Track teams place number of athlete on podium at Drake

The men’s and women’s track teams took their talents to the Blue Oval at the premier track and field classic, the Drake Relays. The Drake Relays is an event that features professional, collegiate and high school athletes. It is three days long and takes place the last week in April. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, athletes compete for a chance to place on the podium, which is the top six finishers in each event. 

Thursday

In the 3200m, freshman Jaden Merrick had a huge PR at the Relays. He finished sixth with a 12 second PR, in a time of 9:12.88. This is the second fastest time in Cedar Falls program history. Junior Luke Hartman also had outstanding performances, as he ran 9:27, to place him 14th. 

“It was a good experience to be able to run at the Drake relays. This was the fastest year ever, and it wasn’t easy to make it in. I was super happy with how I ran and competed, and had another PR,” Hartman said. 

In the high jump, senior Jacob Keiler won the Drake Relays high jump, with a final jump height of 6-10. This earned him a new school record, along with a huge personal record. 

“It is unreal to be able to walk away from Drake champion. I am super happy with my performance and ready for the rest of the year,” Keiler said. 

Friday 

In the 110mH, junior Tyler Kenega started off the morning, finishing with a time of 15.35. This earned him a 19th place finish. 

In the Distance Medley, the team finished in 10th place, with a time of 3:33.03, which was a team PR. The team featured senior Connor Trunell, senior Cayden Schellhorn, sophomore Jordan Townsend, and senior Derek woods. 

In the 4×200, the Tigers fell short, when senior Cayden Schellhorn pulled his quad during the final leg, jogging to the finish line. 

In the 800m dash, sophomore Josie Simonson finished 10th with a time of 2:16.03, which was a 2 second PR. 

“I was so happy with my performance and how I ran. It was a good first race on the track, and opened up for the rest of my weekend. I am pleased with how far I have come this season and ready to keep training for the championship season,” Simonson said. 

The girls 4×400 qualified for the final with their time of 4:00. The men’s 4×400 also qualified for the final as well. Both finals took place on saturday. 

Saturday 

The women’s shuttle hurdle finished 8th place, missing out on the finals, finishing with a time of 1:07.64. The men’s shuttle hurdle came up short as well, as Kenega fell during his leg. 

The women’s 4x100m finished in 86th place, with a time of 52.74. The men’s finished in 45th. 

In the 4x800m, the women’s team came out in 5th place, earning themselves a podium finish. They finished with a time of 9:38.12. The men’s 4x800m finished in 8th place, with a time of 8:09. 

In the 1600m dash, freshman Jaden Merrick finished in 4th place, with a time of 4:17.02. This time earned the 2nd fastest time in program history, along with the fastest freshman Iowan time in history. 

The Tigers finished out the meet with the women’s and men’s 4x400m. The women’s team finished in 8th place with a time of 4:01. The men’s 4×400 rounded out the Drake Relays, with a final time of 3:20.77, placing them 6th, and earning a spot on the podium. \

The men’s teams next meet is conference, which will take place on May 4 in Cedar Rapids. The women’s team will also be competing on May 4, at the conference meet in Dubuque. The Tigers will then head to Districts, hoping to earn a spot at the state meet, which takes place in the third week in May.