Iowa track and field set for Big Ten Indoor Championships
Multiple Hawkeyes aim to make a splash at the event in Geneva, Ohio.
Iowa’s Paige Magee runs the second leg of the Women’s 4×400-meter relay premier. The relay team finished 6th during the Hawkeye B1G Invitational track meet at the University of Iowa Recreation Building on Saturday, Feb. 13 , 2021.
February 25, 2021
Iowa track and field is set to compete in the 2021 Big Ten Indoor Championships Thursday through Saturday in Geneva, Ohio.
Among the Hawkeyes participating this weekend is freshman Paige Magee, who posted the third-best 60-meter hurdle time in program history at the Hawkeye Big Ten Invitational Feb. 13, finishing the event in 8.29.
Magee’s fellow freshman, Mallory King, may also be primed for a big weekend. King’s 2:05.34 800-meter time ranks first in the Big Ten Conference and seventh nationally.
While the women’s team looks to make a splash, the men’s team will have a chance to build on the success it established at least year’s Big Ten Indoor Championships.
In 2019-20, the Hawkeye men placed second at the league’s indoor championships, as junior Wayne Lawrence claimed gold medals in the 200 and 400-meter. He was also part of a top-finishing 4×400-meter relay team and named 2020 Big Ten Men’s Indoor Athlete of the Year.
Lawrence will be joined this weekend by junior Jamal Britt and freshman Max Murphy.Britt has been named Big Ten Athlete of the Week three times this season, and he recently tied Jaylan McConico’s University of Iowa record in the 60-meter hurdles, posting a 7.60 time. Britt’s time ranks second in the nation and first the Big Ten. On the national level, Britt’s time is just .05 second short of Florida State’s Trey Cunningham’s leading time.
Murphy recently moved into third place in Hawkeye history in the 5,000-meter, running a 7:59.30 time that ranks 24th in the nation and sixth in the Big Ten.
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The Hawkeyes’ success this year can be partly attributed to their unique training regimen.
“Our coaches like to make our workouts more individualized, case to case,” Magee said. “The week leading up to meets, we usually start off with working on technical motions and workouts to help with our resistance to help with our speed and power.”
Magee also does a number of additional activities beyond assigned drills and workouts to help her prepare for every practice and meet she participates in.
“We always warm up as a team,” Magee said. “But every day before practice, I like to go into the training room and do a few of my own exercises for like five to 10 minutes. Then after that, I usually do a deep roll out, and really take the time to get my muscles loose, and just a bunch of different deep stretches.”
Despite the individualized nature of their practices, Magee believes Iowa’s track and field teams are still tight-knit groups.
“I feel like we have a really close track team,” Magee said. “We try to do regular team meetings and we just like to talk about certain things that are going on in the world and how that might impact us as well as making sure that we are able to speak our minds about our certain opinions on different topics. I feel that everyone on the team is welcoming and open with each other.”
The Big Ten Indoor Championships begin Thursday at 12 p.m. and conclude Sunday at 3 p.m.
