In his first 3,000-meter steeplechase in an Iowa track and field uniform, second-year Luke Knepp delivered a jaw-dropping performance that made history. 

Knepp captured second place in the Bryan Clay Invitational with a personal best of 8:39.54, a time that landed him a second-place spot in program history and second in the Big Ten. 

Despite popular belief, his impressive time did not come without perseverance, dedication, and grit. 

Many people would believe an astounding mark like this would mean Knepp has been training and competing in the steeplechase race for years. Shockingly, he ran his first 3,000-meter steeplechase last year. 

His first-ever time running the steeplechase was in a Division III meet in the Quad Cities, where he didn’t just compete casually but instead broke the all-time meet record, resulting in the Hawkeye coaching staff quickly taking notice. 

“We obviously realized he’s got some talent, but maybe even far more talent than we thought,” Coach Randy Hasenbank said. 

Knepp’s success at this meet qualified him for a spot at nationals, where he posted second place at the USA U20 Championships. This mark secured a spot at the World Junior Championships in Lima, Peru. 

In the span of about five months, Knepp went from never racing in the steeplechase to competing in the world championships, where he finished in 29th. 

Last weekend, Knepp ran the steeplechase for the first time in an Iowa uniform at the Bryan Clay Invitational.  Despite his incredible result that landed him in the Hawkeye record books, Knepp had been fighting sickness and dealing with injuries for two months leading up to the race. 

Before the meet, Knepp said he focused on believing in himself despite all doubts. 

“I was dealing with so many illnesses and injuries, so I wasn’t really worried about what I was going to run,” Knepp said. “Just getting a mark out there, trying to qualify for regionals right away.” 

Knepp’s time left many people shocked, and fifth-year Yohana Yual was one of them. 

“He stepped on the track and did something pretty special for his first collegiate race … To run 8:39, that was definitely one of the best performances I’ve ever seen,” Yual said. 

Yual also competed in the 3,000-meter steeplechase last weekend. He claimed the fifth-best steeplechase in program history with a time of 8:53.35. 

“We actually raced back to back. So, I finished my race, and for probably 10 minutes, I had a faster time than him, which is funny,” Yual said.

Despite his setbacks, Knepp attributes his success and motivation to his coaches throughout his career, specifically crediting his coaches at Pleasant Valley High School in Bettendorf, Iowa. 

“They just told me to believe in myself, even when I don’t,” Knepp said. 

Knepp also believes the Iowa coaching staff does a wonderful job of setting him up for success. 

“Just give us a lot of good workouts to make sure we’re ready for every competition,” Knepp said. “I know, he [Hasenbank] knows what he’s doing.” 

While Knepp feels the impact from the Iowa coaching staff on his performance and mindset,  the impact goes both ways. The Iowa track and field program has felt his heavy presence in a very short period. 

“Anytime you have a guy that’s committed to the sport, committed to getting better, committed to … achieving ultimate success. When you have that in practice and around you, it makes it so you guys are just all working hard in tandem with each other,” Yual said. 

His impact is not only felt on the track but outside of the oval as well. 

“The guys love him, the whole team. They all get along quite well,” Hasenbank said. “Luke is, he’s one of those personalities, easy to talk to, easy to be around, and so a lot of fun.”

Knepp, his teammates, and his coaches know the possibilities of success he has ahead of him. The second-year’s list of goals are lengthy, ranging from All-American honors to eventually competing in the Olympics.

“Luke definitely wants to go as far as becoming a professional, and I don’t think there’s anything stopping him from doing that,” Yual said. “It’s just a matter of staying healthy and being patient.”

Hasenbank is excited for his future as a Hawkeye. 

“He’s still got a lot of life ahead of him as far as college eligibility, which is very exciting. So, I think he can reach his goals for sure,” Hasenbank said.