Track and Field Notebook | Hawkeyes rewrite school record books in 13 events
Across three different locations last weekend, the Hawkeyes put up multiple season and career-best marks.
Iowa’s Paige Magee runs during the 2023 Hawkeye Invitational at the University of Iowa Recreation Building in Iowa City on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2022. The Hawkeye Invitational hosted Ball State, Bradley, Indian Hills, Iowa, Iowa Central, Missouri, Northern Iowa, Western Illinois, Wis.-River Falls, and unattached individuals.
February 9, 2023
The Iowa track and field team improved in 13 events last weekend.
Iowa sprinters traveled to the New Mexico Collegiate Classic, and mid-distance and 400-meter runners traveled to the Meyo Invitational at Notre Dame Feb. 3-4. Throwers went to Ames, Iowa, for the Iowa State Classic Feb. 4.
Junior hurdler Paige Magee led the way, moving to second all-time in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.13.
“I definitely think I can do better,” Magee said of her hurdle time. “The better the start, the better the race is for me at this point … It’s the first 30 [meters] where I’m usually trying to battle back.”
Magee’s hurdle time, which she captured in the prelim, sits just shy of fellow Iowa junior hurdler Myreanna Bebe’s school-record 8.11 set at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational Jan. 20-21. Magee finished sixth in the finals crossing the line in 8.22.
“I thought Paige did a tremendous job executing her race, especially in the prelim,” Woody said. “[Paige and Myreanna] already had a big breakthrough, but I think they can be running 8.0 and look to break eight seconds here in the next couple of meets.”
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Magee also ran a personal record 23.51 in the 200-meter dash, placing her fifth all-time in the event at Iowa. Despite feeling unhappy with her setup for the race, Magee said she is grateful for the PR.
“I’ve never considered myself a 200 [meter dash] runner,” Magee said. “I’ve always been hurdles. To have success in that race, it feels good. There’s nowhere to go but up, honestly.”
Alongside Magee, Hawkeye senior sprinter LaSarah Hargrove ran a 23.50 to move up to fourth all-time in the event at Iowa.
“I’m really excited about where Paige has come on in that event,” Woody said. “She’s made a huge improvement, and I think LaSarah … [is] a couple of execution things away from running 20-low.”
Iowa junior sprinter Damoy Allen won the men’s unseeded 200-meter dash with a time of 21.08 after altitude adjustment, placing him seventh all-time in the event at Iowa.
“I started the season off not up to my standards,” Allen said. “I think it’s a great position for me going into championships because I now have a lot of momentum … I think I’m going to be a threat for sure.”
In the men’s seeded 200-meter dash, junior sprinter Khullen Jefferson ran a 20.70 to finish fourth and jump to second all-time at Iowa for the event. Iowa juniors Austin Kresley and Gratt Reed finished in a tie for 10th, respectively, both running a 20.87 and tying for fifth all-time at Iowa.
“As a group, I think no one can really mess with us when we’re all at our best,” Allen said. “They bring the best out of me every day.”
Nine Hawkeyes finished in the top 10 of the men’s 600-meter race, senior hurdler Julien Gillum leading the group with a second place 1:17.53. Woody called the event results awesome.
“Those guys had a really good training week leading up to that, so we knew that was on the horizon,” Woody said. “I think they still have a lot of room for improvement, but it was really good for them to go out and set themselves up for the Big Ten meet in the next couple of weeks.”
Three Hawkeye rose in the Iowa all-time leaderboard for the women’s 600-meter. Redshirt freshman sprinter Chloe Larsen came in second with a time of 1:28.42, putting her third all-time in the event at Iowa. Mid-distance freshman Gabby Cortez came in third with a 1:28.47 for fifth all-time, and mid-distance junior Alli Bookin-Nosbisch finished fourth with a 1:28.89 for sixth all-time.
“I was really pleased with how they went after it,” Woody said. “Especially Gabby, as a true freshman, being able to put up a big performance like that is really exciting for not only this year but also for her future.”
Bookin-Nosbisch then moved to third all-time at Iowa in the women’s 800-meter with a third-place finish of 2:05.17. Iowa mid-distance junior Clare Pitcher finished fifth with a time of 2:06.59, putting her fifth all-time.
In Ames, Iowa senior thrower Amanda Howe won the weight throw with a 21.18-meter toss, and junior thrower Alivia Bauer finished third with a 19.40-meter toss that put her fifth on the Iowa all-time list for the event.
Looking forward
The Iowa men’s team dropped from 12th last week to 16th this week in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association national rankings. The Hawkeyes remain atop the Midwest region rankings, and the women’s team remains second.
“We’re in a really good spot with all the events we have potential point scorers [in],” Woody said. “It’s really exciting for us as a program and as a staff to see both genders really elevating their game at the right time. I’m really excited about where both programs are at. The goal is to win two championships in 2.5 weeks.”
The Hawkeyes split again this weekend. Mid-distance and distance runners will travel to Vanderbilt for the Music City Challenge, and the rest of the team will return to Fayetteville, Arkansas, for the Tyson Invitational on Feb. 10-11.
