For Iowa track and field, the focus is on the quickly approaching Big Ten Championships. Seven athletes, however, centered their focus last weekend on a meet in South Bend, Indiana, that provided a last-minute opportunity to enhance marks.

The last meet of the 2019-20 regular indoor season ended when those same athletes represented Iowa at the Alex Wilson Invitational in the Notre Dame Loftus Center.

Sophomore mid-distance sprinter Josh Andrews competed in the 400-meters (49.85), taking 13th place.

“It felt good to get out there and just compete for the last time during the regular season,” Andrews said.  “Typically, I do not run the 400 as my main event. I typically only run the 600 indoors, but it was good to get out there and compete against great competition.”

Andrews posted an event win earlier in the season at the Black and Gold Invitational, where he took first in the 600-meters and recorded a personal best (1:19.91).

“I think that this indoor season turned out very well,” Andrews said. “Running my fastest time in the 600-meter this year was probably the highlight. But I’m excited for outdoor and ready to get back out there.”

Other mid-distance Hawkeyes who competed over the weekend include junior Lindsay Welker and senior Nolan Teubel, both of whom ran the 800-meters. Teubel placed 12th (1:52.96) in the men’s event while Welker came in at No. 24 (2:18.19) in the women’s race.

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“This weekend wasn’t my best time, but it was the strongest race I’ve ran,” Welker said. “It was almost really good. I learned what part of the race I need to work on, and sometimes that’s most important … It was exciting to have one last opportunity for the indoor season.”

Although Iowa swept no events this time around, a highlight of the weekend came from the 4×400-meter relay performance.

Freshman mid-distance sprinter Spencer Gudgel, senior hurdler Raymund Clarke, freshman hurdler Nolan Kembel, and freshman hurdler Nolan Roethler took third in the relay, finishing in 3:11.84.

“I felt like the team did a pretty solid job of coming out and competing this weekend,” Roethler said. “As a group, we set a goal of breaking 3:10 in the 4×400-meter relay, and we ended up running 3:11. It’s always a little disappointing to miss that goal, but it was still a strong performance and the fastest relay a few of us have been a part of.”

The regular indoor season’s closing marks Roethler’s first as a competing Hawkeye. He’s feeling fast and healthy despite the long season.

“Looking at indoors in its entirety, I’ve been happy with the progress I’ve made personally and the team as a whole,” Roethler said. “We’ve set ourselves up for a great opportunity to compete for an indoor championship at Big Tens next weekend and built a lot of momentum as we transition into outdoor season.”

On the topic of preparing for the outdoor season after Big Ten Championships and the NCAA Championships, Assistant Coach Jason Wakenight said that a good indoor season is indicative of a good outdoor season.

“If we compete well indoors, we feel that our chances outdoors are really, really good,” Wakenight said. “You know, usually we are a better outdoor team than indoor team when you look at the four hurdles, the discus, the 4×1 being key events that you add to the outdoor slate, so if we can compete and win indoors, outdoors is going to be even better.”