Reigning USATF U-20 1,500-meter champion and former New Balance Nationals Indoor long jump winner both join Cyclones with three seasons of outdoor eligibility remaining looking to build on past success

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Jason Gomez, the reigning USATF U-20 outdoor 1,500-meter champion, has decided to transfer from NCAA Division 2 Notre Dame de Namur to Iowa State, the Cyclones confirmed Monday.

Gomez, a former California state champion in the 800 meters at Westmont High, is the second significant transfer in the past two weeks for Iowa State.

Tatiana Aholou, the 2018 New Balance Nationals Indoor long jump champion representing Quebec, has left Kentucky to join the Cyclones’ program.

Gomez prevailed in the 1,500 final at the USATF U-20 Championships in June in Florida, rebounding from not finishing the 800, an event in which he was a leading title contender.

Gomez placed 10th in the 1,500 in July at the Pan American U-20 Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica.
He also qualified for last year’s NCAA Division 2 outdoor championship meet in the 800, but didn’t advance past the semifinals.

Gomez has run 1:50.11 in the outdoor 800 and 1:50.99 indoors, in addition to an outdoor personal-best 3:54.19 in the 1,500. He has two indoor seasons and three outdoor seasons of eligibility remaining.

Although their futures with the Cyclones is uncertain, middle-distance standouts Festus Lagat, Daniel Nixon and Roshon Roomes all have the opportunity to return to Iowa State for the 2020-21 school year after the NCAA Division 1 Council agreed March 30 to provide extra eligibility and potential scholarship relief for all seniors competing in spring sports.

Whatever decision Iowa State’s veterans make, the addition of Gomez is significant in continuing the Cyclones’ tradition of strong middle-distance athletes.

Aholou’s arrival is also important for Iowa State, which has been looking to bolster its jumps group following the graduation of 12-time All-American Jhoanmy Luque in 2018.

Aholou’s 20-8 (6.30m) effort to win the New Balance Nationals Indoor championship two years ago remains her career-best performance. She also boasts a wind-legal mark of 20-5.25 (6.23m) outdoors, where she will have three seasons of eligibility remaining.

Aholou, who finished eighth in the long jump for Canada at the World U-20 Championships in Finland in 2018, surpassed 20 feet twice last year for Kentucky. She jumped at least 19 feet in all three indoor competitions this past winter for the Wildcats.

Aholou has also achieved outdoor personal bests of a wind-legal 11.71 in the 100-meter dash and 24.46 in the 200, 13.89 in the 100-meter hurdles. She has top indoor marks of 7.49 in the 60-meter dash, 42.38 in the 300 and 8.41 in the 60-meter hurdles.