Des Moines, USA - The 102nd Drake Relays, which concluded on Saturday (30 April), produced a number of excellent early-season performances and brought to notice some relative unknowns as athletes to watch in the upcoming season.

Adam Nelson, back at full strength and uninjured, won the men’s Shot Put with a put of 21.39m, his first 70-footer since 2008. He also had two other 21-metres-plus puts and beat a strong field which included Reese Hoffa, last season's No. 2 on the world lists. Nelson has moved back to Atlanta, and is training again with Georgia throws coach Don Babbitt, who also coaches Hoffa.

“I’m feeling great, and I want to get back to Number One. This really helps build my confidence,” said the 35-year-old Nelson, the two-time Olympic silver medallist and 2005 World champion.

Jeremy Wariner took another big step forward, winning the 400m in 45.19, and appearing to be in control the entire race, especially as he pulled away convincingly from Greg Nixon in the home straight.  Said Wariner, “I executed a lot better today than last week in Waco. I feel like I’m two weeks ahead of last year, and by the U.S. championships I hope to go low 44 or 43.”

In the women’s special 100m Hurdles, newly anointed Brit Tiffany Ofili won going away in 12.66 (+2.2) to beat hometown favorite Lolo Jones’ 12.80, with Ginnie Crawford, nee Powell, third in 12.87 and two others sub-13.  Perhaps equally impressive was the wind-legal 12.87 by Letecia Wright of Ohio State in the collegiate race.

The men’s special was won in 13.46 (-0.2) by Antwon Hicks, who outleaned Ty Akins, 13.48, and Jeff Porter, 13.50.  Again, though, the collegiate race provided a stunner, as Terence Sommerville of Cincinnati (Ohio) won handily in 13.48 with a legal +0.7 aiding wind.  

The men’s High Jump almost saw meet director Brian Brown lose the meet record he set at 2.31m in 1997. As it turned out, both Dusty Jonas and Erik Kynard came close to clearing 2.34m, but settled for a 1-2 finish at 2.31m. Jamie Nieto and Ricky Robertson tied for third at 2.28m.  The women’s High Jump was won by Jamaican Sheree Francis with a clearance of 1.90m.

Lalang defends Mile title

Kenyan Boaz Lalang won the men’s featured Mile for the second straight year. In 2010, he upset Bernard Lagat in an exciting homestretch battle. He won this year’s race in the same style (but without Lagat), outsprinting South African Peter Van Der Westhuizen, 3:58.26 to 3:58.33, with Chris O’Hare edging Alan Webb as both ran 3:58.77. Jenny Simpson won the won the women’s 1500 with a gun-to-tape 4:09.56 performance.

There were four Pole Vault competitions, two on Saturday in the infield and two on Wednesday evening at an indoor shopping mall. The most notable jump of the indoor competition was a 4.70m PB jump by two-time NCAA champion Kylie Hutson, with Lacy Janson second at 4.60m. Hutson came back on Saturday to win the official vault at 4.53m to Janson’s 4.43m.  Jeremy Scott won Saturday’s men’s vault, beating Mark Hollis on the countback as both cleared 5.62m.

Both Hammer Throw competitions unveiled impressive performances by young throwers. Gwen Berry, a Southern Illinois senior coached by Connie Price-Smith, turned in a huge PB, 70.52, to win the women’s event. The men’s hammer was won by Georgia freshman Justin Welch, another Don Babbitt protégé, with 68.63m.

The women’s 400m saw a hard-fought stretch battle with newly British Shana Cox edging Mary Wineberg, 51.78 to 51.79.

Other early-season marks by well-known athletes included Suzy Powell’s Discus Throw win at 58.02m; Kara Patterson’s 57.74m in the Javelin Throw; and Bermudian Aaron Evans’ come-from-behind victory in the men’s 800m in 1:48.93.

James Dunaway for the IAAF

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