Last week marked the end of the 2023-24 sports season for the Hawkeyes, wrapping up another strong year for Iowa sports. Hawkeye Olympic sports featured national champions, All-Americans, school records, and conference titles.
It's been a privilege to cover these athletes all year, and I truly appreciate everyone following along with us.
Let's jump right in.
Track and Field
Iowa sent five athletes to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships last week in Oregon.
The Hawks' first competitor was Mike Stein in the javelin. In his first NCAA Championships, Stein notched a 72.81m throw, earning him a 7th place finish and first-team All-American honors.
Stein won the Big Ten title in the Javelin with a massive 81.19m throw and while he wasn't able to quite reach that mark at the national meet, he still put together a very good performance to earn All-American honors and points for the Hawks.
Rivaldo Marshall was next up for the Hawks, competing in the 800m race. Marshall, the reigning indoor national champion in the event, finished 14th in 1:48.36, earning 2nd-team All-American honors.
Stein and Marshall will both turn their sights towards Olympic qualifying after the meet, Stein for the United States and Marshall for Jamaica.
Austin West also competed on day 1 of the meet, participating in the men's decathlon. West was sitting in 3rd place after five events before having to medically withdraw from the event. West finishes his career as a six-time All-American, Big Ten Champion, and school record holder in the decathlon. It was a deeply disappointing end to one of the most decorated careers in Hawkeye history, but West is hopeful he'll be ready for the United Sttes Olympic Trials in a few weeks.
Paige Magee saved her best performance for last in her 100m hurdle race on Thursday night, setting an Iowa school record at 12.88. The senior earned 2nd-team All-American honors with her 13th-place finish and finishes her career as a two-time All-American. She missed qualifying for the finals by less than a tenth of a second.
Magee has been a team leader and a constant presence in the team record books throughout her career with the Hawkeyes. She'll compete at the Olympic Trials for the United States in the coming weeks and will be back with the Hawkeyes for one final indoor season next winter.
The Hawkeyes' final championship competitor was Jordan Johnson, who competed in discus on Friday night. Johnson finished 16th, throwing 56.74m and earning 2nd-team All-American honors. Johnson, a two-time All-American, battled back from an early season injury to finish his career with a championship qualification and All-American honor.
The NCAA Outdoor Championships mark the end of a another successful season for the Hawkeyes. The Hawks set multiple school records, claimed four Big Ten outdoor championships, and also had an Indoor national champion. With Iowa's consistent success and steady influx of talented recruits, it's likely that the team will continue to be a force in the Big Ten next year.
Gymnastics
Iowa Gymnastics received a pair of notable updates last week, with the hiring of Jen Llewellyn as head coach and incoming freshman Aurelie Tran's qualification for the Canadian Olympic team.
Llewellyn comes to the Hawkeyes from Washington, where she led the Huskies to second-round regional berths each of the past three seasons. In 2023, Llewellyn and the Huskies reached the Sweet Sixteen. She previously coached at Lindenwood, leading the team to six straight conference titles and three USAG championships. She was named USA Gymnastics Coach of the Year in 2015 and 2016. As an NCAA athlete, she was a three-time All-American and national runner-up on bars.
Considering that the departure of former head coach Larissa Libby was unplanned, it's hard to see Llewellyn's hiring as anything other than a significant success. The Huskies have been a successful program in a major conference and Llewellyn has succeeded everywhere she's coached.
Speaking of reasons for optimism, incoming freshman Aurelie Tran also qualified for the Olympics as part of Team Canada last week. Tran placed second in the all-around, bars, beam, and floor events at the Canadian Gymnastics Championships. Tran becomes the first Hawkeye gymnast to earn an Olympic bid since Houry Gebeshian qualified with the Armenian national team in 2016.
Tran was joined by fellow class of 2024 Iowa recruits Sydney Turner and Cassie Lee at the Canadian Championships. Lee finished 5th on beam and Turner finished 4th on beam and 5th in the all-around. Each has a chance to earn one of the final spots on the Olympic team, which will be officially announced later this June.
Baseball
Hawkeye baseball received some postseason recognition on Tuesday when Brody Brecht and Raider Tello were named to the ABCA All-Region team. Brecht was awarded first-team honors, while Tello received second-team honors.
Brecht put together one of the best seasons on the mound in Hawkeye history, setting a school record for strikeouts in a season with his blazing fastball and knee-buckling slider. He is widely predicted to be a first-round pick in this summer's MLB Draft.
Tello, in his second year with the Hawkeyes after transferring in, became a staple in the heart of the Hawkeye lineup. He hit .357 this season with seven home runs and 60 RBIs. He has also evolved into an emotional leader for the Hawkeyes and will be a key cog in next season's lineup.
