T&F Notebook: Hawkeyes Set for NCAA Championships

THIS WEEKUniversity of Iowa track and field wraps up postseason competition at the NCAA Outdoor Championships at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas, on June 7-10.

FOLLOW ALONGThe 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships will air on the ESPN family of networks, beginning on Wednesday, June 7, at 7:30 p.m. (CT) on ESPNU. Coverage resumes on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2. The final two days of competition will be aired each day at 9 p.m. on ESPN2. Fans can follow the meet on the live results link on the track and field schedule page at hawkeyesports.com. Results will also be posted on the team's official twitter account @IowaXC_TF.

NCAA QUALIFIERSThe Hawkeyes will send 14 entries to the NCAA Championships in Austin. On the men's side, Iowa is led by junior decathlete Austin West, who qualified for the decathlon with his 8,038 points — good for fifth in the NCAA. West earned another spot at the national meet, helping the 4×400 relay team (West, Chadrick Richards, Spencer Gudgel, Julien Gillum) qualify in 3:04.94. Junior Austin Kresley will join West in Austin, competing in two events. Kresley qualified with a 20.35 200-meter time, while also leading the 4×100-relay team (Kalen Walker, Kresley, Gratt Reed, Deandre Stapleton Jr.) to the national meet in 39.19. Gratt Reed makes another appearance at nationals, earning a spot in the relay and the 110 hurdles (13.69). Senior Julien Gillum returns to the national stage, qualifying for the 400 hurdles in 50.40. Fellow senior James Carter Jr. will cap his career with his third-straight NCAA appearance, booking his spot with a 15.75 meter (51’ 8.25") triple jump.

The women will send seven entries to Austin and are led by Paige Magee, who qualified in the 100 hurdles (12.93) and the 400 hurdles (56.62). Myreanna Bebe (12.99) will join Magee in the 100 hurdles, while Mariel Bruxvoort will toe the line with Magee in the 400 hurdles (57.04). Bruxvoort also joins the 4×400 relay team including Ali Dorn, Audrey Biermann and Tesa Roberts that qualified in 3:33.16. Tionna Tobias represents the Hawkeyes in the heptathlon after poting 5,640 points to qualify.

Julien Gillum – Sr. (Biloxi, Miss.)400 hurdles – Wednesday (semifinal) | Friday (finals)4×400 relay – Wednesday (semifinal) | Friday (finals)Gillum's hurdle season was highlighted with a personal best 49.73 in the 400 hurdles at the Desert Heat Classic, helping him earn Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week. At the end of the season, Gillum anchored the 4×400 Big Ten Championship squad that finished in 3:06.30, while earning second place in the 400 hurdles (50.46). He doubled up in qualifications at the NCAA West Prelimiaries, anchoring the 11th place Hawkeyes in 3:04.94. Gillum followed up with a 50.40 in the 400 hurdles.

Austin Kresley – Jr. (Oakley, Calif.)4×100 relay – Wednesday (semifinal) | Friday (finals)200 meters – Wednesday (semifinal) | Friday (finals)Kresley is one of four Hawkeye men that are appearing in two championship events. The sprinter broke the 200-meter school record twice, most recently on his way to the Big Ten title (20.26). He qualified with a 20.35 at the NCAA West Preliminaries. Kresley has been running the second leg of the record-setting relay team, placing second at the Big Ten Championships (39.41). Kresley is part of the quartet that finished in 39.19, marking the 10th consecutive 4×100 relay team to qualify for nationals.

Gratt Reed – Jr. (Atlantic, Iowa)4×100 relay – Wednesday (semifinal) | Friday (finals)110 hurdles – Wednesday (semifinal) | Friday (finals)Reed holds a season best 13.50 in the 110 hurdles from the Texas Relays and qualified at the NCAA West Preliminaries with a 13.69 and ninth overall finish. Reed also ran the third leg of the relay that qualified with the fifth-fastest time in Iowa history.

Austin West – Jr. (Iowa City, Iowa)Decathlon – Wednesday & Thursday4×400 relay – Wednesday (semifinal) | Friday (finals)West anchored the Big Ten Championship relay (39.41), but was the lead leg runner in the quartet at the NCAA West Preliminaries. He enters competition as the fifth seed in the decathlon, qualifying his second-consecutive NCAA Decathlon with 8,038 points at Mt. SAC.

Spencer Gudgel – Jr. (Carmel, Ind.)4×400 relay – Wednesday (semifinal) | Friday (finals)Gudgel ran the third leg of the Big Ten's best 4×400 relay (3:06.30), while solidifying his role for the preliminary round that qualified in 3:04.94.

Chadrick Richards – So. (Longwood, Fla.)4×400 relay – Wednesday (semifinal) | Friday (finals)Richards ran the second leg of the qualifying relay team after beginning the season at the Florida Relays in the third position.

DeAndre Stapleton Jr. – Sr. (Mansfield, Texas)4×100 relay – Wednesday (semifinal) | Friday (finals)Stapleton Jr. ran the third leg of the relay that ranks fifth in Iowa history, following the 39.19 finish at the NCAA West Preliminary.

Kalen Walker – Jr. (Eddyville, Iowa)4×100 relay – Wednesday (semifinal) | Friday (finals)Initially, Walker ran the lead league of the relay's record-breaking performance at the Texas Relays (38.70). Walker continued as the lead leg at the Big Ten Championships, before shifting to the second leg in Sacramento.

James Carter Jr. – Sr. (Oak Creek, Wis.)Triple Jump – Friday (finals)Carter Jr. is appearing in his third straight NCAA Championships, qualifying for the triple jump following his 15.75 meter (51’ 8.25") jump. That mark was good for seventh at the NCAA West Preliminaries, while Carter Jr. finished second at the Big Ten Championships with a 15.95 meter (52’ 4") jump.

Mariel Bruxvoort – Sr. (Grand Rapids, Mich.)400 hurdles – Thursday (semifinals) | Saturday (finals)4×400 relay – Thursday (semifinals) | Saturday (finals)Bruxvoort ranks fourth all-time at Iowa in the 400 hurdles with a 56.71 performance at the Tom Jones Memorial Invite. She used a 57.04 at the NCAA West Prelimiaries in Sacramento to qualify for Austin. Bruxvoort has anchored the 4×400 relay team this season, and helped clinch a spot at the national meet with a 3:33.16 finish — good for third all-time at Iowa.

Paige Magee – Jr. (Columbia, Mo.)100 hurdles – Thursday (semifinals) | Saturday (finals)400 hurdles – Thursday (semifinals) | Saturday (finals)Magee broke her own school record at the Big Ten Championships, finishing second with a time of 12.90. She was the Big Ten runner-up in the 400 hurdles with a time of 56.97. At the NCAA West Preliminaries, Magee used a 12.93 finish to qualify for the 100 hurdles. She followed up with a 56.62 personal best to qualify in the 400 hurdles, climbing to second in the Hawkeye record books.

Myreanna Bebe – Jr. (Orlando, Fla.)100 hurdles – Thursday (semifinals) | Saturday (finals)Bebe placed third at the Big Ten Championships, crossing the line in 12.94. Her mark ranks second all-time at Iowa. Bebe will join fellow hurdler Paige Magee at the national meet.

Audrey Biermann – Fr. (Peosta, Iowa)4×400 relay – Thursday (semifinals) | Saturday (finals)Biermann began the outdoor season running the third leg of the 4×400 relay, helping the group win at the Desert Heat Classic (3:35.10), finish third at the Michael Johnson Invite (3:35.53) and fourth at the Florida Relays (3:35.17). Biermann moved to the second leg of the relay for the Big Ten Championships, where the quartet finished fourth in 3:35.60.

Ali Dorn – Jr. (Madison, Wis.)4×400 relay – Thursday (semifinals) | Saturday (finals)Dorn has been the lead leg of the relay throughout the outdoor season. At the NCAA West Preliminaries in Sacramento, Dorn led off again and helped the group qualify in 3:33.16.

Tesa Roberts – Jr. (Chicago, Ill.)4×400 relay – Thursday (semifinals) | Saturday (finals)Roberts got early work with the 4×400 relay team at the Florida Relays, running the second leg that finished fourth in 3:35.17. She anchored the group at the Big Ten Championships and finished fourth in 3:35.60. At the NCAA West Preliminaries, Roberts ran the third leg of the relay.

Amanda Howe – Sr. (Southington, Conn.)Hammer Throw – Thursday (finals)Howe finished in 12th place at the NCAA West Preliminary, tossing 62.56 meters (205’ 3") in the hammer throw. She was a bronze medalist at the Big Ten Championships and finished second at the Drake Relays with a season-best 63.71 meters (209’).

Tionna Tobias – Jr. (Sicklerville, N.J.)Heptathlon – Friday & SaturdayTobias claimed the Big Ten title in the heptathlon with 5,640 points — good for second all-time at Iowa. On her way to the championship, Tobias used first place finishes and collegiate bests in the 100-meter hurdles (13.20) and 200 meters (23.97). She finished second in the high jump with a personal record 1.71 meter (5’ 7.25") mark, while earning another career best in the 800-meters (2:19.61).