The Iowa track and field team will not compete this weekend in an effort to gain fresh legs for the outdoor Big Ten championships. Heading into the final weeks of the season, the Hawkeyes are riding a great deal of momentum from the Drake Relays.
The Iowa men took home the Hy-Vee Cup last weekend at Drake for the second-straight year, a key victory for the program for many reasons.
“This is a great thing that Hy-Vee does for track and field and the Drake Relays,” Iowa Director of Track and Field Joey Woody said. “To be able to come here and compete to win the Hy-Vee Cup is a big deal, and I am really excited about the opportunity to do that.”
It’s the last meaningful competition for the team before the Big Ten and NCAA meets, and it also helps the future of the program a great deal.
“We are here to recruit the best kids in the state of Iowa, and this really helps that we are the best program in the state,” Woody said. “We are going to keep fighting to get the best kids in the state to come to Iowa. Both our men’s and women’s teams are moving in the right direction the last couple weeks, and today was a good opportunity for us to show where we are at.”
According to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association, the Iowa women are ranked 24th in the nation, and the men are ranked 36th. It’s the first time this season the women have cracked the top 25.
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For both the men and women, their top throwers have played huge parts in the success and national rankings.
Laulauga Tausaga is ranked nationally in the shot put (16.74 meters) and discus (59.86 meters), and both of those marks are school records.
On the men’s side, Reno Tuufuli is in the same position, ranked nationally in the shot put (18.53 meters) and discus (59.03 meters).
Tuufuli performed well in both events at the Drake Relays on April 27, but Tausaga stole the show, winning the shot put and extending the school record the she held.
“Tausaga is a very special individual and a great teammate. She shows up to practice every day with purpose and the intent to be better than the day before,” Iowa throws coach Eric Werskey said. “She will watch all teammates closely to better understand each event, and it’s shown to help her in her own throws. She holds herself very accountable, which is big for a young person who wants to be successful, and it’s been showing.”
Though the Iowa women finished 11th at the Drake Relays, the team has a plethora of athletes with Big Ten-leading marks, and both teams are positioned well to make a run at Big Ten titles.
Despite the women’s underwhelming finish, Sommer Sharpe won the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 59.73 seconds. She was the first winner in that event for the Hawkeyes since 1998.
The team will head to Bloomington, Indiana for the Big Ten championships on May 11 through 13.