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Track and Field Notebook: Big Ten Outdoor ChampionshipsTrack and Field Notebook: Big Ten Outdoor Championships
Stephen Mally
Men's Track & Field

Track and Field Notebook: Big Ten Outdoor Championships

The Iowa Hawkeyes will compete in the 2025 Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships from May 16–18 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Big Ten Outdoor Championships Schedule Full Notes (PDF)
by Elizabeth Coon

THIS WEEK

The Iowa Hawkeyes will compete in the 2025 Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships from May 16–18 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

2025 NEWS

  • In the men’s hammer throw, the Hawkeyes swept the podium at Musco Twilight. Sophomore Ryan Johnson led the way, breaking his own school record and setting a new facility record with a throw of 73.20 meters. Junior Sean Smith took second by throwing 66.93 meters and Sophomore Austin Busch threw 65.61 meters.
  • In the men’s javelin, junior Mike Stein placed first with a throw of 78.58 meters. Stein’s throw set a new facility record and moved him to 3rd in NCAA Division 1 this season.
  • In the women’s high jump, freshman Maria Arboleda broke her own school record and set a facility record with a jump of 1.88 meters. Arboleda’s performance moved her to fifth in the NCAA.
  • The Hawkeyes took home the women’s Drake Relays Cup for the first time since 2019.
  • At the Drake Relays, the 4x800-meter relay team of Derek Leicht, James Fingalsen, Ryan Schreiner and Terrick Johnson set a then world-leading time of 7:21.88 to secure the event title for the first time since 2017. The group's time ranks third at Iowa.
  • The women’s sprint medley team of Holly Duax, Lia Love, Damaris Mutunga and Alli Bookin-Nosbisch secured an event win and a school record at Drake with a time of 3:44.12.
  • Freshman Bryce Ruland climbed the all-time list with his 57.62-meter throw, ranking eighth all-time at Iowa and securing first place. On the women’s side, Sydnie Smith launched a 52.30-meter throw that earned her the gold at Drake.
  • Duax earned two flags at the Drake Relays in the sprint medley and 100-meters, where she clocked in an 11.98 finish.
  • The women’s 4x400 relay invitational was dominated by Alivia Williams, Olicia Lucas, Mutunga and Chioma Nwachukwu, finishing in 3:31.13. In the women’s 4x400 university relay, Ellie Rickertsen, Gabby Cortez, Ali Fransen and Jaiden Itson also finished first with a time of 3:40.67 at the Blue Oval.
  • Kai Graves-Blanks cruised through the 110-meter hurdle prelims with a time of 13.61, ranking seventh all-time in program history. He returned in the finals to claim gold, improving his mark to 13.59.
  • The men’s 4x110 shuttle hurdles team of Kalil Johnson, Tyler Kenaga, Drew Dillard, and Graves-Blanks claimed a flag with a time of 57.26. The group now ranks second all-time at Iowa, securing its first win since 2022.
  • At the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational in Gainesville, fifth-year senior Kalen Walker clocked a personal-best 10.06 in the 100-meter invite, improving on his previous record of 10.09 and finishing fifth overall.

LAST TIME OUT

The University of Iowa track and field team traveled a small group to the Cyclone Twilight in Ames to wrap up the regular season. Kai Graves-Blanks cruised through the 110-meter hurdle prelims with a time of 13.61, ranking seventh all-time in program history. He returned in the finals to claim gold, improving his mark to 13.59. Teammates Kalil Johnson and Drew Dillard also reached the finals, finishing fourth (14.23) and seventh (14.67), respectively. In the men’s triple jump, sophomore Precious Irivi earned an event victory with a leap of 14.73 meters. The Hawkeyes recorded six personal bests to close the day. 

HAWKEYES RETURN TO B1G OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Hawkeyes delivered standout performances at last season’s Big Ten Outdoor Championships, with the men’s team finishing as runner-up and the women’s team placing seventh. Iowa captured three men’s event titles and one women’s title, closing out the week with seven All-Big Ten honors. Mike Stein led the charge with a Big Ten championship and school record in the men’s javelin. Kat Moody claimed the women’s discus title, while the men’s 4×100-meter and 4×400-meter relay teams also took home championship titles. Tionna Tobias earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors in the women’s long jump, finishing runner-up with a leap of 6.23 meters. 

MUSCO RECORDS

At the Musco Twilight, the Hawkeyes collected school records in the hammer throw and high jump. In the men’s hammer throw, the Hawkeyes swept the podium with sophomore Ryan Johnson leading the way. Johnson broke his own school record and set a new facility record with a throw of 73.20 meters. This mark ranks 7th in NCAA division 1. In the women’s high jump, freshman Maria Arboleda broke her own school record and set a facility record with a jump of 1.88 meters. Arboleda’s performance moved her to fifth in the NCAA. 

HAWKEYES WIN WOMEN’S DRAKE RELAY CUP

The University of Iowa track and field team concluded an incredible weekend of competition at the Drake Relays, winning the women’s Drake Relays Cup for the second time in program history. The Iowa women last won the Drake Relays Cup in 2019. The Hawkeyes had first-place finishes in the women’s sprint medley, the women’s 4x400 relay invitational and open. The women’s sprint medley team of Holly Duax, Lia Love, Damaris Mutunga and Alli Bookin-Nosbisch secured an event win and a school record with its time of 3:44.12. The women’s 4x400 relay invitational was dominated by Alivia Williams, Olicia Lucas, Mutunga and Chioma Nwachukwu, finishing in 3:31.13. This marks Iowa’s first 4x400-relay win at the Drake Relays.

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. 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.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Hawkeyes are set to compete at the NCAA West Preliminary in College Station, Texas, from Wednesday, May 28, through Saturday, May 31. Last season, Mike Stein and Paige Magee advanced to the NCAA Championships in their respective events. Stein secured a third-place finish in the men’s javelin with a throw of 74.78 meters. Magee earned her spot with a time-qualifying performance, finishing 10th overall in the 100-meter hurdles at 13.01 seconds. Rivaldo Marshall punched his ticket to outdoor nationals with an automatic berth in the 800 meters, clocking 1:46.96 for a third-place finish in the quarterfinals. Jordan Johnson also qualified for the NCAA Championships in the discus, launching a season-best throw of 58.22 meters. Seeded 22nd entering the competition, Johnson placed ninth overall.

UPDATING THE ALL-TIME LISTS

The Hawkeyes have made 39 updates to the outdoor top-10 list:

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. 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.

UP NEXT

The Hawkeyes set their sights on the NCAA West Preliminary at College Station, Texas, May 28 through May 31.