Joey Woody, Difference Maker who makes Iowa Track & Field Record Breakers

 Joey Woody, Difference Maker makes Iowa Track & Field Record Breakers

Joey Woody is a difference maker. Woody, the University of Iowa assistant track coach has been named USTFCCCA Midwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year. The announcement was made Monday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Coach Woody originally joined Iowa's staff in 2007 following a decorated career that included a 1999 World Championships gold medal and a 1999 World Championships silver medal. He was a four-time All-American at Northern Iowa, where he won the 1997 NCAA title in the 400-meter hurdles. He was an assistant coach for the Panthers from 1997-2002.

Woody coaches sprints, hurdles and relays and in his fifth season at Iowa Woody has helped his athletes become record breakers as the Hawkeyes have broken six school records this season.

This year he helped the 23rd ranked University of Iowa men's track and field team win three titles at the 2011 Indoor Big Ten Championships and capture fourth place, its highest finish since 1997.

The Hawkeyes racked up 88 team points and crowned champions in the 200 meters, triple jump and 1,600-meter relay.

Justin Austin 

Sophomore Justin Austin was the first Hawkeye to reach the top of the podium at the Big Tens. Austin placed first in the 200 meters with an NCAA automatically qualifying time of 21.23. The Milwaukee, Wisconsin native previously qualified for the national championships with a school record setting time of 20.83. In addition to his finish in the 200, Austin placed fourth in the 60 meter dash with a time of 6.73. Austin set the school record in the event Saturday when he ran 6.69 in the prelims.

Troy Doris, a junior from Bolingbrook, Ill., leapt to a championship title in the triple jump. Doris' jump reached 52-6 (16.00m). The Iowa newcomer automatically qualified for the national championships in the event when he set the school record at 54-0 (16.46m) at the Razorback Invitational.

Troy Doris 

The 1,600-meter relay team also earned conference gold. Sophomore Patrick Richards was the first Hawkeye to run the quarter mile distance and set the pace before he handed off to freshman Ethan Holmes. Junior Erik Sowinski took the baton for the third leg and senior Steven Willey gutted it out as the anchor and stretched across the line at 3:12.13, just .4 seconds faster than the second place Ohio State team.

Sowinski placed second in the 800 meter run, finishing in 1:50.34. Sophomore Jordan Mullen finished the 60 meter hurdles in 7.83 to earn the silver, while Willey got the bronze in the 400 meters after running the event in 47.39 seconds. Sophomore Jeff Thode placed third in the one mile run with a school record breaking performance. Thode's time of 4:02.00 beats the previous record of 4:03.07 that he set at the NCAA Qualifier last season.

All of this would definitely make Head Coach Larry Wieczorak and Coach Woody happy but it's not all.

The Big Ten Conference announced Sunday that seven University of Iowa track and field student-athletes have earned first team all-conference honors. Six members of the team were named to the all-conference second team. The Hawkeye men were represented on the All-Big Ten first team by senior Steven Willey, juniors Erik Sowinski and Troy Doris and sophomores Patrick Richards, Ethan Holmes and Justin Austin. Iowa student-athletes named second team all-conference included Jordan Mullen (So.) Mullen ran the 60 meter hurdles in 7.83 seconds to earn a runner-up finish.

A select number of Hawkeyes will compete at the 2011 Indoor NCAA Championships at Texas A&M in College Station, Texas. The Championships are set for this coming Friday and Saturday, March 11-12.