Notes: Larry Wieczorek Invitational

THIS WEEK

The Hawkeyes return home for the Larry Wieczorek Invitational. Competition begins Friday at 10:30 a.m. at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex, followed by track events at the Hawkeye Indoor Track Facility at 5:00 p.m. Saturday’s competition starts at 1:00 p.m. at the ITF.

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

• Sophomore Damaris Mutunga posted a program record (1:26.69) in the 600 meters at the Arkansas Invitational, shaving three seconds off her season best and over a second off her previous personal best. Junior Leanna Lewis finished with a personal-best 1:29.02, which ranks eighth in program history.
• Iowa dominated the women’s 400 meters at the Arkansas Invitational, led by sophomore Chioma Nwachukwu, who secured the title in 52.14. Nwachukwu holds the DI lead. 
• The throws group secured two titles in Arkansas. Junior Ryan Johnson earned gold in the men’s weight throw with a 24.36-meter launch. Senior Wisdom Williams captured the women’s shot put title with a throw of 14.85 meters.
• In Arkansas, the women’s relay team of Alivia Williams, Izzy Zahn, Damaris Mutunga and Chioma Nwachukwu finished second in 3:32.52, marking the fifth-fastest time in Iowa history. 
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 have claimed five weekly conference honors so far this season. On Dec. 17, Jordan Gross, Dymonde Nave, Blake Nyenati and Izzy Zahn earned B1G Athlete of the Week recognition. On Jan. 14, Ryan Johnson and Caila Lyons took home Big Ten Field Athlete of the Week and Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week.

LAST TIME OUT

The Hawkeyes had a strong showing at the Arkansas Invitational, highlighted by sophomore Damaris Mutunga breaking the program record in the 600 meters with a personal-best time of 1:26.69. Iowa earned three event titles and totaled 17 personal bests, including a dominant performance in the women’s 400 meters led by Chioma Nwachukwu, who won in 52.14 and holds the national lead. The throws group added two victories, as Ryan Johnson won the men’s weight throw and Wisdom Williams claimed the women’s shot put title. The women’s 4x400 relay of Williams, Zahn, Mutunga, and Nwachukwu placed second in 3:32.52 recording the fifth-fastest time in program history to cap off the Hawkeyes’ first road trip of the season.

SENIOR DAY RECOGNITION

On Saturday, the Iowa track and field team will recognize 30 seniors at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational. Among those seniors are three-time All-American and Big Ten Champion Kalen Walker, Big Ten Champion and first-team All-American Mike Stein, first-team All-Americans Zidane Brown and Terrick Johnson and second-team All-American Lizzy Korczak. The senior class also includes Jailya Ash, Jalyssa Blazek, Rowan Boulter, Brayden Burnett, Austin Busch, Sal Capaldo, Vaughn DeVaughn III, Holly Duax, Alexandria Edison, Natalie Harris, Carson Houg, Lily Johannes, Hayden Kuhn, Carson Lane, Derek Leicht, Tyrese Miller, Blake Nyenati, Ellie Rathe, Will Ryan, Miriam Sandeen, Ryan Schreiner, Miles Sheppard, Sean Smith, Walker Whalen and Isabelle Woody.

HAULING IN THE HONORS

Sprinters Jordan Gross, Dymonde Nave, Blake Nyenati, Izzy Zahn, along with thrower Ryan Johnson and mid-distance runner Caila Lyons, earned Big Ten Athlete of the Week recognition following standout performances at the Jimmy Grant Invite and Hawkeye Invitational. 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. 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. 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. Johnson earned Big Ten Field Athlete of the Week after a historic 24.85-meter weight throw at the Hawkeye Invitational, ranking fourth in NCAA Division I history and setting Iowa’s school, facility, and meet records. Lyons was named Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week after winning the 600 meters in 1:31.12, ranking No. 4 among freshmen nationally, and anchoring Iowa’s winning 4x400 relay with a meet-best 55.50 split.

SCHEDULE NOTES

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.

SCHOOL-RECORD HOLDERS

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

• Kalen Walker: Men’s 60 meters (6.51)
• Damaris Mutunga: Women’s 600 meters (1:26.69)
• 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 nine 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)
• Women’s 600 Meters: Damaris Mutunga (1st), Leanna Lewis (8th)
• Women’s 4x400 Relay: Alivia Williams, Izzy Zahn, Damaris Mutunga, Chioma Nwachukwu (5th)
• 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 travel to South Bend, Indiana, for the Meyo Invitational Friday, Jan. 30 and Saturday, Jan 31.