Tracksters set some marks
Many of the sprinters and hurdlers on the Hawkeye track and field team traveled to Fayetteville, Arkansas, this past weekend for the Tyson Invitational. Most of the distance runners and some sprinters traveled to Ames to compete in the Iowa State Classic on the same days.
Day 1 on Feb. 10 of the Tyson was chock-full of excitement, and three Hawkeye athletes set school records. The trio included sophomore Mar’yea Harris in the 400 meters, junior Jahisha Thomas in the long jump, and senior Aaron Mallett in the 60-meter hurdles.
Hawkeye Director of Track and Field Joey Woody was expecting good performances from the team, especially Thomas in the long jump.
“We saw it coming,” Woody said in a release. “Coach [Clive] Roberts did a great job of getting her on the runway for today.”
Day 2 at the Tyson went similarly to the first. This time, the school record broken was in the 4×400 meters. The relay team consisted of freshman Emmanuel Ogwo, sophomore Collin Hofacker, sophomore DeJuan Frye, and sophomore Mar’yea Harris.
“To go out and finish with a big-time school record by over a second was impressive,” Woody said in the release.
The Iowa State Classic was less eventful for the Hawkeye track and field team. In Day 1 and 2 of the event, the Hawkeyes set many personal bests.
On Day 1, freshman Antonio Woodard raced a 21.25 personal best in the 200 meters. That was fast enough to give him a spot in the top 10 in the Big Ten.
The Hawkeyes capped off the weekend in Ames on Feb. 11 by recording 11 personal bests.
“Not a spectacular day by any stretch, but I was excited about Anthony Chaidez, who keeps improving every week, and Tia Saunders, who ran five seconds faster than she did last week. That was important,” assistant coach Jason Wakenight said in a release.
— by Carter Melrose
Women’s tennis remains unbeaten
The Iowa women’s tennis team traveled to Milwaukee this past weekend to face Western Michigan and Marquette, and as with every other opponent the Hawkeyes have faced this season, the result has remained the same — the Hawkeyes claimed the victory.
In the first match of the day, the Hawkeyes defeated the Broncos, 4-3, and then defeated the Golden Eagles, 5-2, to advance to 7-0 on the season.
Against the Broncos, freshman Elise van Heuvelen and junior Zoe Douglas competed at the No. 1 spot in doubles and came away with a win. Then the senior duo of Aimee Tarun and Natalie Looney secured the doubles point at the No. 3 position.
In singles play, van Heuvelen, Douglas, and junior Montana Crawford all lost for the first time this season. Junior Anastasia Reimchen and sophomores Kristen Thoms and Adorabol Huckleby secured the first match over the Broncos.
Against the Golden Eagles, again Douglas and van Heuvelen won at the No. 1 spot, and Tarun and Looney were victorious at the No. 3 spot to clinch the doubles point.
To secure the victory for the Hawkeyes, Reimchen, Thoms, Huckleby, and Crawford all defeated their respective opponents.
With the two victories, this marks the Hawkeyes best start since 2008 when the team started off 8-0.
The Hawkeyes have the chance of tying the record Feb. 19 on the road against Texas-Arlington.
— by Nicholas Moreano