Mincy leads Hawkeyes’ 400-meter relay

When Tevin-Cee Mincy first met O'Shea Wilson this year, he wasn't so sure his new teammate would be able to run at a Division I level.

It was one of the first days of track practice at the University of Iowa in the fall and, as a freshman, Wilson began talking to the upperclassmen.

'He wanted to make the impression he was funny,” Mincy said. 'He started talking about butterflies and cockroaches ... I thought he was insane. I thought no way he was fast. He might be able to jump high, but he definitely can't run fast.”

Now, Mincy and Wilson are crucial legs of Iowa's 400 relay that's heading to Eugene, Ore., this weekend to compete at the NCAA outdoor track and field championships. The quartet of Mincy, Wilson, James Harrington, and Keith Brown - the reigning Big Ten champions - ran 39.55 in Fayetteville, Ark., last week, which was good enough to earn the Hawkeyes a bid to Eugene.

Mincy, the lone senior in the group, was on Iowa's 400 team last year that holds the school record of 39.31. O'Shea, a freshman from Texas, and Harrington, a transfer from Alabama, weren't even a part of the program last year, and now they look to Mincy for guidance on how to navigate the NCAA championships, which begin today.

'I feel like I am a more part of it,” the Altoona native said of this year's relay team. 'Last year, Ethan (Holmes) and Josh (Larney) would pick up slack for me. Now I'm a senior captain. Now it's up to me to pick up slack for younger guys. I think I have reacted to pressure on me. Before, it wasn't much on me, now I have become a better runner and shown I am a leader. I like how people look up to me, that enables me to run as fast as I can.”

The group is trying to 'go 38,” as Mincy calls it - running for a time in the 38-second range. He thinks it's possible and so do his teammates, given the conditions of their qualifying time last week.

'I think its impressive we ran 39.55,” Brown said. 'O'Shea ran three events, long jump, 100, and 200. I wasn't feeling too well, and we still accomplished the goal. We can go faster than 39.55 if we put it all together in one race.”

And to Mincy, putting it all together, is the key to becoming an all-American this weekend.

'We have the potential to go 38 this year,” Mincy said. 'We just have to put it together, we have team chemistry, it keeps us running smoothly.”

l Comments: ben.ross@thegazettecompany.com