Hawkeyes Host Musco Twilight XIX on Thursday

By Jack Rossi

THIS WEEK The University of Iowa track and field team hosts the 19th annual Musco Twilight meet on Thursday, April 12, beginning at 12 p.m. (CT) at Francix X Cretzmeyer Track. The Hawkeyes will be joined by Loyola, Northern Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota State, Iowa Central, and Bradley. Admission to the event is free.

CHANGE OF DATEThis is the first time in the 20-year history of Musco Twilight that the meet is contested on a Thursday. It was moved to Thursday due to Saturday's unseasonable forecast.  The 2009 Musco Twilight was cancelled due to damages sustained by the track in the flood of 2008.

PROMOTIONS

  • Senior Day: The team will be honoring 18 graduating seniors
  • $1 hot dogs will be available from 12 p.m. (CT) to 2 p.m.

  FOLLOW ALONGFans can follow the meets on the live results page at hawkeyesports.com/tracklive. Notable results from each meet will be posted on the team's official twitter account @iowaxc_tf. All live results links will be posted on the team's schedule page at hawkeyesports.com.

TAUSAGA BREAKS 2 MORE SCHOOL RECORDSSophomore Laulauga Tausaga took hold of another record at the Battle on the Bayou on April 7. In the meet's first event of the day, Tausaga broke her own school record in the discus throw, winning the event and setting a new meet record with a mark of 59.86 meters (196-5). She now leads the Big Ten by over 10 feet and ranks fifth in the country.    Tausaga continued to dominate in the shot put, winning the event four hours later with another record-setting throw of 16.31 meters (53-6.25). She broke Lisa Van Steenwyk's record from 1992, which was the fifth longest tenured record. 

NCAA LEADERSIowa has seven athletes and one relay represented in the NCAA top 10.

BIG TEN LEADERSAfter three weekends of competition, the Hawkeyes lead the Big Ten in nine events in 2018.

MUSCO TWILIGHT MEET RECORDSIowa owns 14 Musco Twilight meet records, including three set by current Hawkeyes. In addition, UI director of track and field Joey Woody holds the 1,600-meter relay and 400-meter hurdle meet records. The total meet records include: 

  • Women's Triple Jump: Jahisha Thomas (2017)
  • Men's Discus: Gabe Hull (2014)
  • Women's Javelin: Alana Redfern (2003)
  • Men's Javelin: Bill Neumann (2003)
  • Women's 100 meters: Briana Guillory (2016)
  • Women's 200 meters: Shellene Williams (2004)
  • Women's 400 meters: Shellene Williams (2004)
  • Women's 1,500 meters: Meghan Armstrong (2007)
  • Men's 1,500 meters: Jeff Thode (2010)
  • Men's 110-meter hurdles: Aaron Mallett (2015)
  • Women's 4x100m Relay: 2003
  • Men's 4x100m Relay: 2015
  • Women's 3,000 meters: McKenzie Melander (2012)
  • Men's 3,000-meters: Ian Eklin (2017)

THOMAS JUMPS AHEAD OF THE B1GSenior Jahisha Thomas took hold of the Big Ten in the horizontal jumps at the Battle on the Bayou. Thomas entered the meet with the conference lead in the triple jump and after winning the long jump title in Louisiana with a personal best jump of 6.44 meters (21-1.5), she now leads the Big Ten in the long jump. 

HARRIS OPENS WITH FASTEST 400Junior Mar'yea Harris opened the outdoor season with the fastest 400 meter time in the Big Ten at the Battle on the Bayou. Harris won the event with a time of 45.71, which is the fastest opening 400 meter time in his career. In addition, Harris is ranked fifth in the nation. 

DOUGLAS RECORDS REGIONAL QUALIFYING MARKJunior Chris Douglas got a big win in the 400 meter hurdles at the Battle on the Bayou. Douglas set a new personal best and entered Iowa's all-time list at No. 8 with a time of 50.90. His new time places him third in the Big Ten and 10th in the country. 

MEN'S 4X400 METER RELAY HOLDS TOP SPOT IN NCAAThe men's 1,600-meter relay of Collin Hofacker, Antonio Woodard, DeJuan Frye, and Mar'yea Harris hold the No. 3 spot in the nation in the event after four weekends of competition. Iowa's time of 3:04.38 set at the Florida Relays is also first in the Big Ten. Iowa is joined by Minnesota (10th) as the only Big Ten teams inside the NCAA top 10.

ROSTER BREAKDOWNIowa has 98 athletes on its roster in 2018. There are 36 freshmen, 27 sophomores, 19 juniors, and 16 seniors. Of the 98 student-athletes,  34 are from Iowa followed by 19 from Illinois. The team also has seven international athletes.

MYLENEK, SHINE LEADING IOWA DISTANCESophomore Nathan Mylenek and junior Andrea Shine lead Iowa's distance events with two conference-leading marks in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and 10,000 meters, respectively set at the Stanford Invitational on March 30. Mylenek recorded the second-fastest 3,000-meter steeplechase time in school history at 8:48.66, while Shine's 33:50.25 in the 10,000 meters is the sixth-fastest time in program history. Nationally, Mylenek is 12th and Shine is 15th.

COUNTING CURRENT ALL-TIME HAWKEYES Iowa holds a total of 53 current marks in the program's all-time top-10 with 32 on the women's side and 21 on the men's side. In addition, the women have seven school-record holders on the roster, including Briana Guillory (100 meters, 400-meter relay, 1,600-meter relay), Brittany Brown (100 meters, 200 meters, 800-meter relay), Marta Bote Gonzalez (3,000 meter Steeplechase), Laulauga Tausaga (Discus, shot put), Sarah Plock (800-meter relay), Sheridan Champe (800-meter relay), and Kyara Avant (800-meter relay).The men boast five school-record holders including Will Dougherty (Decathlon), O'Shea Wilson (400-meter relay), Mar'yea Harris (800-meter relay, 1,600-meter relay), DeJuan Frye (1,600-meter relay), and Collin Hofacker (1,600-meter relay).

NEXT ON THE BLOCKThe Hawkeyes will travel to California for three competitions -- Mt. SAC Relays, Azusa Pacific Invite, and the Long Beach Invite. 

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