Harris wins two races, breaks school record at Meyo Invitational

The men’s track team put up personal best marks across the board as Iowa impressed in its first road meet of the season.

Iowas+MarYea+Harris+crosses+the+finish+line+during+the+4x400+meter+relay+during+the+Larry+Wieczorek+Invitational+on+Saturday%2C+Jan.+20%2C+2017.+Harris+anchored+the+Hawkeyes+relay+team+to+a+victory+with+a+45.599+split.+

Nick Rohlman

Iowa’s Mar’Yea Harris crosses the finish line during the 4×400 meter relay during the Larry Wieczorek Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2017. Harris anchored the Hawkeyes relay team to a victory with a 45.599 split.

Robert Read, Sports Reporter

The Iowa men’s track and field team wrapped up competition Feb. 2 at the Sevigne Invitational (Nebraska) and the Meyo Invitational (Notre Dame) with a variety of excellent performances.

The highlight of the weekend for the men’s team was Mar’Yea Harris, who won two races and broke a school record in the process.

Harris, competing in South Bend, won both the 400 and the 600.

On Feb. 1 in the 600, he ran a career-best 1:16.60, the fastest time in school history. Harris finished first in a field of 21 athletes, and Iowa runners finished first through ninth.

Iowa Director of Track and Field Joey Woody was pleased with Harris’ performance and the times of his runners in general.

“At Meyo, we had some great distance races,” Woody said in a release. “I thought they competed extremely well. We had exceptional performances, including the school record from Mar’Yea in the 600 meters. That whole event group did really well tonight.”

Harris followed that up on Feb. 2 with the 400, finishing just ahead of Hawkeye Wayne Lawrence in second. Harris (46.02) just snuck past Lawrence (46.14).

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“When you look at what Mar’Yea did in the 400 meters today, running 46.02, that’s one of the best times in the country,” Woody said. “He backed up what he did yesterday, which is impressive, because he wasn’t fresh. Then Wayne Lawrence was stuck in lane one, which is difficult for someone as tall as him, and he ran 46.14. On that track, it is really impressive. Overall, I was really happy with the whole 400-meter group at Notre Dame.”

The weekend saw several other Hawkeyes put up personal bests.

On the first day of competition, Peyton Haack hit career-best marks in the 60 (7.14), long jump (6.56 meters), and high jump (1.85) while competing in the men’s heptathlon. Other record breakers included Anthony Williams in the 60-meter hurdles (7.91) and Alec Still in the 600 (1:19.28).

Haack followed up the Feb. 1 performance with an even stronger one Feb. 2, setting another personal best in the pole vault (4.82 meters).

“Peyton Haack had a fantastic second day, especially in the pole vault,” Woody said in a release. “It’s good to see him put up a big personal best there. For him to be able to pick up 5,279 points in his first college heptathlon was impressive. There are some great things on the horizon in the next couple weeks.”

Day 2 was also home to personal bests by Lawrence in the 400 (46.14), Daniel Soto (4:10.18) and Ian Eklin (4:10.60) in the mile, and Jay Hunt in the high jump (2.10 meters).

Overall, Woody was happy with how the Hawkeyes performed.

“It was an unbelievable couple of days,” Woody said. “When you look at what we did in the multi-events to start the day, they got the energy going, and we were able to maintain that energy level throughout the weekend. We saw a lot of great performances.”

Iowa will be back in action next weekend at the Tyson Invitational hosted by Arkansas, as well as the Iowa State Classic in Ames.