2018 Larry Wieczorek Invitational

Olympians, Top Collegians Clash At Larry Wieczorek Invitational

Olympians, Top Collegians Clash At Larry Wieczorek Invitational

Olympians and top collegians highlight the Larry Wieczorek Invitational this weekend at the University of Iowa

Jan 18, 2018 by Johanna Gretschel
Olympians, Top Collegians Clash At Larry Wieczorek Invitational

The Larry Wieczorek Invitational this Friday and Saturday at the University of Iowa has it all: top professional athletes like Fred Kerley, Olympic champions and world record holders like Aries Merritt, and defending NCAA champions like Mikiah Brisco of LSU. 

Check out the entries here, peruse the schedule here, and read on below for top action to watch.

Watch the Larry Wieczorek Invitational LIVE on FloTrack!

Women's 60m

When: Prelims on Saturday at 4:20 PM CT; Final on Saturday at 6:20 PM CT
Who: Aleia Hobbs, Jayla Kirkland, Ka'Tia Seymour, Halle Hazzard
Why: Aleia Hobbs of LSU will attempt to wrestle back her NCAA leader from teammate Mikiah Brisco, currently the fastest collegiate this season at 7.15. Florida State's star freshmen Jayla Kirkland and Ka'Tia Seymour will make their collegiate debut, as will Virginia's Halle Hazzard.

Men's 200m

When: Friday at 7:30 PM CT
Who: Michael Cherry, Vernon Norwood, Jaron Flournoy
Why: LSU alums Michael Cherry and Vernon Norwood headline this field; both are 400m specialists making their indoor track debut. They'll have short sprinter and current Tigers junior Jaron Flournoy to push them in the one-lap indoor event; Flourney currently ranks No. 2 in the NCAA with his 20.95 season opener.

Women's 200m

When: Friday at 7:20 PM CT
Who: Aleia Hobbs, Mikiah Brisco, Kortnei Johnson
Why: The LSU trio of Mikiah Brisco, Aleia Hobbs, and Kortnei Johnson currently top the collegiate leaderboard in the 60m. Can they rewrite the TFRRS list with a head-to-head battle in the longer sprint?

Men's 400m

When: Saturday at 5:10 PM CT
Who: Fred Kerley, A.J. Bailey, Dontavious Wright, Fitzroy Dunkley, Correion Mosby
Why: Nike's Fred Kerley will make his quarter-mile debut this season in Iowa. He has raced once this season so far, a 20.68 200m runner-up finish to Marqueze Washington at the Arkansas Invitational. His indoor best is 44.85.

Women's 400m

When: Saturday at 5:00 PM CT
Who: Georganne Moline
Why: 2012 Olympian Georganne Moline hasn't raced indoors in two years, and her personal best for the indoor 400m, 52.09, dates back to 2013. She set PBs in the outdoor 400m (51.93) and 400m hurdles (53.14) in 2017, so it will be interesting to see what kind of form she brings to Iowa.

Men's 600m

When: Friday at 7:10 PM CT
Who: Erik Sowinski
Why: 28-year-old Erik Sowinski traditionally does well in indoor track. He is the defending USATF champion for 600m, former American record holder in that event, and the 2016 IAAF World Indoor bronze medalist for 800m. He'll prep to defend that medal with a 600m; his PB is 1:05.07 from last year. The American record is 1:14.91, per Casimir Loxsom. Added bonus? Sowinski is an alumnus of Iowa returning to his home track.

Women's 600m

When: Friday at 7:00 PM CT
Who: Courtney Okolo
Why: The 2016 Olympian for 400m was runner-up to Ajee Wilson in the 600m at the 2017 USATF Indoor Championships, where she clocked her PB of 1:24. This race will be a season opener for Okolo, who ran a leg on Team USA's gold-medal winning 4x400m relays at the Rio Olympics and the '16 World Indoor Championships.

Men's 60m

When: Prelims on Saturday at 4:35 PM CT; Final on Saturday at 6:15 PM CT
Who: Jarrion Lawson, C.J. Ujah
Why: C.J. Ujah, the 2017 IAAF Diamond League champion for 100m from Great Britain who now trains with ALTIS in Phoenix, will open his season with a 60m vs. long jump world silver medalist Jarrion Lawson of ASICS. Lawson ran 6.73 for third place in the 60m at the Arkansas Invitational for his season opener.

Watch C.J. Ujah train with ALTIS in our first Workout Wednesday of 2018:

Workout Wednesday: De Grasse & Ujah

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Men's 60m Hurdles

When: Prelims on Saturday at 3:25 PM CT; Final on Saturday at 5:45 PM CT
Who: Aries Merritt, Trey Cunningham, Damion Thomas
Why: The United State's premier male short hurdler, Aries Merritt, made his indoor track debut last weekend by breaking the UW Indoor Preview meet record with a mark of 7.65. The 2012 world indoor champion for 60m hurdles owns a best of 7.43 and says he feels the healthiest he has ever been. Look for him to continue shaving off seconds as the calendar closes in on USAs and world indoors.

Freshman Grant Holloway made a huge impact in his rookie year for Florida, picking up NCAA titles in the 60m hurdles and 110m hurdles. But two new freshmen in Florida State's Trey Cunningham and LSU's Damion Thomas could throw Holloway for a loop, as they join the collegiate ranks after respectively standout high school campaigns. Cunningham set the world junior record for 60m hurdles last year in 7.40 while Thomas, the 2016 Jamaican junior champion for 110m hurdles, clocked a PB of 7.64 to rank No. 10 all-time in the prep ranks. While Cunningham will be making his season debut, Thomas has already clocked 7.84, which ties for the ninth-fastest mark in the NCAA this year. Chad Zallow currently leads the NCAA with his season-best mark of 7.65.

Men's 4x400m Relay

When: Saturday at 7:20 PM CT
Who: Fitzroy Dunkley, Vernon Norwood, Michael Cherry, Erik Sowinski
Why: Dunkley, Norwood, Cherry and Sowinski will team together as Tiger Olympians to take on a slew of collegians that includes teams from LSU, Iowa State, Arizona, Florida State, Iowa and Virginia. If nothing else, we're curious what will happen here!