By Hawkeyesports.com

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – University of Iowa track and field junior Peyton Haack finished fifth in the heptathlon on Saturday, earning first team all-America honors at the 2023 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.

“To come back after a day one that wasn’t really where I envisioned it, was exciting,” Haack said.

Haack entered day two of the heptathlon in 15th place through four events, but jumped to fifth with the leading mark (5.26 meters; 17’ 3”) and the Iowa program. The Westfield, Indiana, native held onto the fifth-highest score in the event (6,048 points) through the final event — good for his second school record of the day.

“This has been a long time coming,” Haack said of his pole vault performance. “I have been eyeing that one since freshman year. I jumped five meters as a freshman and then went through a slump, but I’ve been on a good progression this season.”

Fellow junior heptathlete, Austin West, finished ninth with 5,965 points and the second highest score all-time at Iowa to earn second team all-America honors.

“Austin competed extremely well today,” Iowa Director of Track and Field Joey Woody said. “He had a great weekend and a PR that is going set him up really well for outdoor season. He’s a great competitor and it showed in the 1,000 meters. He went for it and just came up a little bit short.”

In the men’s triple jump, senior James Carter, Jr. earned his second second team all-America honor of the weekend with a 16th-place finish and a jump of 15.55 meters (51’ 0.25”).

“To make the NCAA Championships in both the long jump and triple jump is really tough,” Woody said. “I’m proud of what he put into this season.”

The Hawkeyes move straight into the outdoor season as they head to Miami for the Hurricane Invitational on March 17-18.