’s high jump, clearing 1.83 meters. Sophomore Sydnie Smith moved up the all-time list with a personal-best throw of 52.48 meters in the women’s discus, securing second place. Junior Mike Stein was the top collegiate finisher in the javelin with a 76.69-meter throw in Austin.

HAWKEYES RETURN TO FLORIDA AND CALIFORNIA

The Hawkeyes return to the Florida Relays, Mike Fanelli Track Classic and Stanford Invitational. Last season, Alli Bookin-Nosbisch set the women’s program record in the outdoor 800 meters, racing 2:03.24 to place sixth in the premier national event at the Florida Relays. Her time ranked seventh in NCAA Division I at the time. At the Mike Fanelli Track Classic in San Francisco, two distance runners entered program top-10 lists. In the 10,000 meters, Brayden Burnett posted the seventh-ranked time in Iowa history at 29:41. In the steeplechase, Hayden Kuhn ran the seventh-best time in school history and placed fourth. In the women’s long jump, Maud Zeffou-Poaty placed second with a jump of 6.19 meters (20’ 3.75”). That marked a new personal record and tied for fifth in the women’s program history at the time. The jump also ranked 17th in NCAA Division I. 

JOHNSON'S DOMINANT START

Ryan Johnson continues his incredible outdoor season debut as a Hawkeye breaking the school record in the hammer throw the first week of competition and bettering that record at the Texas State Invite. At the UCF Black and Gold Invitational, Johnson launched a 71.12-meter throw followed up by a 71.87-meter throw at the Texas State Invite. His throw currently ranks sixth nationally. Johnson is coming off an All-American performance at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the weight throw. The Springboro, Ohio, native claimed the bronze with a 24.48-meter toss. He also holds the program record in the weight throw at 24.59 meters.

SCHOOL RECORDS IN ORLANDO

The Hawkeyes posted three school records during their trip to Orlando, Florida, to open the outdoor season. Junior Lizzy Korczak started things off strong in the javelin with her first throw shattering the all-time record. She launched a throw of 58.10 meters, surpassing her previous personal best and top-ten mark of 50.62 meters. Korczak had five of her throws exceed that mark. Sophomore Ryan Johnson kept the momentum going in the hammer throw crushing another program record. He recorded a 71.12-meter toss with five of Johnson’s throws eclipsing the 68-meter mark. On day two of the UCF Black and Gold Invitational, freshman Maria Arboleda posted a program record in her debut in the high jump. Arboleda cleared 1.87 meters to win the event.

MIKE STEIN RETURNS FOR THE HAWKEYES

Junior Mike Stein is back for the Hawkeyes, gearing up for a highly anticipated season in the javelin following a standout NCAA debut. Stein opened the 2025 outdoor season with a first-place finish in the javelin. He launched a 75.10-meter throw to seal the win for the Hawkeyes. Last season, Stein finished in seventh place and earned first-team All-American honors at the NCAA Championships. He concluded his impressive freshman campaign by claiming the Big Ten Championship, setting a new school record with a throw of 81.19 meters and earning Men’s Field Athlete of the Championship honors. That record-breaking performance also secured his qualification for the U.S. Olympic Trials, where he placed 21st in the javelin with a throw of 61.98 meters. 

2024 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Hawkeyes concluded the 2023-2024 season with impressive performances from across the board. Mike Stein became a first-team All-American in the men's javelin. Stein threw 72.81 meters (238' 10") to place seventh in his NCAA debut at Hayward Field. Paige Magee qualified in the women's 100 hurdles, finishing 13th with a personal-best and Iowa program record of 12.88 in the finals. With the second-team finish, Magee closes her outdoor career as a six-time All-American. Jordan Johnson closed his Hawkeye career as a second-team All-American, placing 16th with a toss of 56.74 meters (186' 2") in the men's discus. Rivaldo Marshall qualified in the men's 800 meters with a third-place time of 1:46.96 at the NCAA Regionals in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Austin West was an NCAA qualifier in the men's decathlon for the fourth time in his career. Seven Hawkeyes returned to Eugene, Oregon, for the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team Trials from June 21-30. That delegation included Magee (women's 100 hurdles), Stein (men's javelin), West (men's decathlon), senior Gratt Reed (men's 110 hurdles), senior Kat Moody (women's discus) and senior Kalen Walker (men's 100 meters).

INDOOR SEASON RECAP

The Hawkeyes wrapped up the indoor season at the NCAA Indoor Championships last weekend. Four Hawkeyes traveled to Virginia Beach, three of those athletes making their NCAA debut. Freshman Abraham Vogelsang and Pauline Bikembo and sophomore Ryan Johnson were named first-team All-Americans with Daniela Wamokpego securing second-team All-American. Johnson took home the bronze with a 24.48-meter toss. Bikembo tallied 4,331 points, setting a new school record. Vogelsang finished the heptathlon with 5,810 points, good for sixth place. Wamokpego wrapped up the NCAA Championships with an 11th-place finish in the triple jump with a mark of 13.03 meters.

INDOOR SEASON SUCCESS

Both the men’s and women’s squads have had an impressive finish to the indoor season, with 35 updates made to the all-time list. Notably, Pauline Bikembo set the Iowa school record in the women’s pentathlon with 4,331 points in the NCAA Championships. At the Iowa Open, sophomore Daniela Wamokpego reset the program record in the triple jump, leaping to a 13.51-meter mark. In her final attempt, Wamokpego not only set the school and meet records but also posted the NCAA DI’s seventh-best mark. The sophomore from Meaux, France, further solidified her position as a national qualifier in the event and climbed to second in the Big Ten. Her previous school record was set at the Jimmy Grant Invite earlier this season. Sophomore Ryan Johnson also set multiple Iowa program records throughout the indoor season. At the Robinson Family Open, Johnson shattered the school record with a 24.59-meter throw, which ranked fourth in NCAA Division I history at the time of competition. Earlier in the season, the women’s 4x400 relay team of Alivia Williams, Chioma Nwachukwu, Damaris Mutunga, and Olicia Lucas crushed Iowa’s program record with a time of 3:30.42.

UPDATING THE ALL-TIME LISTS

Iowa made 35 updates to the top-10 lists during the indoor season. The Hawkeyes opened the outdoor season with updates to the top-10 list:

• Women’s Javelin: Lizzy Korczak (1st)
• Men’s Hammer: Ryan Johnson (1st)
• Women’s Shot Put: Wisdom Williams (4th)
• Women’s High Jump: Maria Arboleda (1st)
• Women’s Discus: Sydnie Smith (8th)
• Men’s Discus: Bryce Ruland (10th)

UP NEXT

The Hawkeyes travel to the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, California and the Jim Duncan Invitational in Des Moines, Iowa. Action starts Thursday April 10th and continues Friday, April 11th.