By Al Rabenold
University of Iowa junior Peyton Haack highlighted a great Day 2 of the 2021 Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championships on Friday, February 26, winning gold in the heptathlon with a school record 5,749 points.
He is the first Hawkeye in school history to win a Big Ten heptathlon title!
Peyton is the youngest son of Erik and Jill (Arendt) Haack of Westfield, Indiana. Jill, MHS ’86, competed in the state track meet as a Bravette.
Peyton’s father, Erik, was an elite hurdler in high school at Council Bluffs. The Haacks have two older sons, Keaton, who pitched collegiately for the University of Alabama and now works for the Kansas City Chiefs; and Weston, who is currently a medical student at the University of Iowa.
Peyton’s grandparents are former Montezuma residents, Jim, MHS ’60, and Sally Arendt, of Sunset Beach, North Carolina.
Ranked 5th nationally, Peyton will compete in the 2021 NCAA Division I Men’s & Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships this weekend, March 11-12. Hosted by the University of Arkansas, the event will be held at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas. No fans are allowed.
Haack will compete in seven events during the two-day competition; day one is the 60-meter sprint, long jump, shot put and high jump. Day two is the 60-meter hurdles, pole vault, and 1000 meter run.
Live championship coverage will be streamed on ESPN3. Additional details on times of the live ESPN3 coverage will be forthcoming. A re-air of the championship will take place starting at 8 p.m. central time Sunday, March 14 on ESPNU.