ISU Announces Returnees for 2021 Outdoor Season

AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State track and field program will be welcoming back many senior student-athletes for the 2021 outdoor season through the NCAA's waiver program due to the worldwide outbreak of COVID-19.

The below list will be continue to be updated as student-athletes make their decisions to return.

Addison DeHaven – Distance
DeHaven competed for the Cyclones in cross country in 2019, earning All-Big 12 honors with a sixth place finish at the conference championships. During his time at Boise State, DeHaven was a two-time All-American and qualified for the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships West Preliminaries in the 5,000-meter (personal best 13:58.48) and 10,000-meter (29:02.28) runs.

Eric Fogltanz – Sprints/Hurdles
A five-time All-American, Fogltanz will return to ISU looking for his third career trip to the NCAA Outdoor Championships, having qualified in 2018 and 2019 as part of the 4x400-meter relay and individually in the 400-meter hurdles. In 2020, Fogltanz claimed a bronze medal in the 400-meter dash at the USATF Indoor Track & Field Championships with a personal best 46.40.

Scott Fuchs – Throws
An All-American at Division III Beloit College, Fuchs will get his opportunity to compete for the Cardinal and Gold in 2021. In 2019, Fuchs became the third All-American in Beloit's track and field history, finishing seventh at the Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a personal best 198-2 (60.41m) throw.

Edwin Kurgat – Distance
Iowa State's Gary Thompson Male Athlete of the Year the past two years, Kurgat will return in 2021 looking to add one final chapter to his decorated collegiate career. The 2019 NCAA Cross Country champion and six-time All-American helped lead ISU to its first team track and field title in the Big 12 era this indoor season by winning the 3,000 and 5,000 meter runs and picking up a bronze medal in the mile. Kurgat set ISU's school record indoors in the mile, 3,000m and 5,000m and anchoring the distance medley relay team.

Festus Lagat – Middle Distance
A two-time First Team All-American, Lagat will get his chance to improve on his school-record 1:45.05 in the 800-meter run, which he used to finish third at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Lagat qualified for the 2020 NCAA Indoor Championships in the 800m and as lead-off for the Cyclones' school record distance medley relay team. Lagat led off for ISU's school record DMR at the Indiana Relays and posted Iowa State's school record in the 1,000m.

Daniel Nixon – Middle Distance
Nixon qualified for his first career NCAA Championships this winter, notching a season-best 1:48.58 in the 800-meter run. He claimed his first conference title running the third leg of ISU's distance medley relay and took silver to teammate Roshon Roomes in the 800-meter run. In 2019, Nixon qualified for the USATF Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 800.

Vlad Pavlenko – Throws
The two-time All-American thrower will return to the Cyclones in 2021. Pavlenko, who earned Honorable Mention All-America honors and the Big 12 silver medal in the hammer throw outdoors in 2019, exhausted his indoor eligibility in 2020, but did post a career-best 72-4 1/4 in the weight throw. He is ISU's school record holder in the hammer throw at 217-10 (66.41m).

Leonel Perez – Middle Distance
Perez had a strong debut season for Iowa State in 2020 and will get his chance to run outdoors for the Cardinal and Gold. Perez led off for Iowa State's conference championship-winning distance medley relay squad and also finished seventh in the 1,000m run. At the Iowa State Classic in February, Perez recorded his personal best at 800m in 1:51.93.

Bailey Righi – Throws
Righi had her best season throwing the javelin for the Cyclones in 2019, notching a personal best 141-11 (43.25m) to finish fifth at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships. Righi is one of ISU's most active student-athletes out-of-competition, being heavily involved with Iowa State's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and being a co-captain for the 2019-20 Farm Strong Team.

Bailey Righi Quote

Roshon Roomes – Middle Distance
A four-time All-American and three-time Big 12 champion, Roomes will get his opportunity to return to Iowa State in 2021 to wrap up his decorated career. A 2020 NCAA Indoor Championships qualifier at 800m and in the DMR, Roomes claimed Big 12 Indoor titles in the 600-yard run and 800m run to help guide the Cyclones to the team title. Roomes ran the 800m leg for Iowa State's school record DMR team at the Indiana Relays.

David Too – Distance
One of Iowa State's most versatile runners, Too will get the chance to show off his abilities in 2021. An All-Big 12 and All-Midwest Region performer in cross country, Too claimed the 2019 Big 12 Outdoor Championships High Point Award after finishing in the top-four in the 5,000m, 10,000m and 3,000m steeplechase. He was just the second men's student-athlete in Big 12 history to score in all three events at the conference championships.

Mason Weh – Sprints/Hurdles
Weh adds to Iowa State's depth in the hurdles, having claimed the silver medal at the 110-meter hurdles at the 2019 conference championships along with scoring in the 400-meter hurdles. Weh got his second-straight bronze medal in the 60-meter hurdles at the 2020 Big 12 Indoor Championships to help ISU get the team title.

Mason Weh