By Jacob Miller
The Iowa track and field team will be out of action until early next year. Its next meet is the Border Battle on Jan. 7 in the Recreation Building against Illinois and Missouri, the first competition this season for the Hawkeyes. The Border Battle will be followed by the Hawkeye Challenge on Jan. 14.
“This is just the start,” Director of Track & Field Joey Woody said in a release. “It’s not the end by any means. The key is to get after it over winter break, and then we get back and have a meet right away.”
Last indoor season, the men’s track team finished eighth in the Big Ten meet. The women had their best Big Ten Championship performance, finishing fifth.
Both will try to build on last season’s success. The Hawkeyes had seven first-team All-Americans in the indoor season, one being now-senior Aaron Mallett. He was a first-team All-American in the 60-meter hurdles and was the first to do so in back-to-back seasons since 2012. He won the Big Ten title in the 60-meter hurdles and competed in the NCAA Championships in the event, finishing third, the highest-ever in school history.
Sophomore Briana Guillory was a second-team All-American last indoor season. She was a part of the 1,600-meter relay team that finished ninth in the NCAA meet.
Both teams had fast times Dec. 9 during the intrasquad meet, and they will try to build on those times for the indoor season.