Iowa track and field teams set to host Larry Wieczorek Invitational
Six teams — counting the Hawkeyes — will compete in the two-day event.
Iowa’s James Carter Jr. jumps into sand during the 2022 Hawkeye Invitational track and field meet at the University of Iowa Recreation Building on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022. Iowa ran the race with a time of 3:54.00. The Hawkeye Invitational hosted Arkansas State, Bradley, Hawkeye Community College, Indian Hills Community College, Iowa Central Community College, Loyola-Chicago, Northern Iowa, South Dakota, UW-Milwaukee, and Western Illinois.
January 20, 2022
The University of Iowa men’s and women’s track and field teams will host the 2022 Larry Wieczorek Invitational this Friday and Saturday in Iowa City.
The event is the Hawkeyes’ last indoor home meet of the year. Action will begin at 1 p.m. Friday at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Center, where throwers compete at Iowa.
Runners, jumpers, and hurdlers will participate in the meet on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Iowa Athletics’ recreation building.
Admission to the Larry Wieczorek Invitational is free for all spectators.
Six teams, including Iowa, will compete in the meet: Wisconsin, Purdue, Northern Iowa, Gonzaga, and Baylor.
“I think it will be great competition and a great atmosphere,” Iowa director of track and field Joey Woody said. “The atmosphere is going to be set for some terrific performances.”
Woody hopes this year’s Larry Wieczorek Invitational improves the reputation of the event as he tries to bolster the meet to national prominence.
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“We’re hoping to continue to build this meet into one of the best in the country every single year,” Woody said.
Hawkeye sophomore sprinter LaSarah Hargrove aims to use the 2022 Larry Wieczorek Invitational as a barometer that can help her see how she stacks up against the country’s best competition.
“I think it will be really good for me to see where I’m at,” Hargrove said of the meet.
Iowa senior thrower Tyler Lienau has more ambitious goals than Hargrove. He hopes the Hawkeye men win the event as a team.
“The big thing is just to win it,” Lienau said. “This is my last home indoor meet with Iowa. So, the goal is just to win.”
Woody believes Lienau and the rest of the Hawkeyes’ throwers have a great chance to find success at this meet.
“I think both the men and women are going to do a fantastic job in those events and areas,” Woody said.
Woody added that he has high expectations for Hawkeye junior and 2021 Big Ten Indoor Long Jump Champion James Carter this weekend.
“We’re going to unleash James a little more this weekend,” Woody said. “. . . He’s been coming from a shorter approach the first couple of meets, still hitting some PR marks. So, we’re excited to put him at a longer mark and bring a little more speed into his long jump.”
Competition aside, Woody took some time out of his Thursday meeting with reporters to recognize the achievements of Larry Wieczorek, who competed as an athlete and coach at Iowa.
“It’s great to honor coach Wieczorek and what he’s done for Iowa track and field and cross country as both a Hall of Fame student-athlete and a coach for our program for a long time,” Woody said. “[I cherished] my opportunity to be an assistant coach here under him. He’s still very closely connected to our program, and it’s crazy to think that he’s been retired for seven years.”
