By Carter Melrose
The Iowa track and field team has left Iowa. Some tracksters headed for California, while others embarked on a trip to Florida.
The California-bound racers will start participating today in either the Stanford Invitational or the San Francisco State Distance Carnival.
The Hawkeyes currently stationed in Florida will begin the second day of the Florida Relays today. During the first day of the meet, many of the Hawkeyes were pitted against college racers as well as professional ones in the open events.
In the men’s 200 meters, freshman Emmanuel Ogwo placed 10th in a field with two Nike-sponsored athletes as well as many unattached ones as well. This is life early in the season for the redshirt, who just a year ago was strapping on cleats and pads for the Hawkeye football team.
Another notable on the first day came from junior Sheridan Champe, who finished 12th in the women’s 400-meter hurdles.
The last Hawkeye highlight from the Florida Relays came from sophomore Chris Douglas, who placed top 10 in the men’s 400-meter hurdles.
Today during the Florida Relays, junior O’Shea Wilson will battle in the men’s 200 meters. This event is college-invitational only.
Across the country, two Hawkeyes will compete at the Stanford Invitational today, senior Tess Wilberding and junior Marta Bote Gonzalez. Both received invitations to the meet.
Gonzalez took home the crown in the women’s 2,000-meter steeplechase during the Baldy Castillo Invitational on March 17-18.
During that same meet, Wilberding finished in the top five in the 1,500 meters.
Last, as many as eight Hawkeye athletes will demonstrate their talent in the San Francisco State Distance Carnival, among them Nathan Mylenek, Michael Melchert, and Kelly Breen.
Many of the racers participating in the San Francisco meet over the weekend made up a lot of the athletes who had lackluster performances in the Baldy Castillo, which was the team’s first outdoor meet of the season.
The one exception was Mylenek, who took first in the 2,000-meter steeplechase.
Next weekend, the team will be on the road again, stopping in Tempe, Arizona, for the Sun Angel Classic on April 8.