Iowa men win B1G track title, women take third

For the fourth time in school history and the first since 2011, the Iowa men’s track and field team are Big Ten Champions.

The Hawkeyes scored 116 team points to hold off second place Indiana (103) and third place Purdue (96). Iowa also finished well on the women’s side, taking third for the second consecutive season as they scored 93 points. Indiana was just ahead at 95 team points with Ohio State (126) taking the championship. (FULL RESULTS)

“The guys did what we came here to do, what we’ve been planning all year,” Iowa Director of Track and Field Joey Woody said in a release. “They’ve had a vision, a mindset, a drive, a heart, and it has been all about fighting and loving each other and doing it for the team and doing it for each other. They all came through, it was awesome.

”Both of our teams did really well. The women got third, almost second, and had a great battle. I’m very proud of both teams.”

Iowa took individual championships in the men’s 400 meters (Mar’yea Harris, 45.67), men’s 400-meter hurdles (Chris Douglas, 50.32), women’s discus (Laulauga Tausaga, 197-9) and then in the men’s 4x400 relay (3:07.36).

That group anchored both teams, but the depth the Iowa track and field squads have showcased throughout the season was critical in the strong finishes. Second place finishers on the women’s side Jenny Kimbro - 100 hurdles (13.38) & heptathlon (5,501 points); Briana Guillory - 200 meters (23.31) & 400 meters (52.66) and Karayme Bartley - 400 meters (45.80).

On the men’s side Jaylan McConico (110 hurdles, 13.78) was the lone second-place finisher, though the Hawkeyes did have a number of other points scorers.

Up next for Iowa will be the NCAA West Regional, which will be held in Sacramento, California, on May 23-25. The NCAA will release regional qualifiers on Thursday, with many on the Hawkeye track and field squad already well amongst the competitors.

This is a great way to finish out Iowa’s athletic season and another win for a growing track program. Joey Woody has done a tremendous job building both of these squads and it’s great to see all that pay off with some fantastic Big Ten finishes.

Iowa has the potential to be a perennial track and field contender and man has it been fun to see how far they’ve come in just a few short years.