IOWA CITY, Iowa-- The University of Iowa track and field team hosts the 20th annual Musco Twilight Invitational at Francis X. Cretzmeyer Track on Saturday. Six teams will compete, including Iowa, Iowa Central CC, Loyola, Minnesota State, Northern Illinois, and Western Illinois. The meet starts at noon (CT) with the men’s shot put, women’s discus, and women’s pole vault. The early running sections start with the 100-meter hurdles at 1:55 p.m. (CT), and the premier sections start at 4:15 p.m. with the 400-meter relay. A full schedule of events is located at hawkeyesports.com on the track and field schedule page.
MUSCO HISTORY
Iowa hosted the first Musco Twilight in 1999. The event has continued 20 of the last 21 years. In 2008, the meet was canceled due to flooding. The lights are provided by Musco Lighting, an Iowa based company from Oskaloosa, Iowa.
RETURNING MUSCO CHAMPS
At the 2018 Musco Twilight, the Hawkeyes won 14 events. Iowa returns 12 champions that won 10 events last season.
Jenny Kimbro (100 hurdles, long jump)
Talia Buss (1,600-meter relay)
Kylie Welch (1,600-meter relay)
Kylie Morken (1,600-meter relay)
Tria Simmons (triple jump)
Laulauga Tausaga (discus)
Marissa Mueller (javelin)
Karayme Bartley (400 meters, 1,600-meter relay)
Luke Sampson (3,000 meters)
Wayne Lawrence (1,600-meter relay)
Carter Lilly (1,600-meter relay)
Reno Tuufuli (discus)
SENIOR DAY
The Hawkeyes will highlight the 17 senior track and field athletes at 4 p.m. (CT), including Talia Buss, Raymund Clarke, Sydney Collins, Chris Douglas, Ian Eklin, Ashley Espinosa, Alexis Gay, Briana Guillory, Mar’yea Harris, Bailey Hess-Withbroe, Andy Jatis, Noah Larrison, Carter Lilly, Michael Melchert, Andie Shine, Tria Simmons, and Reno Tuufuli.
TICKETS
Tickets will be on sale at the gate. General addmission is $5, and youth tickets (18 and under) are FREE. Gates open at 11 a.m. (CT).
PROMOTIONS
There will be a Kids Zone on Saturday at the Iowa softball practice field, next to the track facility. Kids Zone is FREE and will include inflatables. The Hawkeyes will have two fans of the meet and will feature the Herky Kid’s Race at 4:25 p.m. (CT).
FOLLOW THE HAWKEYES
Fans can follow the Musco Twilight live results on hawkeyesports.com/tracklive. Live stats and a live sream for the meet are also linked on the Iowa track and field schedule page, hawkeyesports.com/trackschedule, and will also be posted on the team’s official twitter account @iowaxc_tf.
HAWKEYES IN THE RANKINGS
The University of Iowa men’s and women’s track and field teams are both ranked in the top 25 in the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Week 2 poll. The USTFCCCA rank the men at No. 19 and the women at No. 24.
NATIONALLY RANKED HAWKS
The Hawkeyes have 11 individual marks in the NCAA’s top 15, including the the NCAA discus leader, Laulauga Tausaga, and the fastest men’s 1,600-meter relay from freshman Wayne Lawrence Jr., junior Antonio Woodard, junior Collin Hofacker, and senior Mar’yea Harris. Iowa is also the only team in the NCAA with multiple 400-meter runners under 46 seconds this season.
Top 15 in the NCAA:
1. Laulauga Tausaga - discus (61.74 meters, 202-7)
1. Lawrence, Woodard, Hofacker, Harris - 1,600-meter realy (3:03.10)
4. Briana Guillory - 400 meters (51.92)
5. Karayme Bartley - 400 meters (45.83)
6. Matt Manternach - 800 meters (1:47.84)
8. Mar’yea Harris - 400 meters (45.88)
11. Jaylan McConico - 110 hurdles (13.82)
11. Reno Tuufuli - discus (57.49, 188-7)
12. Wayne Lawrence Jr. - 400 meters (45.96)
14. Anthony Williams - 110 hurdles (13.86)
14. Chris Douglas - 400 hurdles (51.18)
14. Jenny Kimbro - 400 hurdles (58.27)
B1G LEADERS
The Hawkeyes are ranked in the top five 26 times in the conference. Four individual Hawkeyes are leading the Big Ten Conference in their respective events, including Jenny Kimbro (100 hurdles), Jaylan McConico (110 hurdles), Chris Douglas (400 hurdles), and Laulauga Tausaga (discus). Iowa also holds the fastest men’s 1,600-meter relay from freshman Wayne Lawrence Jr., junior Antonio Woodard, junior Collin Hofacker, and senior Mar’yea Harris.
Top Five in the Big Ten:
1. Karayme Bartley - 400 meters (45.83)
1. Briana Guillory - 400 meters (51.92)
1. Jaylan McConico - 110 hurdles (13.82)
1. Chris Douglas - 400 hurdles (51.18)
1. Lualauga Tausaga - discus (61.74 meters, 202-7)
1. Lawrence, Woodard, Hofacker, Harris - 1,600-meter relay (3:03.10)
2. Mar’yea Harris - 400 meters (45.88)
2. Matt Manternach - 800 meters (1:47.84)
2. Anthony Williams - 110 hurdles (13.86)
2. Noah Larrison - 400 hurdles (51.49)
3. Jenny Kimbro - 100 hurdles (13.53)
3. Nathan Mylenek - 3,000-meter steeplechase (8:55.23)
3. Reno Tuufuli - shot put (18.21 meters, 59-9)
3. Reno Tuufuli - discus (57.49 meters, 188-7)
3. Kimbro, Weum, Simmons, Wensel - 1,600-meter relay (3:36.32)
4. Antonio Woodard - 200 meters (20.69)
4. Jaylan McConico - 110 hurdles (13.98)
4. Wayne Lawrence Jr. - 400 meters (45.96)
4. Jenny Kimbro - 400 hurdles (58.27)
4. Tria Simmons - high jump (1.76 meters, 5-9 1/4)
4. Konstadina Spanoudakis - discus (53.72 meters, 176-3)
4. Williams, Woodard, Hofacker, Harris - 400-meter relay (40.16)
5. Raymonte Dow - 400 hurdles (52.14)
5. Jay Hunt - high jump (2.11 meters, 6-11)
5. Laulauga Tausaga - hammer (60.32 meters, 197-11)
B1G ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
Tausaga is the third Hawkeye to be named Big Ten Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. Tausaga won the discus at the Sun Angel Classic last weekend, recording a 61.74-meter (202-7) throw that leads the NCAA, ranks seventh in the world, and set a new school record. She added another win in the hammer throw, throwing 60.32 meters (197-11), a mark that ranks second all-time at Iowa and fifth this season in the Big Ten.
The Hawkeyes swept the Big Ten Field Athlete of the Week awards in the first week of the outdoor season. Sophomore Konstadina Spanoudakis earned the women’s honor and sophomore Jay Hunt earned the men’s.
Spanoudakis threw 53.41 meters (175-2) in the discus at the Baldy Castillo Invitational. She bettered her third ranked all-time mark on Iowa’s top-10 list by nearly a meter.
Hunt recorded a lifetime best high jump at Arizona State. Hunt’s 2.11-meter (6-11) high jump broke onto the Iowa top-10 all-time list, ranking ninth. He also ranks fifth in the NCAA.
Three Hawkeyes were named Big Ten Athletes of the week during the indoor season, including Tausaga (Feb. 6), Mar’yea Harris (Feb. 6), and Jenny Kimbro (Dec. 12).
NEXT ON THE BLOCK
The Hawkeyes travel to California next week to compete in three meets, Mount SAC Relays, Pacific Coast Intercollegiate (Long Beach State), and Bryan Clay Invitational (Azusa Pacific).