Nwachukwu Updates School Record at Tom Jones Memorial

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- University of Iowa track and field sophomore Chioma Nwachukwu reset the Iowa school record in the 400 meters, clocking a personal-best 51.24 on Saturday afternoon at the Tom Jones Memorial Invite.

Nwachukwu finished fifth, improving her own school record in the 400 meters. Sophomores Damaris Mutunga and Alivia Williams added top-20 finishes, with Williams posting a personal-best 52.67 to rank ninth on Iowa’s all-time list.

“We finished the weekend with some great results today,” said Director of Iowa Track and Field Joey Woody. “Chioma led the women today with another spectacular performance in the invite 400, finishing fifth overall and breaking the school record again. She is very close to breaking 51 seconds. She finished the day with a huge anchor leg on the 4x4 with a 50.23 split. She is progressing very well as we enter the championship portion of our season.”

Jailya Ash secured the win in the collegiate women’s 100-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 13.29. The time ranks sixth all-time at Iowa. Freshman Isabel Evans also added a personal-best time of 14.04 to finish ninth.

The women’s 4x400-meter relay team of Princess Uche, Mutunga, Williams and Nwachukwu placed fourth with a time of 3:29.33, the second-fastest mark in program history. For the men, the quartet of Tyrese Miller, Zidane Brown, Prior Ochonogor and Landon Fontenot finished sixth in 3:05.72. The Hawkeyes also opened up the 4x100 relay group of Blake Nyenati, Jordan Gross, Jaylin Holmes and David Akhalu. The team ran 39.50 and snagged eighth.

Gross completed a nice weekend with a new personal best in the 100 meters. Gross ran a wind-legal 10.33 to place fourth overall in the collegiate section. 

“Jailya got us started with a breakthrough performance in the 100 hurdles, winning the open division with a new Iowa PR and right off of her lifetime best,” Woody continued. “She’s been showing great things in practice and it all came together today. I’m very happy for her and now she can really build on that these next few weeks as we prepare for championship season. Blake, Jordan, Jaulin and David ran a terrific 4x1 relay for their first time racing together. They did a great job setting up the next person throughout the race and David had a huge anchor leg, chasing down the field. The men all ran very well in the 400. Zidane and Tyrese led the group running 46-low and finishing right near their PR’s in the invite section. They both came back and had great legs on the 4x4 with Prior and Landon.”

In the collegiate women’s 400 meters, Uche led the Hawkeyes with a fifth-place and personal-best finish in 52.99. Rounding out the top 15 was freshman Izzy Zahn, who clocked a 53.86. On the men’s side, Akhalu picked up an eighth-place finish in 46.38 in the collegiate section.

“Princess had a breakout performance, breaking 53 for the first time and setting a big PR to finish fifth in the open section,” Woody added. “I thought Alivia and Damaris both ran terrific races today in the 400, both running 52-mid. That was Alivia’s first 400 of the season, so that will set her up well going into the next few weeks.”

At the Big Red Classic in Lincoln, Nebraska, redshirt sophomore Duke Faley and sophomore Bryce Ruland delivered strong showings in the men’s discus. Faley recorded a lifetime best of 54.96 meters to place fifth, while Ruland followed in seventh, firing 50.97 meters. 

“I was very pleased to see Duke have a great series of throws around the 55-meter mark,” Woody said. “He finished with a PR in some tough conditions.”

On the track, redshirt sophomore Will Davidson recorded a pair of top-10 finishes. He placed second in the men’s 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.79 and added an eighth-place finish in the collegiate men’s 400 meters, clocking 54.26.

Iowa’s 800 group that competed out the Mt. SAC Relays capped the weekend with top-10 finishes. Caleb Levy (1:50.20) and Ryan Schreiner (1:52.21) took home fourth and sixth, respectively. In the women’s edition, Leanna Lewis crossed the line in seventh in 2:04.89, while Gabby Cortez ran 2:06.46 and placed ninth.

At the Bryan Clay Invite, Hayden Kuhn led the way in the men’s 5,000 meters. Kuhn clocked a 13:52.01 lifetime best and rose to third all-time at Iowa.

“Overall, the Hawkeyes had a great weekend across the country,” Woody concluded. “I’m very proud of how our athletes stepped up and competed this weekend. It will be exciting to be back home this week to showcase our program at the Drake Relays.”

Up Next: The Hawkeyes head to the Drake Relays and the Kip Janvrin Open, with competition set to begin April 23.

HAWKEYE RESULTS
Tom Jones Memorial
Men’s 100 Meters Collegiate
4. Jordan Gross - 10.33, PR

Women’s 100 Meters Invite
22. Holly Duax - 11.42

Women’s 100-Meter Hurdles Collegiate
1. Jailya Ash - 13.29, PR + 6th at Iowa
9. Isabel Evans - 14.04, PR

Men’s 110-Meter Hurdles Collegiate
5. Sal Capaldo - 14.38

Men’s 110-Meter Hurdles Invite Prelims
12. Blake Nyenati - 13.98
25. Vaughn DeVaughn III - 14.40
29. Tyler Kenaga - 14.48

Men’s 400 Meters Collegiate
8. David Akhalu - 46.38
32. Austin Rowswell - 47.66

Men’s 400 Meters Invite
22. Zidane Brown - 46.08
24. Tyrese Miller - 46.18
35. Landon Fontenot - 47.09

Women’s 400 Meters Collegiate
5. Princess Uche - 52.99, PR
14. Izzy Zahn - 53.86
22. Olicia Lucas - 54.23

Women’s 400 Meters Invite
5. Chioma Nwachukwu - 51.24, PR + 1st at Iowa
18. Damaris Mutunga - 52.46
20. Alivia Williams - 52.67, PR + 9th at Iowa

Men’s 4x100 Relay
8. Nyenati, Gross, Holmes, Akhalu - 39.50

Men’s 4x400 Relay
6. Iowa A - Miller, Brown, Ochonogor, Fontenot - 3:05.72
18. Iowa B - Capaldo, Rowswell, Holmes, Gorsich - 3:11.65

Women’s 4x400 Relay
4. Uche, Mutunga, Williams, Nwachukwu - 3:29.33, 2nd at Iowa 

Men’s Discus Collegiate
17. Sal Capaldo - 36.91 meters (121’ 1”)

Big Red Classic
Men’s 110-Meter Hurdles
2. Will Davidson - 14.79

Men’s 400 Meters Collegiate
8. Will Davidson - 54.26

Men’s Discus
5. Duke Faley - 54.96 meters (180’ 4”), PR
7. Bryce Ruland - 50.97 meters (167’ 2”)

Women’s Shot Put
14. Wisdom Williams - 14.64 meters (48’ 0.5”)

Bryan Clay Invite
Men’s 400 Meters
11. Jackson Johannes - 47.29

Women’s 400 Meters
24. Arianna Williams - 55.46

Men’s 1,500 Meters Open Section 2
31. Spencer Alf - 3:50.71, PR
181. Armaan Chopra - 4:06.05

Women’s 1,500 Meters Invite
91. Rosemary Arthur - 4:26.76

Men’s 5,000 Meters Section 3
27. Luke Knepp - 14:20.15

Men’s 5,000 Meters Section 4
4. Hayden Kuhn - 13:52.01, PR + 3rd at Iowa

Women’s 5,000 Meters Open
45. Hillary Trainor - 16:52.75, PR

Mt. SAC Relays
Men’s 800 Meters Invite
4. Caleb Levy - 1:50.20
6. Ryan Schreiner - 1:52.21

Women’s 800 Meters Invite
7. Leanna Lewis - 2:04.89
9. Gabby Cortez - 2:06.46