Iowa track completes an eventful indoor season

As the outdoor track season gets started, a look back at the indoor season shows Iowa track and field is a force to be reckoned with.

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Ben Allan Smith

Iowa senior Sheridan Champe finishes first in the Women’s 200 Meter Dash during the Hawkeye Invitational indoor track meet at the Campus Recreation Building on Satuday, Jan. 13, 2017.

Robert Read, Sports Reporter

The indoor track & field season has come to a close. Iowa went through one of the most eventful seasons in program history, seeing records fall and new standards set.

Both the men’s and women’s teams saw a variety of competitors shine during the season, leading the way to fourth- and third-place finishes, respectively, at the Big Tens.

With the starting gun for the outdoor season about to go off, here are some numbers to keep in mind from the indoor campaign.

5 — Number of times Laulauga Tausaga broke a school record during the indoor season

It was an eventful indoor season for Tausaga, to say the least.

Tausaga, a junior, owned the school record in both the weight throw and the shot put beginning the season, and she took her performance a step further to cement her status in program history.

In her first event of the season, Tausaga broke her record in the weight throw, a mark she first claimed as a sophomore and bested on four occasions this indoor campaign. At the Sevigne Invitational, a meet in which she won event MVP, Tausaga had her best throw of the season (22.51 meters). That is the current school record. Unless Tausaga breaks it again.

Tausaga also had a noteworthy season in the shot put, where she only broke a measly one school record. Tausaga’s current best in the event is 16.70 meters, which beat her previous mark of 16.51.

The records propelled Tausaga to win Athlete of the Week and Regional Female Field Athlete of the Year.

12th — Highest ranking in program history

In the Week 7 poll, the Hawkeye women achieved the highest ranking in program history — No. 12 in the country. It was also the highest the Iowa men have ever been in the poll.

The achievement is all the more impressive when considering that they were ranked No. 37 in the country in the preseason.

The women made gradual progress in the poll throughout the indoor season, peaking at No. 12.

RELATED: Eight track Hawks earn first team All-American honors

A point of emphasis for the outdoor season, however, could be to finish on a stronger note. After an up-and-down weekend at NCAA meet, the women fell to No. 33 in the final poll of the season. While that’s still a position to be proud of, the amount of talent the women have will tell you they expect to finish higher.

14 — All-American honors handed out at NCAA Indoor Championships

Iowa had a plethora of athletes who earned All-American honors at the NCAAs.

After the first day of competition, six athletes earned second-team All-American. Mar’Yea Harris and Wayne Lawrence received the title in the 400 meters, and Tria Simmons and Jenny Kimbro earned recognition for their performances in the pentathlon.

Jaylan McConico (60-meter hurdles) and Tausaga (shot put) were also named second team All-Americans.

At the conclusion of the championship meet, eight more All-American honors were handed out to Iowa athletes, this time with first-team distinction.

Tausaga earned more recognition in the weight throw, and Briana Guillory brought home the second first-team honor of her career.

Chris Douglas and Karayme Bartley received the All-American distinction for the 60-meter hurdles and 200 meters, respectively.

The men’s 1,600-meter relay squad, consisting of Collin Hofacker, Bartley, Lawrence, and Harris, also received first-team honors.