Falland sets meet record and runs No. 2 time in world this year with 9:32.53 effort to lead 12 athletes under 10-minute mark; Oklahoma State wins 4x800 and 4x1,600 relays each for fourth time in seven years, goes for sweep Saturday in DMR, with Wasserman winning 1,500, Falda and Moton earning repeat victories

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Leah Falland demonstrated that she is ready to be a factor again in the American women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase landscape with her performance Friday in the Journey to Gold event at the 111th Drake Relays presented by Xtream.

As for Oklahoma State, they continued to showcase why they are the standard when it comes to women’s distance relays at “America’s Athletic Classic” at Jim Duncan Track in Des Moines, Iowa.

Falland produced her fastest steeplechase effort since 2017, achieving a meet-record 9 minutes, 32.53 seconds to lead 12 women under the 10-minute mark in the deepest field in the world this year.

Falland, who elevated to No. 2 globally this season, hadn’t competed in the steeplechase since clocking 9:31.61 in Croatia at the 2017 Zagreb World Challenge. She returned to the event April 3 in Arizona and ran 9:44.73.

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She found herself in third with a lap remaining Friday, trailing British athletes Aimee Pratt (9:35.34) and Lizzie Bird (9:38.25), before producing a 71-second final 400 to earn the convincing victory.

New Mexico All-American and Israeli national record holder Adva Cohen, who set the meet record of 9:52.37 during her lone season at Iowa Central Community College in 2018, finished 12th in 9:56.0.

Grayson Murphy, a World Mountain Running gold medalist, ran a personal-best 9:37.25 to take third. Alicja Konieczek, the NCAA Division 2 record holder during her career at Western Colorado and a training partner of Falland with the On Athletics Group in Colorado coached by Dathan Ritzenhein, was fourth in 9:37.42.

Furman senior Gabrielle Jennings secured seventh in a personal-best 9:43.48, elevating to the No. 2 collegiate competitor this year, trailing only Auburn’s Joyce Kimeli at 9:37.97.

Adams State senior Eilish Flanagan was 10th in 9:52.70, taking over the Division 2 lead this year and ascending to the No. 3 competitor in division history. Flanagan, who has run 9:51.72 representing Ireland in international competition in Sweden in 2019, was targeting the Division 2 record of 9:47.72 established by Konieczek in 2018.

New Mexico’s Elise Thorner was 11th in 9:52.90, giving the Lobos three athletes under 10 minutes this season, along with Cohen and Charlotte Prouse at 9:54.65.

Oklahoma State continued its dominance of distance relay championships in odd-numbered years, following 4x800 and 4x1,600 titles in 2015, 2017 and 2019 by winning both again Friday, looking to also capture a fourth DMR crown Saturday and complete another sweep.

Gabby Hentemann, Heidi Demeo, Molly Born and Taylor Roe clocked 19:27.09 in the 4x1,600, with Rilee Rigdon, Kaytlyn Larson, Maddie Salek and Stephanie Moss running 8:39.83 in the 4x800, both the top collegiate performances this season.

Notre Dame senior Katie Wasserman, a Columbia transfer already ranked second among collegiate 5,000 competitors this season at 15:33.35, won the 1,500 title Friday in 4:14.43, followed by freshman teammate Olivia Markezich in 4:15.76. Air Force standout Mahala Norris, an All-American in the indoor 5,000 and cross country in March, took third in 4:15.98.

North Dakota State secured a pair of championships Friday, including a repeat in the shot put from Akealy Moton, and the third 1,600 sprint medley relay title for the program in the past eight years.

Grace Zimmerman, Alyssa Lind, Nell Graham and Katie Bye clocked 3:55.87 for the Bison, following championships in 2014 and 2017.

Moton, who won as a freshman in 2019, added another title by producing a sixth-round effort of 56-11.50 (17.36m) to edge senior teammate Shelby Gunnels and her second-round mark of 56-575 (17.21m) in her 11th career competition at Drake Stadium. The Bison matched the success of their men’s team by sweeping the top three spots in the shot put.

Not only did Northern Iowa capture its first women’s 4x200 relay title in 1:39.20, which ranks third this season in Division 1, the Panthers’ lineup consisted of four Iowa high school graduates in Rylan Santi, Allison Hilleman, Emily Vos and Emily Paul.

Houston also earned a pair of victories, with senior Nora Monie producing a personal-best 190-5 (58.05m) in the sixth round of the discus competition. Cecilia Tamayo-Garza won the 200, running 23.94 into a strong headwind, in addition to contributing to the Cougars securing the top spot in the 4x100 final with a mark of 44.39.

South Dakota took the top two spots in the pole vault, with Helen Falda also following her championship from 2019 with another title, matching teammate Gennifer Hirata by clearing 13-4.25 (4.07m). Falda achieved the height on her first attempt, in comparison to Hirata doing so on her second try.

Miami (Ohio) senior Olivia Bechtel ran a personal-best to win the 400 meters, with Missouri sophomore Morgan O’Neal capturing the 400 hurdles title in 1:00.41. Both championships were the first in their respective events for the programs at Drake Relays.

Northern Illinois sophomore Jazmyn Smith produced a wind-legal leap of 19-10.75 (6.06m) in the first round of the long jump and never relinquished control.

Western Illinois junior Amelia Peterson had identical 40-11.75 (12.49m) efforts in the second and third rounds of the triple jump.

South Dakota freshman Carly Haring cleared 5-8.75 (1.75m) on her second attempt in the high jump to edge Texas State sophomore Katherine Stuckly, who successfully made the height on her third try.

In collegiate competition earlier Friday, several Division 2 and NAIA athletes earned impressive victories, highlighted by Nebraska-Kearney junior Logan Prater achieving a personal-best 165-7 (50.48m) in the sixth round of the discus competition to elevate to the No. 4 competitor in Division 2.

Elizabeth Stottlemyre of Concordia (Nebraska), the NAIA leader in the javelin, triumphed with a third-round throw of 142-8 (43.50m). Stottlemyre entered the competition with an April 17 mark of 155-2 (47.29m) at the Jim Dutcher Memorial.

Minnesota State freshman Trinity Moore won the long jump with a wind-aided mark of 18-7 (5.66m) in the third round.

Doane senior Courtney Schindler, cleared 12-1.50 (3.70m) on her first attempt in the pole vault, prevailing on fewer attempts against Concordia (Nebraska) freshman Josie Puelz.

Emporia State won the 1,600 sprint medley relay, with Clarice Nichols, Ashley Wildeman, Jasmine Hurla and Linnea Meier clocking 4:07.33.

Lincoln (Missouri) continued its strong tradition in the 4x800, winning for the fourth time in nine years. Melissa Tyme, Kimone Campbell, Chrissani May and Maria Diamond clocked 9:08.61.

Hida Mahgoub of Northwest Missouri won the 400 in 5.497, with Southwest Baptist’s Elysia Burgos earning a wire-to-wire victory in the 1,500 in 4:35.01.

Washburn teammates Lily Johnson (17;24.04) and Sierra Mortensen (17:25.59) took the top two spots in the 5,000 meters.