Iowa track and field shatters six school records over weekend

Hawkeyes this weekend rewrote records in the 60-meter race, 800-meter race, and triple jump.

Mia Boulton, Sports Reporter

February 12, 2024

Iowa’s Kalen Walker smiles after setting a meet and personal record time of 6.59 in the men’s 60-meter dash during the Jimmy Grant Alumni Invitational at the Hawkeye Indoor Track Facility on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. The Hawkeyes hosted Western Illinois and Wisconsin, competing in events including the pentathlon, weight throwing, field events, and various running events at the indoor track.

This weekend marked one of the best in Iowa track and field history as the program broke six school records and set numerous personal best performances.

Third-year Lia Love and fourth-year Kalen Walker started the weekend at the Texas Tech-hosted Jarvis Scott Open in Lubbock, Texas, on Friday evening by setting three new school records in the 60-meter semifinals.

Love qualified for the finals and set a new Iowa best of 7.24. Minutes later, Walker came out of the blocks and bettered his school record from 6.58 to 6.52.

In the finals, Walker broke the 60-meter school record for the fourth time this season. Walker clocked in at 6.51 against tough competition.

“I have known the guys from Texas Tech for a long time,” Walker told HawkeyeSports. “It’s an area where I have grown. I have a lot more respect for my competitors because I know what it takes.”

In Fayetteville, Arkansas, mid-distance duo Alli Bookin-Nosbisch and Rivaldo Marshall made history of their own in the 800-meter race.

Bookin-Nosbisch improved her own record set last weekend by nearly a second. The fourth-year runner ran a 2:03.42 and ranks second in the Big Ten and 11th nationally.

For the men, Marshall set a new Iowa personal best of 1:46.86. He is now ranked fourth in the country and first in the Big Ten.

The last school record of the weekend was claimed by first-year Daniela Wamokpego with a triple jump of 13.24 meters. Wamokpego was also crowned champion of the event in a competitive field.

Movement on the boards

More adjustments were made to Iowa’s record books over the weekend.

On Friday, fourth-year Grant Conway ran a 7.67 60-meter hurdles personal record that now ranks third at Iowa. A few races later, second-year Holly Duax ran the fourth-best time in school history in the 60-meter sprint with a time of 7.38.

On Saturday, fourth-year Gratt Reed made history in the 200-meter sprint. Reed’s personal best of 20.82 now ranks fourth at Iowa.

In the 800-meter race, fourth-year Grace Bookin-Nosbisch ran a 2:07.21 to put her seventh at Iowa.

The same race for the men ended with two all-time record changes.

Second-year Ryan Schreiner ran his way to fifth in 800-meter school history with a time of 1:48.42. Fourth-year Nick O’Connor finished with a time of 1:48.73 and the seventh-fastest time at Iowa.

Up next

The last weekend of regular season indoor competition will be at the Iowa Open at the Hawkeye Indoor Track Facility on Friday.

About the Contributors

Mia Boulton, Sports Reporter

she/her/hers

Mia Boulton is a freshman at the University of Iowa majoring in Journalism & Mass Communication, as well as exploring a possible double major in Sports Media. She works at the Daily Iowan as a sports reporter. Outside of the Daily Iowan, Mia has been a photographer for her hometown newspaper, The Record.

Grace Smith, Senior photojournalist and filmmaker

she/her/hers

Grace Smith is a fourth-year student at the University of Iowa double majoring in Journalism and Cinematic Arts. In her four years at The Daily Iowan, she has held the roles of photo editor, managing summer editor, and visual storyteller. Outside of The Daily Iowan, Grace has held an internship at The Denver Post and pursued freelance assignments for the Cedar Rapids Gazette and the Des Moines Register.