Tausaga continues record-breaking season at Sun Angel Classic
Laulauga Tausaga has been breaking (her own) records all season, and that was no different in Arizona.
The Daily Iowan; Photos by Josep
Iowa’s Laulauga Tausaga watches her throw during the 18th annual Musco Twilight at Francis X. Cretzmeyer Track on Saturday, April 22, 2017. Iowa’s men and women’s track and field finished first overall in the Musco Twilight with a 237.5 and 203 respectively. (The Daily Iowan/Joseph Cress)
April 7, 2019
Iowa track and field traveled to Arizona for the second time this outdoor season to compete at the Sun Angel Classic.
The Hawkeyes, in particular, a junior thrower with a habit of breaking records, made the weekend one to remember.
Laulauga Tausaga continued her stretch of rewriting the record book this season, this time in Tempe.
Tausaga kicked off the weekend on April 5 by winning the hammer throw with a mark of 60.32 meters, which is good for second-best in school history. On the second day of competition, Tausaga broke her own school record in the discus, a record she breaks so frequently that the ink is never given proper time to dry before needing to be rewritten.
“Laulauga had a big time throw in the discus,” Iowa Director of Track and Field Joey Woody said in a release. “Coming off [April 5’s] hammer throw, I thought she had a great weekend. I always know she’s got it in her to put up some big marks.”
Tausaga picked placed first in the event with a mark of 61.74 meters. Although she may have been the star, Tausaga was not the only headline for Iowa track in Arizona.
In the men’s 400, three Hawkeyes finished in the top four of the event and put up times that place the men’s sprinters as one of the most dangerous groups in the Big Ten.
“The event of the night was the men’s 400 meters,” Woody said in a release. “We had three guys run 45 seconds, and to have that on one team, let alone in one race, is really impressive. We’re excited to put those three plus someone else on the 4×400-meter relay to see what we can do. I think we have a team that could shoot to break three minutes by the of the season.”
Karayme Bartley led the group, finishing second with a time of 45.83. Mar’Yea Harris (45.88) and Wayne Lawrence Jr. (45.96) finished third and fourth, respectively.
The women’s 400 proved to be an eventful race as well. Briana Guillory took gold in the event, finishing with a time of 51.92.
James Carter would also pick up a win for Iowa. Carter placed first in the men’s triple jump with a time of 15.06 meters.
That may wrap up the winners for Iowa over the weekend, but a pair of juniors put in career-best turns while falling just short of victory.
Jenny Kimbro ran her fastest time ever (58.27) in the 400-meter hurdles, an event she’s been impressive in, especially given her inexperience with it.
“Jenny Kimbro ran phenomenally in her second 400-hurdles race ever,” Woody said in a release. “To go out and run at that level and be top-five all-time at the University of Iowa, I’m very proud of what she’s done.”
Kimbro’s mark ranks fourth all-time for Iowa in the event.
In the men’s 800, Matt Manternach also put up a career best, moving up to fifth on the Iowa leaderboard.
“Matt Manternach looked a lot like where he was at this point last year,” Woody said in a release. “He’s really starting to do some great things. He set himself up last year at the regional meet to punch his ticket to outdoor nationals. Now, he’s in the 1:47 ranks, and 1:46 is right there. He’s had a tremendous season so far.”
Manternach, as well as the rest of the red hot Hawkeyes, will have an opportunity to keep the numbers coming next weekend, when they will be at home for the first time of this outdoor campaign.
Iowa will host the 20th-annual Musco Twilight April 13, the last home meet for the Hawkeyes before hosting Big Ten Outdoor Championships May 10-12.
