WACO, Texas – Iowa State dominantly swept the podium in the men's 1,500m taking first through third to total 24 team points in the race alone in the final day. The men end the 2024 Big 12 Championships in third with 90 points while the women finish eighth with 50, one point shy of a tie for sixth.
It is the third top-three finish in outdoor history, joining the 2019 and 2021 seasons, and first under Jeremy Sudbury's direction. This year's 90 points is the third-most in Big 12 history for the ISU men. The men total three champions and 14 individual medalists while the women had one champion and 11 medalists.
Ezekiel Rop grabbed hold of the title that eluded him after taking second in the 1,500m last year, winning with3:40.61. It is both his first Big 12 title and Iowa State's first title in the event. Peter Smith finished runner-up trimming over a second off his PR with 3:41.07, now the 10th-fastest performance in program history. Freshman Devan Kipyego clocked 3:41.42 to take third.
Rop ran behind Oklahoma State's Brian Musau for the first three laps, before overtaking the lead in the final 400 meters. Smith stood in sixth until the final lap where he showed his grit to earn his second-career Big 12 silver medal. Kipyego also built his way up the pack, running in eighth for the first 1,100 meters before passing five to finalize third. It is just the second time in Big 12 history for a team to take first through third in the event (OSU, 2014).
Due to weather delays yesterday, events with preliminary rounds scheduled for Friday were changed to timed finals. Darius Kipyego began action in the fast section of 800m timed finals running to the bronze with 1:46.69, .62 seconds behind the lead. It is the junior's third top-four Big 12 finish.
Makayla Clark then made her mark in the women's 800m, blazing to a two-second best of 2:02.48 for fourth. That time moved Clark up to second in Iowa State history and currently ranks 16th in the nation. The sophomore now totals three top-four conference placements.
In Betty Rosvold's first Big 12 Outdoor Championships, the first-year Cyclone took third in the discus with 175-6 (53.51m), adding six points to the women's total. Kevin Sakson joined in scoring as he secured his fourth Big 12 medal in the discus placing sixth. Sakson hit a best mark of 189-3 (57.70m) on his fifth throw.
Bella Heikes downed her 1,500m PR for the fourth time this season, turning in 4:17.56 to score a point with eighth place. Heikes' time set in prelims (4:19.44) ranked sixth in ISU history as she now improves to No. 4 on ISU's elite performance list.
The men's 5,000m provided big points as the duo of Sanele Masondo and Said Mechaal combined for 12 points, after going one-two in the 10,000m Thursday. Masondo finished runner-up in 13:37.20 while Mechaal went 13:44.62 for fifth.
The meet then hit a lightning delay for the third day in a row as the women's 5,000m and 4x400m relay remained. Out of the delay, Maelle Porcher and Dana Feyen combined for five points. Porcher clocked 16:24.07 for fifth and Feyen 16:50.03 for eighth. Riley Beach, running her first 5k in two years, finished just outside scoring in ninth with 16:54.97.
The Championships came to a close with the 4x400m relay, with the women clocking 3:36.68 for sixth, anchored by a 51.70 split by Joseph. The time by Brooklyn Sandvig, Clark, Cameron Moon and Joseph produced the fourth-fastest program performance. The men's squad of Gus Langford, Alec Carr, Darius Kipyego and Calvin Curcija finished with a time of 3:09.94.
The men's 4x100m relay squad of Latham, Gus Langford, Calvin Curcija and Mikey McClain secured a point with a time of 40.88 to kick of running events.
Iowa State now turns its focus to NCAA West Prelims slated for May 22-25.
Team Standings
Men (21 of 21 events scored)
1. Texas – 134; 2. Texas Tech – 115; 3. Iowa State – 90; 4. BYU – 83; 5. Houston – 77.5; 6. Kansas – 65.5; 7. Baylor – 63; 8. Oklahoma State – 56; 9. Oklahoma – 52; 10. Kansas State – 35; 11. Cincinnati – 24; 11. TCU - 24
Women (21 of 21 events scored)
1. Texas – 150; 2. BYU – 98; 3. Texas Tech – 96.5; 4. Oklahoma State – 75.5; 5. TCU – 64; 6. Baylor – 51; 6. Oklahoma – 51; 8. Iowa State – 50; 9. Houston – 45; 10. Kansas – 40; 11. Kansas State – 37; 12. UCF – 31; 13. Cincinnati – 22; 14. West Virginia - 8
Iowa State Results
Women
Discus: 1. Zoe Burleson, Texas Tech – 189-1 (57.65m); 3. Betty Rosvold, Iowa State – 175-6 (53.51m)
High Jump: 1. Temitope Adeshina, Texas Tech – 6-2 3/4 (1.90m); 14. Kailynn Gubbels, Iowa State – 5-5 3/4 (1.67m)
1,500m Final: 1. Juliet Cerubet, Texas Tech – 4:09.33; 8. Bella Heikes, Iowa State – 4:17.56 (PR, No. 4 ISU)
100m Hurdles Timed Finals: 1. Rayniah Jones, UCF – 12.78; 12. Kiersten Fisher, Iowa State – 14.13
400m Timed Finals: 1. Ziyah Holman, Texas – 50.99; 3. Rachel Joseph, Iowa State – 51.60 (PR, No. 1 ISU)
800m Timed Finals: 1. Gabija Galvydyte, Oklahoma State – 2:00.42; 4. Makayla Clark, Iowa State – 2:02.48 (PR, No. 2 ISU); 23. Camryn Hubbard, Iowa State – 2:11.07; 26. Kaia Holtkamp, Iowa State – 2:12.78 (PR)
5,000m: 1. Molly Born, Oklahoma State – 16:13.77; 5. Maelle Porcher, Iowa State – 16:24.07; 8. Dana Feyen, Iowa State – 16:50.03; 9. Riley Beach, Iowa State – 16:54.97 (PR); 12. Brenna Cohoon, Iowa State – 17:06.13; 18. Taylor Briggs, Iowa State – 17:26.83; 26. Aspen Fulbright, Iowa State – 17:53.39
4x400m: 1. Houston – 3:29.18; 6. Iowa State (Sandvig, Clark, Moon, Joseph) – 3:36.68 (No. 4 ISU)
Men
High Jump: 1. Devan Loudermilk, Kansas – 7-4 1/4 (2.24m); 15. Braden Goellner, Iowa State – 6-8 3/4 (2.05m)
Discus: 1. Dimitrios Pavlidis, Kansas – 201-10 (61.52m); 6. Kevin Sakson, Iowa State – 189-3 (57.70m)
1,500m Final: 1. Ezekiel Rop, Iowa State – 3:40.61; 2. Peter Smith, Iowa State – 3:41.07 (PR, No. 10 ISU); 3. Devan Kipyego, Iowa State – 3:41.42
110m Hurdles Timed Finals: 1. De'Vion Wilson, Houston – 13.35; 10. Jack Latham, Iowa State – 13.94 (PR, No. 6 ISU); 16. Grayson Hartman, Iowa State – 14.43 (PR)
400m Timed Finals: 1. Demar Francis, Baylor – 45.44; 21. Calvin Curcija, Iowa State – 47.58
800m Timed Finals: 1. Yusuf Bizimana, Texas – 1:46.07; 3. Darius Kipyego, Iowa State – 1:46.69; 20. Finley Mclear, Iowa State – 1:50.93; 21. James Olivier, Iowa State – 1:51.45
5,000m: 1. Alex Maier, Oklahoma State – 13:36.19; 2. Sanele Masondo, Iowa State – 13:37.20; 5. Said Mechaal, Iowa State – 13:44.62; 13. Rodgers Rotich, Iowa State – 14:05.56; 20. Silas Winders, Iowa State – 14:25.40; 23. Ryan Watts, Iowa State – 14:28.39
4x100m: 1. Houston – 38.44; 8. Iowa State – (Latham, Langford, Curcija, McClain) – 40.88
4x400m: 1. Texas Tech – 3:03.09; 11. Iowa State (Langford, Carr, Darius Kipyego, Calvin Curcija) – 3:09.94
