Former Hawkeye qualifies for track and field world championships

EUGENE, Ore. – Former University of Iowa track star Erik Sowinski will represent the U.S. at the IIAF World Championships in August.

Sowinski finished second in the 800 meter run at the USA Track and Field Championships on Sunday in a time of 1:44.8 to qualify for the American team.

Sowinski still works at Running Wild and is trained by Iowa head coach Joey Woody, who believes the trackster's best days are still ahead of him.

'We had high expectations going into the meet. We felt like he could definitely make the team and have a chance at winning the whole thing,' Woody said.

The Waukesha, Wis. native was a four-time All-American in indoor and outdoor track with the Hawkeyes, taking second at the NCAA outdoor championships his senior year in a school-record time of 1:45.90.

'He's improved 10 seconds since high school, which I would have never guessed that when I recruited him,' Woody added. 'But he had a lot of intangibles that we were looking for. He's just a real hard-working guy, real disciplined and just takes his craft to a whole new level now that he's graduated from college.

'I think he's got a bright future ahead of him. I think he still has a lot of room to improve and I'm really excited for the rest of the summer.'