The Iowa track and field program will split up this weekend as half the squad returns to Notre Dame this weekend for its second meet in South Bend in the 2021-22 indoor season. The Hawkeyes will also travel to Madison, Wisconsin, to compete in the Badger St. Valentine Invitational.

The Hawkeyes previously competed in the Meyo Invitational Feb. 4-5. Now, the Hawkeyes will partake in the annual Alex Wilson Invitational beginning at 11 a.m.

Iowa director of track and field Joey Woody said the invitational this weekend will provide an opportunity for his athletes to get more performances under their belts before the impending Big Ten Indoor Championships.

“We’re looking forward to our athletes getting a tune-up competition before next week,” he said. “Some of our athletes, due to injury and illness, missed a few meets throughout the season. Normally we don’t have many athletes competing the last weekend prior to Big Tens, but I felt this would be a good chance to lock in their race rhythms.”

With athletes missing previous meets in the indoor season, Woody emphasized the importance of their return to the program.

Junior sprinter Wayne Lawrence missed the first three meets of the season with an unspecified injury. Lawrence returned to the track for the 400-meter at the Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Jan. 28-29.

Now, Lawrence will compete in both the 200-meter and 400-meter race at the Alex Wilson Invitational.

“We’re excited to get a chance to see Wayne Lawrence in the 200 and 400 this weekend,” he said. “I feel he’s one of the best in the conference in both those events. He missed a few races early in the season, so we’ve been working to get him ready for the Big Ten meet.”

Sophomore hurdler Myreanna Bebe did not compete last weekend in either of the Hawkeyes’ two meets.

Bebe will return to the track this weekend.

“Myreanna wasn’t able to compete last weekend,” Woody said. “We’re looking forward to getting her back on the track as well, because she could be huge for us at Big Tens.”

The Hawkeyes enter the event with a great deal of momentum. Four Hawkeyes broke University of Iowa records last week.

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The most impressive performance came from the Hawkeye men’s 4×400 team. The squad — made up of freshmen Jenoah McKiver and Chadrick Richards and juniors Wayne Lawrence and Julian Gillum — posted the second-best time the NCAA has seen this season with a 3:02.40.

The Iowa women’s 4×400 team also posted a UI-record 3:32.38 time.

“Coach Wakenight has done a tremendous job with those groups,” Woody said. “We think they’re capable of cutting a second or two off of each team’s time. I personally think the men will have a solid chance at winning the national championship in that event.”

Woody said the record-breaking performances will have a huge impact on the program’s reputation nationwide.

“It shows that we expect to be one of the best 400-meter running teams in the country,” Woody said. “We’re definitely setting ourselves up to maintain that reputation as we get closer to the end of the indoor season.”

The Iowa men currently rank sixth in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll.

“We definitely expect to be one of those top teams in the country,” Woody said. “We’ve built this program to be at that level, and I believe we’re going to be there for a while.”