Morris becomes first female vaulter in event history to capture five in a row, Kendricks regains meet record with world-leading performance to win fourth career crown; Crouser takes third shot put title in a row, but can’t get 22-foot effort, with dos Santos and Woodruff running top global marks in 400 hurdles

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

On a day when Ryan Crouser couldn’t summon a 22-meter shot put, the professional pole vaulting debut for KC Lightfoot resulted in three early misses and a no height, and Keni Harrison not only lost for the first time at Jim Duncan Track in the 100-meter hurdles, but was unable to finish her race, two of the most reliable and decorated athletes ever to compete at Drake Stadium were able to add to their legacies Saturday at the 111th Drake Relays presented by Xtream.

RACE AND FIELD EVENT VIDEOS FROM DRAKE RELAYS PRESENTED BY XTREAM

Sandi Morris became the first female pole vaulter ever to win five consecutive championships at “America’s Athletic Classic” and Sam Kendricks not only opened his outdoor season with a world-leading clearance, but captured his fourth career Drake Relays title in the Journey to Gold competition in Des Moines, Iowa.

Kendricks, who was upstaged in 2019 by former South Dakota standout and recent Nike professional Chris Nilsen, cleared 19 feet, 2.75 (5.86m) to regain the meet record in his 10th career pole vault competition at Drake Stadium.

Nilsen extended the showdown Saturday with a third-attempt clearance at 19-0.25 (5.80m), but Kendricks was able to achieve a clutch make on his third opportunity at 19-2.75 to add to his championships at the meet in 2015, 2017 and 2018. Matt Ludwig was third at 18-8.25 (5.70m).

Lightfoot had won his last 14 competitions as a collegiate athlete at Baylor before signing a professional contract with PUMA, including the NCAA Division 1 indoor title March 13 in Arkansas, along with producing the collegiate all-time indoor mark of 19-8.25 (6.00m).

Morris surpassed Kellie Suttle’s streak of four in a row from 1998-2001 by clearing 15-5 (4.70m) on her third attempt, after also needing three tries to get over the bar at 15-1 (4.60m).

Morris won from 2016-19, before the meet was canceled last year as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. Suttle also has five career victories at Drake Relays, the last coming in 2006.

Katie Nageotte cleared 15-1 from a short approach to place second in her outdoor opener after finishing last year as the world leader at 16-1.75 (4.92m).

Kortney Oates, Olivia Gruver and Bridget Guy-Williams all cleared 14-9 (4.50m).

Crouser did secure his third consecutive shot put victory at the meet and won for the fifth time in a row at Drake Stadium – including a pair of competitions in August as part of the Blue Oval Challenge – but was unable to produce a 22-meter mark for only the third time in the past 20 outdoor meets, winning with a world-leading 71-11.50 (21.93m) performance in the fourth round.

During his last appearance Aug. 29 at Drake Stadium, Crouser became only the second athlete in history to achieve six 22-meter efforts in the same series, joining Italy’s Alessandro Andrei in 1987.

Harrison, who was looking to become the first female competitor to win five in a row in the 100 hurdles at Drake Relays, stumbled and fell during the race and was unable to finish. She had won all 10 career races on Jim Duncan Track before Saturday, including USATF Outdoor Championships in 2018 and 2019.

Cindy Sember, a former Michigan standout representing Great Britain, returned to the Blue Oval and ran a wind-legal 12.57 to produce a personal best for the first time since 2015, as Harrison was unsuccessful in surpassing the impressive run achieved by Lolo Jones from 2005-08.

Gianna Woodruff took down her own Panamanian national record in the 400 hurdles for the first time since 2018, clocking a world-leading 55.02 to improve by more than a second from her April 17 victory at the Michael Johnson Invitational at Baylor. American Ashley Spencer was runner-up in 55.52.

Alison dos Santos also achieved a world-leading performance in the men’s 400 hurdles, elevating to No. 2 all-time in Brazil by clocking a meet-record 48.15, ahead of the previous fastest global performer, American athlete Kenny Selmon, who was second in 48.87.

Selmon had produced a 48.81 performance at the Miramar Invitational in Florida, but dos Santos was able to eclipse the 1986 mark of 48.28 held by former Iowa State standout Danny Harris.

Eronilde Nunes de Araujo has held the Brazilian record of 48.02 since 1995.

Josette Norris, a former Georgetown All-American representing the Reebok Boston Track Club, earned her first significant professional victory by clocking a personal-best 4:06.19 in the 1,500. Norris covered the final lap in 62.45 seconds to surge past USATF Road 1 Mile winner Rachel Schneider (4:06.51) and Wednesday’s runner-up Shannon Osika (4:06.54).

Clayton Murphy, who took third Wednesday in the Road 1 Mile competition, won the 1,500 in 3:39.12, moving up from third on the last lap after producing a 54.77 final 400.

Canadian Charles Philibert-Thiboutot placed second in 3:39.34, with American Abe Alvarado taking third in 3:39.70.

Kendell Williams, who joined the 7-meter club in the long jump April 9 at the Spec Towns Invitational in Georgia, prevailed Saturday with a wind-legal leap of 21-5.50 (6.54m) in the second round to defend her championship from the 2019 event, when she achieved a 21-8.75 (6.62m) performance.

Canadian Christabel Nettey was runner-up at 21-4 (6.50m), with American Sha’Keela Saunders finishing third at 21-3.25 (6.48m).

Daniel Roberts, who also won the professional 110-meter hurdles competing as a collegiate athlete for Kentucky at the event in 2019 before going on to capture the title at the USATF Outdoor Championships later that year at the Blue Oval, edged fellow American Aaron Mallett by a wind-aided 13.39 to 13.41 margin.