Notes: Arkansas Invitational

THIS WEEK

The Hawkeyes hit the road for the first time this season, traveling to Fayetteville, Arkansas, for the Arkansas Invitational. Competition begins Friday at noon with field events. Action on the track starts at 12:45 p.m. 

HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG

The meet schedule and results can be found on the Iowa Track and Field schedule page at hawkeyesports.com. Updates and results will also be posted on the team's official 'X' account (iowaXC_TF). A YouTube stream will be provided for home meets and can also be found on the schedule page.

2026 NEWS

• Junior thrower Ryan Johnson became the fourth-best weight thrower in NCAA Division I history at the Hawkeye Invitational, launching a 24.85-meter throw. The mark moved him into the D1 lead while updating Iowa’s school record and setting both a facility and meet record. Johnson ranks fifth in overall collegiate history. Nationally, he stands as the 11th-best performer in U.S. history and 12th-best individual in world all-time rankings.
• Freshman Jordan Gross made his way onto the program’s all-time list in the 60 meters at the Hawkeye Invitational. Gross clocked a personal-best 6.71 to secure gold and tie for the sixth-fastest time in school history.
• Junior Wisdom Williams added another title for the Hawkeyes, winning the shot put with a 15.74-meter mark. It is her second shot put title of the season after winning at the season-opening Jimmy Grant Invitational in December.
• Senior Sal Capaldo finished as the top collegian and placed third overall in the men’s pole vault, clearing 4.45 meters at the Hawkeye Invite. He later recorded a personal best of 8.18 in the 60-meter hurdle prelims before matching that time to claim the title in the finals. 
• Junior Carlee Rochford and freshman Isabel Evans closed out the women’s 60-meter hurdles with a one-two finish, both racing personal bests.
• Iowa swept the 300-meter races with a pair of victories. On the men’s side, Vaughn DeVaughn III set a personal record with a 34.16 finish. Alivia Williams won the women’s title in 37.74 to update her lifetime best. Damaris Mutunga (37.80) and Alexandria Edison (37.89, PR) filled out the top three in the event.
• The Hawkeyes’ women’s 600-meter group dominated the field at the Hawkeye Invite. Freshman Caila Lyons won the race in 1:31.12. Newcomer Princess Uche made her Iowa debut and finished second in 1:32.64.
• Freshman Lovisa Ulvenstam claimed the women’s long jump title, soaring 5.85 meters, while junior Carlee Rochford matched her lifetime best of 5.74 meters to take the bronze.
• The Hawkeyes won both relays to finish the Hawkeye Invite. The men’s 4x400 of Capaldo, Gross, Nicholas Gorsich and DeVaughn sped to a 3:17.66 finish. The women’s team of Boleyn, Edison, Rochford and Lyons won in 3:50.92. 
• The Hawkeyes took home four weekly conference honors after the season-opening Jimmy Grant Invitational. On Dec. 17, Jordan Gross, Dymonde Nave, Blake Nyenati and Izzy Zahn earned B1G Athlete of the Week recognition.

LAST TIME OUT

The Hawkeyes delivered a standout performance at the Hawkeye Invitational, led by junior thrower Ryan Johnson’s historic showing at the HTRC. Johnson fired a 24.85-meter weight throw to become the fourth-best performer in NCAA Division I history, moving into the DI lead while resetting Iowa’s school record and setting both facility and meet records. Junior Wisdom Williams added a title in the shot put, while freshman Jordan Gross broke into the program’s all-time list by winning the 60 meters in a personal-best 6.71, tying for the sixth-fastest time in school history. The Hawkeyes added victories in both 300-meter races, the women’s 600 meters, and a dominant sweep of the men’s 3,000 meters led by Miles Wilson. Senior Sal Capaldo claimed the 60-meter hurdles title and added a third-place finish in the pole vault, while Carlee Rochford and Isabel Evans went one-two in the women’s hurdles. The men’s and women’s 4x400-meter relays captured event titles, capped by a strong anchor leg from Caila Lyons to secure the women’s comeback victory.

HAULING IN THE HONORS

Sprinters Jordan Gross, Dymonde Nave, Blake Nyenati and Izzy Zahn earned Big Ten Athlete of the Week recognition following their performances at the Jimmy Grant Invite. Gross was the Big Ten Men's Freshman of the Week after posting a team-best 6.77 in the 60 meters. He was the second-fastest collegian in the 300, racing a 33.49. Nave took home the Big Ten Women’s Track Athlete of the Week honor after winning the 60-meter hurdles in 8.44. She holds the Big Ten’s leading time in the event. She also ran a 7.67 in the 60 meters. Nyenati posted the program’s seventh-fastest time (7.73) in the 60-meter hurdles to earn the Big Ten’s Men’s Track Athlete of the Week award. He leads the Big Ten and is ranked fifth nationally. Additionally, Nyenati finished as the second-fastest collegian and third overall in the 60 meters, stopping the clock in a lifetime-best 6.78. Zahn earned the Big Ten Women’s Freshman of the Week honor after posting a meet record of 38.14 in the 300 meters at the Jimmy Grant Invite. To cap the meet, Zahn ran the second leg of Iowa’s 4x400 relay that placed second in 3:46.76. She was the fastest sprinter in her group and clocked a 55.03 split.

SCHEDULE NOTES

Entering the new year, the program returns home following the trip to Arkansas with the annual Larry Wieczorek Invite (Jan. 23-24). Iowa will return to the Meyo Invitational, New Mexico Collegiate Classic, Iowa State Classic and Tyson Invitational during the middle of the indoor season. The Iowa Open (Feb. 20) will be the final home meet of the campaign.

BURROWS, WASHINGTON JOIN STAFF

The University of Iowa track and field program welcomed two coaches to its 2025-26 staff. Cameron Burrows and Taylor Washington will enter their first seasons with the program. Burrows will oversee the jumps and multis groups. He returns to Iowa City after spending the 2021-22 season as an interim assistant coach. Prior to joining the Iowa staff, Burrows spent three seasons at Coastal Carolina in the same role. Washington will work closely with the sprints and hurdles groups. Before joining the staff at Iowa, Washington was an assistant coach and director of operations for the women’s track and field and cross country programs at the University of Arkansas. While Washington was in Fayetteville, the Razorbacks were the 2025 SEC indoor track and field champions. In 2024, Arkansas won the NCAA and SEC indoor titles and claimed the NCAA outdoor title. Recently, Washington joined the USATF staff as an assistant relay coach, where she designs training plans and serves as a liaison between coaches and USATF staff. She coached several athletes to podium finishes at the 2025 World Relays, while qualifying all relays to the 2025 World Championships. Amber Jones will assist the distance and cross country groups.

SCHOOL-RECORD HOLDERS

Three school records have been set by current members of the 2026 Iowa roster:

• Kalen Walker: Men’s 60 meters (6.51)
• Ryan Johnson: Men’s Weight Throw (24.85 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 four updates to the indoor top-10 lists:

• Men’s 60-Meters: Jordan Gross (T-6th)
• Men’s 60-Meter Hurdles: Blake Nyenati (7th)
• Men's 60-Meter Hurdles: Vaughn DeVaughn (10th)
• Men’s Weight Throw: Ryan Johnson (1st)
• Men's Heptathlon: Sal Capaldo (5th)
• Women's Pentathlon: Carlee Rochford (5th)

2025 INDOOR SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

• Junior and school-record holder Ryan Johnson was Iowa's first Big Ten Champion in the weight throw in 2025. He finished as a first-team All-American at the national meet.
• Gabby Cortez was the Big Ten Champion in the 600 meters.
• The 4x400 relay group of Landon Fontenot, Isaac Lewis, Terrick Johnson and Zidane Brown won silver at the Big Ten Championships.
• The women's 4x400 team of Alivia Williams, Chioma Nwachukwu, Olicia Lucas and Damaris Mutunga took home second place at the conference championships.
• Emmanuel Njoku placed second at the conference meet in the long jump.
• Sal Capaldo (heptathlon), Terrick Johnson (600 meters) and Chioma Nwachukwu (400 meters) earned bronze medals at the Big Ten meet.
• The Iowa women finished 4th at the conference meet, while the men took 5th.
• Junior Sean Smith claimed the Iowa Open crown in the weight throw at 21.16 meters.
• Ryan Johnson crushed his previous program record at the Robinson Family Open in Tiffin, Ohio, with a 24.59-meter 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.
• 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 at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic. 
• Wisdom Williams collected the gold with a 15.75-meter finish in the shot put at the Robinson Family Open. Sydnie Smith secured first in the weight throw (17.94 meters).

UP NEXT

The Hawkeyes return home for the Larry Wieczorek Invitational on Jan. 23-24 at the Hawkeye Indoor Track Facility.