Iowa men’s track and field sprinter Jenoah McKiver blew the field away when he ran the 400-meter dash at the Jim Click Shootout on April 9, 2022.

Not only did he win by over 1.6 seconds, but his time of 44.74 set a school record, earned him U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association National Track Athlete of the Week and Big Ten Male Track Athlete of the Week awards, and ranked him second in the world in the event for the 2022 season. 

Just weeks later, McKiver’s season came to an early end when he tore his hamstring. 

The sophomore from High Point, North Carolina, said after sitting out the rest of the college season that he trained for the World Championships last summer, balancing it with therapy and rehab until tryouts. But McKiver didn’t make the cut to represent his country. 

“It didn’t go well, but I was still hurt,” he said. “From there, I was just doing rehab, making sure my hamstring was strong enough for this season.”

McKiver returned to the Iowa lineup on Jan. 14 at the Hawkeye Invitational. In his first meet since the injury, he competed in and won the 400-meter dash with a time of 46.26 — the third-best in the NCAA this season. 

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Reflecting on his successful return, McKiver was quick to thank the people around him.

“It feels pretty good,” McKiver said. “I feel that the trainers and the coaches that we have and what they put together as a plan for me to come back was pretty good. I’d just say thanks to the trainers for helping me.”

Iowa director of track and field Joey Woody said McKiver’s 400-meter dash win at the Hawkeye Invitational was a good gauge for his status going forward. 

“It’s good to see Jenoah open up the way he did in the 400,” Woody said. “I think he’s got a lot more obviously left in the tank, so I’m excited about where he’s at.” 

Woody said his team pushed through McKiver’s absence last year and refused to back down. However, Woody said his squad is much better when McKiver is healthy.

“It was tough,” Woody said of McKiver’s missed events. “Having him healthy … just gives us a much better shot at obviously competing to win the Big Ten title and repeating as indoor champs but also getting much more quality at the NCAA championships.”

With McKiver, the Hawkeye men’s team won the 2022 Big Ten Men’s Indoor Track and Field Championships and finished 18th at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Without him for the outdoor season, the team placed second to Ohio State at the 2022 conference meet and 39th at the NCAA championships.

McKiver called the injury “a setback but also a learning experience.”

“I believe every injury I have [has] humbled me even more each time, so it makes me want to work harder and not give up every time it happens,” McKiver said. “It’s not always over. You’ve always got another chance.”

Woody added the injury can help McKiver understand what his body needs and notice when it is overworked in the future.

“I think it’s always hard when you have high expectations [and] high hopes and you have a setback like that,” Woody said. “But I think it always, in the long run, makes you a better athlete,” 

McKiver is aiming high again this season, shooting to capture Big Ten and NCAA team championships as well as some individual glory.

“Another one of my goals is I want to break the indoor 400 record, which is 44.5,” McKiver said. “That’s one thing I have my eye on. [I want to] do the same thing [for the] outdoor season but also win a national title with my team.” 

Woody called McKiver a “special talent” and noted his hard work to reach his goals of running for World Championship and Olympic teams.

“You have a guy like that on your team [and], obviously, it makes you smile a little bit more,” Woody said. “[We’ve] just got to make sure we stay healthy throughout the season. I think we’re doing a much better job of managing things and making sure that we’re putting him in the best position possible to be able to perform at his highest level at the most important times.”