Eight World-Leading Marks, Three More Drake Relays Records Cap Final Session of 111th Drake Relays

DES MOINES, IOWA — Eight world-leading marks highlighted action during Saturday’s session of the 111th Drake Relays presented by Xtream powered by Mediacom.

Results Here

Three Drake Relays records were set on the final day, bringing the total to 10 during the historic three-day track and field extravaganza, which returned after a year’s absence because of the COVID 19 pandemic.

“The Drake Relays is an event with a world-class history, but this week the special, unstoppable spirit of the athletes, coaches and fans showed through,“ said Blake Boldon, the Franklin P. Johnson Director of the Drake Relays.

“At every level and every day the athletes demonstrated exactly what makes our event so special, an indomitable will to succeed.”

Boldon allowed the loyal Drake Relays fans to get a sneak preview of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics by welcoming  Olympic medalists and world champions to the Blue Oval participating in 12 Journey To Gold invitational events.

World Champ Kendricks Sets Relays Mark In Pole Vault

Two-time World champion Sam Kendricks  won his fourth invitational pole vault title, set a Relays record and established the best mark in the world this year by clearing 19-2 ¾ (5.86m) in a competition that got off to a shocking start.

The previous world leader, KC Lightfoot, bowed out of the competition when he missed three times at the opening height, 17-6 ½. It was the first competition for Lightfoot since he turned pro two weeks ago, after ending a collegiate career at Baylor that saw him win an NCAA indoor title while also setting a collegiate indoor mark of 19-8.25. Runner-up  Chris Nilsen, who upset Kendricks at the 2019 Drake Relays, moved into a tie for No. 2 in  the world with his clearance of 19-¼ (5.80m).

“We’re all trying to get better for the Olympics,” said Kendricks. “I’m real proud of the record, passing it back in forth between me and Chris Nilsen and hopefully we’ll continue it.”

Kendricks, who prevailed in his outdoor debut, set the American record in his previous visit to Drake Stadium, clearing 19-10.5 to win the 2019 USA Championship. 

Top World Times in 400 Hurdles As Harris Mark Falls

The 400 hurdles proved to be a treat, producing two world bests in less than 10 minutes, with a Relays record and a national record thrown in for good measure. Alison Dos Santos, a 20-year-old Brazilian, set a Relays record of 48.15 in the men’s race, bettering Danny Harris’ time of 48.28 in 1986. That puts him No. 1 in the world. The world leader going in, Kenny Selmon, finished second in 48.87.

The top two finishers in the women’s race are now 1-2 in the world. Gianna Woodruff won in 55.02, which is the Panamanian record. Ashley Spencer, the Olympic bronze medalist in 2016, was second in 55.52. 

2016 Olympic gold medalist Ryan Crouser made his outdoor debut with yet another impressive Drake Stadium performance, taking over the world lead with a throw of 71-11.5 (21.93m) for his third straight Relays championship. Crouser set the Drake Stadium record of 74-6.5 last August 29 and broke the world indoor record with a throw of 74-10 ½ (22.82m) in January. His winning throw today fell just 7 inches short of breaking Christian Cantwell’s Relays record of 72-6.25 in 2006.

Sandi Morris, the 2016 Olympic silver medalist, claimed her fifth-straight Drake Relays invitational women’s pole vault title, clearing 15-5 on her final attempt to win. Morris, the U.S. Outdoor record holder, has won her last seven competitions at Drake Stadium, including the 2018 and 2019 USA Outdoor titles.

Misfortune For Harrison In Women’s 100 Hurdles

Daniel Roberts continued his success on the Drake track with his victory in the men’s 110 hurdles. Roberts outran a strong field to win in  a wind-aided 13.39. Roberts won Relays championships in the 110 hurdles and the 4x200 relay as a collegian at Kentucky in 2019 and won the USA Championship at Drake later that year. Former Iowa standout Aaron Mallett was second in 13.41.

Keni Harrison’s bid for a record fifth straight victory in the women’s 100 hurdles ended after just a couple of seconds. Harrison, the world-record holder, hit the second hurdle and fell, resulting in her first loss in 11 races on Drake’s Blue Oval. Cindy Sember of Great Britain won the race in 12.57, which ranks No. 3 in the world this year. Runner-up Christina Clemons ran 12.59, which puts her No. 4 in the world.

Clayton Murphy, the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist in the 800 meters, won the invitational men’s 1500 meters in 3:39.12 while leading a quartet of runners that ran under 3:40 on the Blue Oval. Charles Philibert-Thiboutot of New Balance was second in 3:39.34 while Abe Alvarado of Atlanta TC was third in 3:39.70, a personal-best mark. 

Josette Norris outran Rachel Schneider to win the women’s 1,500 with one of the top times in the world this year. Norris, a former Big East champion and All-American at Georgetown, ran 4:06.17, which ranks fourth in the world and second in the U.S. Schneider,  winner of the USATF Road Mile Championship that finished in Drake Stadium on Wednesday, finished a couple of steps behind in 4:06.51. That ranks No. 7 in the world and fourth in the U.S.

2016 Olympian Kendell Williams, a three-time NCAA heptathlon champ from Georgia, claimed her second-straight victory in the women’s invitational long jump at the Relays with a mark of 21-5 ½.

North Carolina A&T Impressive In Drake Relays Debut

North Carolina A&T, making its first appearance in the Drake Relays, put on quite a show, leading the way in the university division by winning a combined six events—three in each men’s and women’s division. The Aggies won both races in the 4x400 relay. The men, who had the nation’s best time coming in, opened up a wide lead and coasted to a 3:02.14 clocking. The women won their race in 3:37.30, which came shortly after they won the 4x100.

A&T also swept the 100, with Symone Darius winning the women’s title in 11.44 and Tavarius Wright capturing the men’s flag in 10.37. A&T got its sixth title from Rasheem Brown in the men’s 110 hurdles (13.68).

Houston and North Carolina A&T were expected to hook up in a couple of sizzling duels in the 4x100 relay and they did. The only downside: Houston was disqualified after finishing second to A&T in the women’s race by one-hundredth of a second. A&T sped to a 43.95 clocking in that race, the fastest winning time at Drake since Texas set the Relays record of 43.58 in 2012. Houston was timed in 43.59 before the disqualification.

The teams also were neck-and-neck in the men’s race, which had to be taken out to the thousandths to declare Houston the winner. Houston, the NCAA collegiate leader entering the meet, was timed in 39.142 and A&T in 39.149. Both received an official time of 39.15. 

After winning the sprint medley relay and the 4x800 relay on Friday, Iowa State continued its winning ways on Saturday by winning its second-straight distance medley relay. The Cyclone quartet of Jason Gomez, Roshon Roomes, Daniel Nixon and Festus Lagat crossed the line in 9:42.12, besting Air Force, which placed second in 9:42.70. ISU’s time was the fastest winning time at the Drake Relays since UTEP won the 2014 title in 9:35.45 and the best in the world outdoors this year.

It also marked the ninth time the Cyclones have won the distance medley relay at the Drake Relays and was only the third time that a men’s team has won the sprint medley relay, the 4x800 and the distance medley. Kansas did so in 1954 and Illinois completed the trifecta in 1943.

Iowa State, North Dakota State Win Relays Cup

Notre Dame  ended Oklahoma State’s bid for another sweep of the three longest relays in the women’s competition, racing to a Relays record and a world best outdoors in the distance medley relay.

Anchored by Katie Wasserman’s 4:34.46 leg after she won the 1500 on Friday, the Irish earned their first Relays title in the event, finishing in 11:03.25. Oklahoma State had won the 4x800, 4x1600 and distance medley at Drake in 2015, 2016 and 2017 and won those first two races this weekend. But the Irish were  too strong in the medley and the Cowgirls settled for second in 11:11.25.

The Iowa State men captured their second-straight Relays Cup after ther titles in the 4x800, sprint medley  and distance medley. ISU also picked up two points in the 4x400 relay to finish with 32. Houston was second with 21 points. 

On the women’s side, the Cyclones and North Dakota State tied for the Cup with 24 points each, with the Bison gaining possession on a tiebreaker -- their second-place finish in the shuttle hurdle relay. North Dakota State won the sprint medley relay on Friday, while ISU earned top-four finishes in the 4x400, 4x800, sprint medley relay and distance medley relay. 

Minnesota State-Mankato and Augustana (S.D.) men’s and women’s teams swept the respective college division 4x100 and distance medley relays, respectively.

Lincoln (Mo.) continued its domination of the women’s college division 4x400 relay (3:46.99), winning the event for the third straight year and 12th time in the last 18 Relays. The Blue Tigers also won the women’s college division 4x800 relay Friday, while Maria Diamond won the women’s division 400 hurdles Saturday morning.

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