Tuesday's Clicks: Lawrence, Tausaga Receive Big Ten Honors

Iowa sophomore named men's indoor track athlete of the year.

Author:
John Bohnenkamp
Publish date:
May 12, 2020 3:28 PM EDT

Iowa added two more Big Ten athlete of the year honors on Tuesday

Sophomore Wayne Lawrence was named the conference's men's indoor track athlete of the year, while senior Laulauga Tausaga was named the women's field athlete of the year.

Both are the first in their respective program's history to win the honor.

Tausaga was named to the 2020 Bowerman preseason watch list, the first Hawkeye to achieve this honor. After winning the gold medal at the Big Ten indoor championships in the weight throw, Tausaga was named the conference's top field athlete for the meet. She also was named the USTFCCCA Indoor Midwest Regional female field athlete of the year for the second consecutive season.

She was named the conference's women's field event athlete of the week twice during the indoor season. Tausaga broke her own school record in the shot put (17.96 m) at the Meyo Invite on Feb. 7. She contributed a total of 18 points at the Big Ten Indoor Championships placing first in the weight throw and second in the shot put.

Lawrence had three gold medals at the Big Ten Indoor Championships, leading Iowa to a second-place finish in the team standings, its highest placing since 1963. Lawrence was honored as the meet's top track athlete.

Lawrence set school records in 400 meters (45.56 second) and 600 meters (1:16.55) this season. His 400-meter time at the Big Ten championships was a facility record. His 200-meter time ranks third and the 1,600-meter relay time ranks second all-time at Iowa.

Lawrence and Tausaga qualified for the NCAA indoor championships, but they were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Lawrence and Tausaga join Luka Garza (men's basketball), Kathleen Doyle (women's basketball) and Spencer Lee (wrestling) as conference athletes of the year this season.

More clues

No one within college football can answer when the 2020 season is going to begin, and what it's going to look like.

But there might be some clues in the approaches of other seasons.

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer wrote on Monday about how the NFL is looking at training camp options in states where it is less restrictive to have large gatherings during the current coronavirus pandemic, and how the league may push its start date back.

Breer wrote:

"Also, pretty much every NFL person I’ve talked to on this subject has mentioned a desire to keep the pro football season synced up with college football, since so many important offseason events at the pro level are tied directly to the college level. To that end, one thing that NFL teams have heard is the college season could start Oct. 1, with each school’s non-conference schedule eliminated (one hang-up is the money the mid-majors would lose in this happening). If that happens, it at least cracks the door a little further for the NFL to consider moving its start date back too."