The Iowa track and field program will compete at two meets this weekend. Half of the squad will head to Ames for the Iowa State Classic, and other Hawkeye competitors will return to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to participate in the Tyson Invitational.

Distance runners and throwers will head to Iowa State, Iowa director of track and field Joey Woody said, and sprinters and hurdlers will go to Arkansas.

“Our distance and mid-distance runners will be in Ames this weekend,” said Coach Woody. “We’re looking to get some good times in those events. Our throwers will be at Iowa State, as well. We kept some of our sprinters and hurdlers home last week for training purposes, so I’m very excited to get them back on the road and compete Friday and Saturday.”

Woody said the Hawkeyes’ focus this weekend is to continue to improve against high-level competition.

The Hawkeyes will compete against 20 teams at the Tyson Invitational, including Big Ten rivals Minnesota and Nebraska. Iowa will also compete against Minnesota at the Iowa State Classic, as well as Ohio State and Notre Dame in a 23-team field.

“We’re looking forward to progressing on what we’ve been doing the past few weeks,” said Woody. “I feel really good about where we are as a program right now. We do have some athletes who have yet to find their stride due to injuries and COVID concerns, so we’re still adding pieces to the puzzle.”

The Hawkeyes are coming off a successful weekend at Notre Dame’s Meyo Invitational.

RELATED: Iowa track and field’s Jenoah McKiver sets program record at Meyo Invitational

Senior Mallory King ran a career-best time of 1 minute and 28.45 seconds in the 600-meter, and freshman Chadrick Richards won the 400-meter with a new personal best of 46.47 seconds. Richards now holds the No. 6 all-time spot in the Iowa track and field program.

“We had a great weekend at Notre Dame,” said Woody. “We had lots of great performances from both the men and women. Mallory King did a great job in the 600-meter, Chadrick Richards ran well in the 400, and as I looked at the times across the board, I was impressed.”

Woody was also impressed by reigning Big Ten Indoor 60-meter hurdle champion Paige Magee at the Meyo Invitational. Magee ran a season-best time of 8.46 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles.

“Paige had a huge breakthrough last weekend in the hurdles,” he said. “I’m really excited to see her get back at it, returning to those times she continually posted toward the end of last year.”

Freshman Jenoah McKiver, the Hawkeyes’ two-time reigning Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week, claimed the Big Ten lead in the 600-meter race. McKiver ran 600 meters in a career-best 1:15.36 at the Meyo Invitational.

“When you look at what Jenoah did in the 600, you have to be impressed,” said Woody. “ … The biggest thing Jenoah does is learn from his mistakes. After every race, he learns something, and that’s what allows him to have so much success.”

The Hawkeyes will kick off action at the Iowa State Classic at noon and at the Tyson Invitational at 2:15 p.m. on Friday.