THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa track and field team is sending 30 individuals and four relays to compete at the 2018 NCAA Track and Field West Regional this weekend in Sacramento, California. The event is hosted by Sacramento State University.
FOLLOW ALONG
Fans can follow results 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.
BROADCAST INFO
FloTrack will provide a live stream of the NCAA West Regional (subscription required).
HAWKEYES SEND 30 ATHLETES TO REGIONALS
The Hawkeyes qualified 30 individuals and four relays to the NCAA first round. The athletes selected finished the regular season among the top 48 competitors in an individual event or one of the top 24 relays.
The qualifiers include 13 returnees, 17 first-timers, and the men’s and women’s 1,600 and 400-meter relay.
THE BEST IN THE WEST
Iowa has five athletes ranked inside the top-10 in the West Region. The athletes include Jahisha Thomas (long jump, second; triple jump, ninth), Mar’yea Harris (400 meters, second), Laulauga Tausaga (discus, seventh), Brittany Brown (200 meters, sixth), Reno Tuufuli (discus, second).
HAWKEYE WOMEN PLACE 3RD AT BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
The University of Iowa women’s track and field team recorded its highest finish and point total in program history at the 2018 Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Bloomington, Indiana on May 13.
Iowa crowned five Big Ten Champions - the most in program history at a single meet (discus, shot put, long jump, triple jump, 200 meters) - to score 98 points and place third overall. In addition, Iowa is the first school in Big Ten history to sweep the long jump, triple jump, shot put, and discus at a single meet.
THOMAS NAMED B1G FIELD ATHLETE OF THE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Senior Jahisha Thomas was named the Big Ten Field Athlete of the Championships after winning two gold medals at the 2018 Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Thomas became the fourth person in Big Ten history to sweep the long jump and triple jump at a single Big Ten meet. Thomas won Iowa’s second long jump title in program history and the school’s first triple jump title.
Thomas is Iowa’s first Field Athlete of the Championships. Kineke Alexander was named the Track Athlete of the Championships following the 2007 Big Ten Indoor Championships.
TAUSAGA TAKES TWO
Sophomore Laulauga Tausaga became the sixth person in league history to sweep the shot put and discus at a Big Ten Outdoor Championships. Tausaga is also the first to win back-to-back discus titles since 2009-10. In addition, Tausaga is the seventh person in Big Ten history to win both events.
Tausaga reset her own school record in the shot put, recording a mark of 16.80 meters to win Iowa’s second shot put title in school history.
HARRIS IS A RUNNER-UP NO MORE
Junior Mar’yea Harris won his first career Big Ten 400-meter title, setting a school record in 44.98. Harris broke a 25-year old record held by former NCAA champion Anthuan Maybank. Harris is Iowa’s sixth champion in the event in program history and first since 2010.
Harris capped off the Big Ten Championships with his second gold medal of the weekend in the 1,600-meter relay. Harris was joined by DeJuan Frye, Antonio Woodard, and Collin Hofacker to run 3:06.32 and win the program’s first 1,600-meter title since 1999.
HAWKEYES THREE-PEAT 200 METERS
Senior Brittany Brown’s victory in the 200 meters capped off an Iowa three-peat in the event. Brown narrowly won the 200 meters for her second-straight Big Ten Outdoor title in the event. She ran the race in 22.93. Briana Guillory won the Big Ten 200-meter title in 2016.
Iowa is the third school in Big Ten history to win three straight 200 meter titles, joining Penn State (2008-10) and Michigan State (1984-87).
HAWKEYES WIN BACK-TO-BACK HY-VEE CUPS
The University of Iowa men’s track and field team captured its second consecutive Hy-Vee Cup at the 109th Drake Relays on April 28. Iowa tallied 32 total points, including a win in the 1,600-meter relay.
The Hy-Vee Cup is a competition over five relays -- the 3,200-meter relay, sprint medley relay, distance medley relay, 400-meter relay, and 1,600-meter relay.
Iowa set the fourth-fastest time in program history in the 3,200-meter relay (7:28.33, 2nd place), the fifth-fastest time in the sprint medley relay (3:18.11, 2nd place), and the fifth-fastest time in the distance medley relay (9:50.70, 3rd place).
WHITE FLAGS WAVING
Iowa left the Drake Relays with Championship flags in four events - the men’s shot put, women’s shot put, women’s 400-meter hurdles, and 1,600-meter relay
Junior Reno Tuufuli captured his second Drake Relays championship after winning the discus in 2017. Tuufuli threw a season best mark of 60-feet, 8.5-inches (18.50 meters). Tuufuli is the third Hawkeye to win a Drake Relays shot put title in school history (Kemeny, 2004, Gambol, 1987).
Sophomore Laulauga Tausaga broke her own school record in the women’s shot put with a 64-foot, 11.25-inch throw in her final attempt. Tausaga grabs Iowa’s first white flag in the women’s shot put in Drake Relays history.
Senior Sommer Sharpe won her first Drake Relays title in the 400-meter hurdles. Sharpe ran 59.73 for the team’s third event title.
The men’s 1,600-meter relay of DeJuan Frye, Collin Hofacker, Chris Thompson, and Mar’yea Harris won Iowa’s second-straight 4x400 title. The Hawkeyes’ title in the 1,600-meter relay was their 11th win in Drake Relays history and their 3:05.05 is the fastest time recorded in Des Moines.
NEXT ON THE BLOCK
Qualified athletes will move on to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon, June 6-9, inside Hayward Field. Tickets for the event are available on NCAA.com.