UNI cross country/track & field: Woody, Knodle to be celebrated with jersey retirement ceremonies

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- Two of the UNI cross country/track & field program's most recognized athletes with be celebrated on Saturday afternoon as Joey Woody and Paige (Knodle) Bohannon are recognized with jersey retirement ceremonies at UNI's first-ever All-Sports Reunion as part of homecoming festivities.

The ceremony will begin at 1 p.m. CT at Eldon Miller Plaza, located on the east side of the Hall of Fame Connector between the McLeod Center and UNI-Dome.

UNI will also retire the jerseys for athletes from six discontinued sport programs, including Duane Josephson (baseball), Penny Wilson (women's gymnastics), Jesus Vazquez (men's gymnastics), Diane Braun (women's field hockey), Jacob Stall (men's swimming & diving) and Randy Krejci (men's tennis).

The reunion and jersey retirement ceremonies will serve as part of the conclusion to the university's sesquicentennial celebration.

"Joey and Paige represent the very best of UNI track & field and cross country," said UNI Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Dave Paulsen. "Their accomplishments, competitive excellence and impact on our program have left a lasting legacy. Retiring their jerseys is a fitting honor for two of the greatest Panthers to ever wear the purple and gold!"

Launched earlier this year, UNI's jersey retirement program has already retired jerseys for Panther legends Bill Smith (wrestling), AJ Green (men's basketball), Jacqui Kalin (women's basketball), Patty Stockman (softball), Kurt Warner (football) and Molly Lembezeder (women's swimming & diving).

JOEY WOODY (Men's Cross Country/Track & Field)
Arguably the greatest hurdler in the history of UNI track and field, Woody, an Iowa City native, Woody was a four-time All-American who captured the 1997 NCAA outdoor title in the men's 400-meter hurdles, just one of four Panthers to win a national championship in track and field. He qualified and earned First Team All-American status in 1994 and 1995 in the event, and also placed fifth in the 800 meters at the 1996 NCAA Indoor Championships.

An eight-time All-MVC Team honoree, Woody won eight individual conference titles during his career in the 1990s, becoming the only four-time outdoor champion in the 400-meter hurdles (1993-95, 1997), as well as three titles in the 110-meter hurdles (1994-95, 1997) and an indoor title in the 800 meters in 1995. He was named the men's MVP of the MVC Outdoor Championships three times in his career (1994-95, 1997).

Woody finished his Panther career the holder of six school records, four of which still stand as of today with the indoor 600 and 800 meters, plus the outdoor 110 and 400-meter hurdles. His 1997 MVC record time of 48.18 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles also still stands to this day.

Following his collegiate years, Woody won a gold medal title for Team USA in the 4x400-meter relay at the 1999 World Championships in Greece and helped set a world record in the 4x800-meter relay the following year, while also narrowly missing out on qualifying for the 2000 Olympics in the 400-meter hurdles.

After serving as an assistant coach at UNI from 1997 to 2002, Woody, a 2009 UNI and 2012 MVC Hall of Fame inductee, continued coaching at the University of Iowa in 2006 and was named Director of Track and Field/Cross Country in 2014. As the leader of the Hawkeyes, his programs have captured 75 Big Ten Conference event titles, four men's team titles and one NCAA individual championship. He has been named Big Ten Coach of the Year four times and USTFCCCA Regional Coach of the Year six times.

PAIGE (KNODLE) BOHANNON (Women's Cross Country/Track & Field)
One of the most decorated female track and field athletes in UNI history, Knodle, a three-time NCAA All-American from Byron, Illinois, placed 17th in heptathlon with All-American Honorable Mention recognition in 2013 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. She would take fourth the following season, as well as eighth in the event in 2016. Knodle also qualified in the pentathlon for the 2016 NCAA Indoor Championships, placing 13th overall.

Elected four times as a team captain, Knodle was widely recognized as one of the Missouri Valley Conference's top performers, being named MVC Most Valuable Athlete of the Meet three times, including twice during the outdoor season. She also earned Most Outstanding Track Athlete honors, as well as Most Outstanding Field Athlete recognition two times each during her career.

Winning her first individual conference championship as a sophomore in the javelin, Knodle won a total of six MVC titles, taking home gold in the 2014 MVC heptathlon competition. During her senior season in 2016, she won three events at the conference championship meets, including the pentathlon, 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles. Knodle finished her career holding school records in seven events, as well as two conference records in the pentathlon and heptathlon. A decorated student in the classroom, she also was named an MVC Scholar-Athlete in 2016.

Following her graduation from UNI, Knodle, a 2023 UNI Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, spent a season coaching at Iowa State before joining the track and field staff at Iowa, specializing in coaching multi-event athletes, hurdles and vertical jumps.

UNI cross country and track & field action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Track and Field), X (@UNITrackFieldXC) and on Instagram (@uni_tf_xc). The full schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.

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