Following 1,500-meter victory Friday, Columbia transfer teams with Markezich, Sullivan and Hart to help Notre Dame run 11:03.25, eclipsing Stanford’s 2003 mark and denying Oklahoma State fourth sweep in seven years; North Carolina A&T wins three events in debut, including memorable sweep of 4x100 and 4x400

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Katie Wasserman said the team culture and depth of the training group at Notre Dame were exactly what she needed when she made the decision to leave Columbia to pursue her remaining eligibility at another NCAA Division 1 program this year.

But Wasserman was the last athlete Oklahoma State wanted to see on the anchor leg of the women’s university section distance medley relay Saturday at the 111th Drake Relays presented by Xtream.

RACE AND FIELD EVENT VIDEOS FROM DRAKE RELAYS PRESENTED BY XTREAM

Wasserman, who already won the university 1,500 meters Friday, pulled away from Oklahoma State anchor Taylor Roe to lead Notre Dame to not only its first DMR victory at Jim Duncan Track, but also a meet-record 11 minutes, 3.25 seconds at "America’s Athletic Classic" in Des Moines, Iowa.

Oklahoma State took second in 11:11.25, falling short of its goals of a record fourth DMR championship and a 12th straight distance relay title overall at Drake.

The Cowgirls had won the 4x800 and 4x1,600 relays in 2015, 2017, 2019 and captured both again Friday, attempting to extend the same streak Saturday with the DMR, before Olivia Markezich, Erin Sullivan, Kelly Hart and Wasserman had bigger plans.

Markezich set an impressive tone by running the opening 1,200 in 3:23.70 to give Notre Dame almost a three-second advantage, which it never relinquished. Wasserman, who ran 4:14.43 to capture the 1,500 title Friday ahead of Markezich (4:15.76), produced a 4:34.46 anchor split to help Notre Dame eclipse the 2003 meet record of 11:03.59 established by Stanford.

Only Minnesota’s 11:03.01 performance Friday at the Big Ten Relays has been faster than Notre Dame among collegiate lineups this season.

It marked the first title in any women’s relay for Notre Dame at the event since back-to-back 4x800 titles in 2012-13.

North Carolina A&T became just the third Historically Black College and University to sweep the women’s 4x100 and 4x400 relay titles in the same year, joining Texas Southern in 1985 and Prairie View A&M in 1980.

The Aggies also received an individual victory from Symone Darius in the 100-meter dash in a wind-legal 11.44 seconds. Darius then teamed with Delecia McDuffie, Jonah Ross and Cambrea Sturgis to close out the meet in the 4x400 in 3:37.30.

Kamaya Debose-Epps joined McDuffie, Ross and Sturgis in winning the 4x100 in 43.95.

North Dakota State, which shared the women’s team cup with Iowa State based on winning the 1,600 sprint medley relay Friday and finishing third in the DMR along with fifth in the 4x400 and 4x800, also added two more titles in the throwing events Saturday after Akealy Moton secured the shot put Friday.

Maddy Nilles prevailed in the hammer with a fourth-round throw of 222-6 (67.83m) and Kari Wolfe triumphed in the javelin with a fourth-round throw of 174-4 (53.14m).

Kennesaw State sophomore Sarah Hendrick won the 800 in 2:03.62. Hendrick ran 2:01.47 on April 10 at the Crimson Tide Invitational, followed by a 4:18.31 in the 1,500 on April 17 at Eastern Kentucky.

Houston junior Naomi Taylor ran a wind-aided 12.84 in the 100 hurdles, with South Dakota State winning the women’s 4x100 shuttle hurdle relay for the first time in meet history, as Jaymie O’Connor, Haley Mottinger, Colette Wolfe, Savannah Risseeuw clocked 57.37 to take over the collegiate lead this season.

In the collegiate women’s section held earlier Saturday, top marks this year in Division 2 and National Junior College Athletic Association Division 1 were achieved, along with several historic performances.

PJ English, Sydney Mudgett, Meagan Schenk and Nicolette Schmidt achieved the No. 4 DMR performance in Division 2 history for Augustana, which already holds the all-time record 11:46.82 from the 2018 Drake Relays.

It marked the sixth title for Augustana in the event, along with wins in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2018 and 2019. Cami Streff joined English, Mudgett and Schmidt to help Augustana place fourth in the DMR at the Division 2 indoor nationals March 12 at the CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala.

Oklahoma Baptist’s Isabella Lotz, Tahlor Brown, Mary McKey and Elisabeth Jones prevailed in the 4x100 shuttle hurdle relay in 1:01.97, the third-fastest performance in Division 2 history.

Minnesota State’s Makayla Jackson, Ja’Cey Simmons, Grace Hartman and Denisha Cartwright took over the Division 2 lead in the 4x100 relay by clocking 45.25.

Maria Diamond, Chrissani May, Kimone Campbell and Kelly-Ann Beckford of Lincoln (Missouri) elevated to No. 7 in Division 2 this season after winning the 4x400 in 3:46.99, the program’s third straight title in the event and 12th in the past two decades.

Diamond also won the 400 hurdles in 1:00.78, just off her April 3 performance of 59.97.

Adams State senior Sarah Wills prevailed in the 3,000 steeplechase in 10:53.87 in only her second time running the event, elevating to No. 14 in Division 2 this season and giving the Grizzlies three potential qualifiers for nationals, led by Eilish Flanagan in 9:52.70.

Tiara Schmidt of Nebraska-Kearney won the shot put with a sixth-round mark of 46-8 (14.22m). Schmidt is already No. 3 in Division 2 this season at 50-2.50 (15.30m).

Lewis earned a pair of victories with wind-aided performances, including Allie Heinzer in the 200 in 23.85 and Anna Laudizio in the triple jump with a mark of 40-11 (12.47m).

Northwest Missouri’s Quincy McSweeney clocked 2:12.74 to secure a win in the 800.

Iowa Central Community College achieved three victories Saturday, including NJCAA Division 1 leaders Victoria Adu and Hannah Connell capturing titles.

Adu, from Germany, won the hammer with a third-round throw of 192-11 (58.81m).

Connell, representing Barbados, clocked a wind-aided 13.63 in the 100 hurdles to prevail against NCAA Division 3 leader Favor Ezewuzie of Wheaton College in Illinois, who ran 13.66. Connell has run 13.54, the top two-year college mark in the country this year.

Odell Frye secured victory in the 100-meter dash in a wind-aided 11.66 for Iowa Central.

Iowa Western freshman Aliyah McNeil cleared 5-7.25 (1.72m) in the high jump, edging Emporia State’s Madison Runnion based on fewer attempts to win the competition.