The Iowa track and field team hosted its third and final home meet on Jan. 26-27 in the Recreation Building and the Hawkeye Tennis & Recreation Comples (throwers). The Black and Gold Premier featured competitors from Southern Illinois, Northern Illinois, Western Illinois, Iowa State, Barton County Community College, and Iowa Central Community College.
The event was less intense than last week’s Larry Wieczorek Invitational, when all of Iowa’s top athletes competed and some of the best athletes in the world were present.
Instead, the Black & Gold was a time for younger athletes to get more competition experience before the team hits the road next weekend.
“I felt great about [Jan. 27],” Director of Track and Field Joey Woody said. “This meet was a little more low key compared to last week. The athletes who competed today put up some great performances.”
Hawkeye Laulauga Tausaga broke the school record for shot put for the second week in a row with a throw of 16.01 meters. That’s a vast improvement for her, considering she moved from No. 6 to No. 3 all-time just two weeks ago with a throw of 15 meters.
Reno Tuufuli won the men’s shot put with a throw of 18.47 meters. His personal best is 18.84 meters, which came at the outdoor Big Ten championships last year.
Jahisha Thomas, who had been battling an injury, set a triple-jump school mark at 13.11 meters, breaking the previous record that she had set. She ranks first in the Big Ten.
“I feel really good,” she said. “It has been a pretty stressful beginning of the season. I wasn’t able to compete in the first few meets or contribute to the team. To come out here and be able to do something, I was really glad I had something to show for.”
Getting Thomas back was a big step in the right direction, Woody said.
“To come out and break the school record — that should be a performance that gets her to the national championships in her first meet out,” he said.
Antonio Woodard ran the 200 meters in 21.20 seconds, a lifetime best and now second in the Big Ten. And Sarah Plock ran the 200 meters in 25.26 seconds, a college best for her.
Chris Douglas won the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 7.76 seconds. The mark was a lifetime best for Douglas and solidified his No. 1 ranking in the Big Ten.
“Chris Douglas put together a phenomenal race,” Woody said. “That time is right on the border of a time that would get him into the national championships.”
Ashley Espinosa set a personal record on the mile with a time of 5:12.42, beating her former best time by almost five seconds.
In the women’s 400 meters premier event, four Hawkeyes set personal records — Sommer Sharpe, Sarah Plock, Kylie Welch, and Kylie Morken.
The Iowa women also took home the final event of the day, the 4×400 relays. The Hawkeyes came into the event with the women ranked 27th in the nation and the men ranked 22nd.
Next weekend, some Hawkeye athletes will head to Notre Dame for the Meyo Invitational, and others will go to Nebraska for the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational.
