Jan. 20, 2009
THIS WEEK
The Hawkeye men and women’s track teams will send split squads to two different meets this weekend. Some Hawkeyes will compete at the co-ed Jack Johnson Classic in Minneapolis, MN. Events are scheduled to start at 3 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday at the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse. The rest of the team will head to the Arkansas Invite in Fayetteville, AR. Events are scheduled to start at Noon Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday, and will be held at the University of Arkansas Randal Tyson Track Center.
LAST MEET
The Hawkeye track and field teams crowned 13 event champions at the Iowa Open Saturday afternoon in Iowa City. Senior John Hickey posted an NCAA provisional qualifying performance of 59-8 1/2 in the shot put. The Hawkeyes competed against student-athletes from Central Methodist, Chicago State, Truman State, Western Illinois, Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Hawkeye freshman D’Juan Richardson was a double event winner for the second straight week. Richardson won the men’s 60-meter hurdles (8.20) and 200 meters (21.84) with collegiate-best performances. The hurdles time ranks fifth in school history. The Indianapolis, IN, native also placed second in the 60 meters with a collegiate-best 6.87 that ranks eighth in the Iowa record books.
Iowa junior Adam Hairston also won two events, placing first in the 600 meters with a collegiate-best 1:19.55 and running the third leg on the winning 1,600-meter relay (3:18.73). Hairston’s 600-meter time ranks eighth in school history.
Hawkeye senior Racheal Marchand led the women’s team in its 2009 season opener with a winning and collegiate-best performance in the 3,000 meters. Her time of 9:53.40 ranks ninth in school history.
Also winning events for Iowa were senior Daniel Peoples (1,600-meter relay – 3:18.73), juniors Rhonda-Kaye Trusty (300 meters – 40.15), Alex Zona (pole vault – 15-0) and Ray Varner (1,600-meter relay – 3:18.73), sophomores Bethany Praska (600 meters – 1:33.69), Chris Barton (400 meters – 49.77) and Steven Willey (1,600-meter relay – 3:18.73), and freshman Betsy Flood (800 meters – 2:19.03).
HAWKEYE TRACK STAFF
The Hawkeye coaching staff has some new faces and responsibilities for the 2009 season. Larry Wieczorek is the men’s head track and cross country coach, and Layne Anderson is the women’s head track and cross country coach. The teams now share administrative responsibilities, coordinate their competition schedules and divide coaching responsibilities by event instead of gender. Assistant Scott Cappos, who is in his 13th year at Iowa, will coach the throws, while third-year assistant Joey Woody will coach the men’s sprints, short hurdles and relays, and women’s long sprints and hurdles. First-year assistant Clive Roberts will coach the women’s short sprints, hurdles and relays, as well as the horizontal jumps for both groups. First-year assistant Christi Smith will direct the multi-events and vertical jumps.
NEXT UP
The Hawkeyes will compete at the Jack Jennett Invite Jan. 30-31 in Cedar Falls, IA. All events will be held at the UNI-Dome on the University of Northern Iowa campus. Events are scheduled to start at 3 p.m. Friday and 10:50 a.m. Saturday.
The Hawkeye men will also send a 3,200-meter relay team to the 102nd annual Millrose Games Jan. 30 in New York, NY. Hawkeye junior Adam Hairston, sophomore Dan Kuhlman and freshmen Zack Braff and Erik Sowinski are set to run the relay for Iowa. Hawkeye sophomore Steven Willey will serve as an alternate. The race is set for 6:57 p.m. (CT) and will be run in Madison Square Garden. The event will be aired live on ESPN2 and a one-hour taped-delay broadcast will be shown on NBC Sports Jan. 31 at 1:30 p.m.