Notes: Hawkeye Invitational

THIS WEEK
The Hawkeyes continue the 2026 indoor track and field campaign on Friday and Saturday, hosting the Hawkeye Invitational. Competition begins on both days at Noon (CT). Weight throw and shot put will be on Friday at the HTRC. Field and running events make up Saturday's schedule at the Hawkeye Indoor Track Facility.

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

• 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.
• Iowa won 11 titles at the Jimmy Grant Invite on Dec. 13.
• The Hawkeyes made four updates to the programs top-10 list at the Jimmy Grant Invite.
• Newcomer and transfer Blake Nyenati raced a 7.73 in the 60-meter hurdles to take the title with the program's seventh-fastest time. Vaughn DeVaughn III was the runner-up in 7.85 and ranks 10th all-time at Iowa.
• Iowa multis impressed in the season opener. Carlee Rochford won the pentathlon and moved to fifth all-time in school history with her 4,036 points. Sal Capaldo broke 5,600 in the heptathlon and also climbed to fifth in program history. Capaldo finished second with 5,625 points.
• The Iowa throwers shined in the season debut, winning three of four events.
• Junior Ryan Johnson set a meet record in the weight throw, firing a 23.95-meter mark to win the event. Sean Smith and Austin Busch finished second and third, respectively. Walker Whalen snagged fifth place.
• Throwers Peyton Wilson (weight throw) and Wisdom Williams (shot put) won titles on the women's side.
• Freshman Izzy Zahn set a meet record in the 300 meters, crossing the line in 38.14.
• Three-time All-American Kalen Walker returns for the Hawkeyes for his senior campaign after redshirting during indoor last season. Walker holds the program’s school record in the 60 meters (6.51), 100 meters (9.94), and as part of 4x100-meter relay (38.64).
• Reigning 600-meter Big Ten Champion senior Gabby Cortez returns to lead a strong women’s mid-distance group. Sophomores Chioma Nwachukwu and Damaris Mutunga are back for their sophomore seasons after posting the team’s fastest times in the 400 and 600 meters. Landon Fontenot, Terrick Johnson, Tyrese Miller and Josh Pugh lead the men. Seniors Derek Leicht and Ryan Schreiner look to close out their collegiate careers on a high note. They’re joined by juniors James Fingalsen, Carson Lane and Caleb Levy.
• The multis bring back senior Sal Capaldo and juniors Carlee Rochford and Annie Wirth under the direction of first-year assistant coach Cameron Burrows. Capaldo and Rochford impressed at the season-opening Jimmy Grant Invite on Dec. 13.

LAST TIME OUT
Iowa opened the 2026 season on Dec. 13, hosting the Jimmy Grant Invitational. The Hawkeyes won 11 titles. The Hawkeyes were victorious in each of the 60-meter hurdle races. Junior Blake Nyenati climbed into Iowa’s top 10 with a 7.73 personal record. On the women’s side, junior Dymonde Nave won the title in 8.44 in her Hawkeye debut. At the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Center, junior Ryan Johnson won the men’s weight throw with a Jimmy Grant Invite meet record of 23.95 meters. His mark ranks second nationally. Sophomore Peyton Wilson won the women’s title in her season debut with an 18.04-meter personal record. Senior Wisdom Williams was the winner in the shot put at 15.38 meters. In her collegiate debut, freshman Lovisa Ulvenstam won the triple jump on her first leap at 12.37 meters. Junior Carlee Rochford won the pentathlon with a personal-best 4,036 points. Sophomore Julia Gehl won the women’s mile in 4:56.64. In the men’s 3,000 meters, senior Hayden Kuhn took charge and won in 8:13.50. Freshman Izzy Zahn used a meet record of 38.14 to claim the women’s 300-meter title. Senior Holly Duax was the top collegiate finisher in the 60 meters, clocking a 7.41.

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 to action with the Hawkeye Invitational (Jan. 9-10) and annual Larry Wieczorek Invite (Jan. 23-24). The team travels to the Arkansas Invitational (Jan. 16) in between those two home meets. 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 (24.59 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-Meter Hurdles: Blake Nyenati (7th)
• Men's 60-Meter Hurdles: Vaughn DeVaughn (10th)
• 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 the Arkansas Invitational on Jan. 16 for their first road competition of the season.