Men's Track & Field April 22, 2008

Hawkeyes Head To 99th Annual Drake Relays

April 22, 2008

THIS WEEK — The Hawkeye men and women’s track teams will compete in the 99th running of the Drake Relays, Thursday thru Saturday, in Des Moines, IA. Events will be held on Jim Duncan Track in Drake Stadium (18,000).

The Hawkeye men’s team will also send competitors to the Kip Janvrin Open Friday at Indianola, IA. Simpson College will host the meet at Bill Buxton Stadium. Events are scheduled to start at noon.

TICKET INFORMATION — The Drake Relays are expected to sellout for the 42nd straight year, which is the longest streak in U.S. track history. Tickets are available at (515) 261-3647 or at www.drakebulldogs.com. Following are ticket prices:

Adult Ticket PackagesPackage (Days) - PriceAll-Session - $80All-American(Friday Night and Saturday) - $50Gold (Friday Day & Saturday) - $60
Single Session PricesCompetition Day (Ticket Type) - PriceThursday (General Admission - All Ages) - $5Friday Day (Reserved Adult/Youth) - $30/$15Friday Night with Friday Day Purchase (General Admission Adult/Youth) - $10/$5Friday Night Only (Reserved Adult/Youth) - $20/$10Saturday (Reserved Adult) - $35

MAYBANK TO BE INDUCTED INTO DRAKE RELAYS HALL OF FAME — Former Hawkeye track and field standout Anthuan Maybank, who ran the anchor leg on the U.S. gold medal winning 4×400 relay at the 1996 Olympics, will be inducted into the Drake Relays Athletes Hall of Fame during an April 24 reception at the Drake Knapp Center.

The induction of Maybank will increase membership in the Drake Relays Athletes Hall of Fame to 200. The Athletes Hall of Fame was established in 1959 during the Golden Anniversary of the Drake Relays with 72 charter members, including Jesse Owens, who was named the outstanding performer during the first half century of the Drake Relays.

It is only fitting that Maybank will be inducted on his 15-year anniversary of recording one of the greatest feats in track history. Consider the breadth of his talent: to this day, Maybank remains the only man to break the 27-foot barrier in the long jump in addition to the 45-second barrier in the 400 meters. It all happened at the 1993 Drake Relays, despite not beginning training prior to March.

Named the meet’s outstanding performer, Maybank ran in three preliminary Friday races and then won the long jump at 27-1, breaking the oldest existing record in Drake Relays history of 26-9 1/4 by Clarence Robinson of New Mexico in 1965. Maybank’s winning jump of 27-6 3/4 was above the allowable wind limit for record purpose. On Saturday, Maybank completed a rare double with his :44.99-second victory in the special invitational 400, which marked his season debut in that event.

In the Olympic finals, with an inexperienced 4×400 relay unit that was minus big guns Butch Reynolds and Michael Johnson, many thought the U.S. would be hard pressed to hold off Britain and Jamaica for the gold medal.

But the U.S. ran a banner relay, posting the third-fastest time in world history at 2:55.99. Maybank anchored in 43.87, easily holding off 400 silver medalist Roger Black.

A native of Georgetown, S.C., Maybank was named the Big Ten Conference Men’s Track and Field Athlete of the Year in 1993 after winning the long jump at both the indoor and outdoor meets. He also won the 400 at the Big Ten outdoor meet, while placing third in the 200. Maybank won the 400 at the 1991 Big Ten indoor meet, while capturing the long jump at the 1992 Big Ten indoor meet.

Maybank had his best NCAA Outdoor finishes in 1993, placing second in the 400 and sixth in the long jump. He also was third in the long jump at the 1992 NCAA indoor meet, while placing fourth in the long jump at the 1993 NCAA Indoor meet. Maybank was third in the long jump (25-0) at the 1991 Drake Relays, while anchoring the Hawkeyes to a third-place finish in the 4×100 relay.

NCAA QUALIFIERS — Ten Hawkeyes have qualified for the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships, which will be held May 30-31 in Lincoln, NE. Seniors Diane Nukuri and Meghan Armstrong have automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 10,000 meters. The national meet will be held June 11-14 in Des Moines, IA. Their event, qualifying marks and where they rank in the Big Ten, region and the nation are listed below.

                                            Big 10/Region/NCAAName        Event - Mark                    RankingMeghan Armstrong 1,500 Meters - 4:26.62          11th/16th/55th        10,000 Meters - 33:28.00        2nd/4th/3rdA.J. Curtis Discus - 172-7 (52.62 m)        2nd/12th/60th        Shot Put - 57-5 1/2 (17.51 m)   6th/5th/36thMatty Gorman Triple Jump - 49-2 1/2 (15.00 m)    3rd/16th/69thJohn Hickey   Shot Put - 61-9 1/2 (18.83 m)   2nd/2nd/10thTammilee Kerr   Javelin - 153-6 (45.34 m)       4th/11th/34thShane Maier   Discus - 171-1 (52.15 m)        3rd/14th/69thRachael Marchand    5,000 Meters - 16:35.83         1st/5th/28thAndy Napier   3,000 Steeplechase - 9:01.20    2nd/9th/34thDiane Nukuri 10,000 Meters - 33:17.01        1st/2nd/2ndJessica Schmidt   3,000 Steeplechase - 10:32.50   4th/9th/26thRay Varner 400-Meter Hurdles - 51.70       1st/11th/32ndRenee White   Triple Jump - 42-4 (12.90 m)    1st/9th/21st="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/pre%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2007%20DRAKE%20RELAYS%20REVIEW%20--%3C/strong%3E%20The%20Hawkeyes%20crowned%20two%20champions%20at%20the%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%2098th%20annual%20Drake%20Relays%20in%20Des%20Moines,%20IA.%20Senior%20Tiffany%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20Johnson%20won%20the%20100-meter%20hurdles%20(13.20)%20and%20junior%20%3Ca%20href="/roster.aspx?rp_id=5228" class="imported_story_link" oldlink="/sports/w-track/mtt/nukuri_diane00.html">Diane        Nukuri won the 5,000 meters (16:15.28). With her win, Johnson became the first        student-athlete in women's school history to claim a title in the same event in        back-to-back seasons at the Drake Relays. She broke her previous school record of 13.24        with her winning time. Nukuri won Iowa's first 5,000-meter Drake title.

Iowa’s other top placers were senior Adam Hamilton in the hammer throw (2nd, 222-2, the women’s 400-meter relay of Johnson, senior Peaches Roach, junior Megan Clarke and freshman Rhonda Kaye-Trusty (4th, 45.21), and the men’s 400-meter relay of junior Max Milder, freshman Paul Chaney, Jr., junior Aaron Reed and junior Lee Elbert (5th, 41.16).

HAWKEYES BREAK RECORDS — Two Hawkeyes have set three school records so far this outdoor season. Senior distance runner Diane Nukuri and junior jumper Renee White are the new record holders.

Nukuri broke 3,000 and 10,000 meter records this month. She smashed the 17-year-old 10,000 meter record of 33:23.38 set in 1991 by Jennifer Brower at the Stanford Invite on April 4. Nukuri’s second-place finish of 33:17.01 also automatically qualified her for the NCAA Championships in Des Moines in June. She also broke the 3,000-meter mark of 9:20.61 set in 1985 by Penny O’Brien at Saturday’s Hawkeye Invitational. Nukuri won the race win 9:18.82.

White broke her own triple jump record April 12 at the Sun Angel Classic in Tempe, AZ. Her winning mark of 42-4 broke the record of 42-2 1/2 she set last season.

WOMEN’S TRACK SIGNS 2008-09 CLASS — The Iowa women’s track team has signed five student-athlete distance runners for the 2008-09 season. Lindsay Anderson (Leeds, ND), Betsy Flood (Des Moines, IA), Brooke Eilers (Holland, MI), McKenzie Melander (Apple Valley, MN) and Danielle Berndt (Bloomington, MN) will all be joining the Hawkeyes.

Anderson, sister of Hawkeye distance runner Krista Anderson, is a two-time North Dakota Gatorade Athlete of the Year. She is an 11-time state champion, winning four titles in cross country, five in the 1,600 meters and two in the 3,200 meters. She is a three-time Footlocker National High School Cross Country meet qualifier. Flood is one of the top all-around prep runners in Iowa, winning state titles in the 800 and 1,500 meters and the distance medley relay. She is a member of the AAU record setting 3,200 meter relay team. Eilers has received all-state accolades in cross country and track. Melander posted a state runner-up performance in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters in 2007. Berndt placed second in the state 3,200 meters (10:49) and fourth at the state cross country championships. She is also an excellent nordic skier having recently qualified for the national championships in Alaska.

MEN’S TRACK SIGNS 2008-09 CLASS — The Hawkeye men’s track program has signed four student-athletes to its 2008-09 recruiting class. Head Coach Larry Wieczorek announced the signing of D’Juan Richardson (Indianapolis, IN), Thomas Reynolds (Coralville, IA), Nick Holmes (Bartonville, IL) and Patrick Richards (Colorado Springs, CO) to national letters of intent.

Richardson ran sprints and hurdles on the 2007 state champion Warren Central High School team. He won the 2008 state 55-meter hurdles title (7.41), placing third in the 110-meter hurdles (14.08) and the intermediate hurdles (37.4) at the state meet last season. He is currently ranked in the top 20 returning 110-meter hurdlers in the nation. Reynolds was a thrower on the 2007 state champion Iowa City West High School team. He placed third in the discus at the state meet as a junior with a toss of 176-11. He has already thrown 181-0 this season. Holmes was selected Athlete of the Meet at the 2008 Illinois Prep Top Times Classic, winning the indoor mile with a meet record-setting 4:13.72. He also won the 2007 state 2A cross country championships for Limestone High School (14:21 – three miles), beating the runner-up by 27 seconds. Richards was runner-up at the 2007 Colorado state track meet in the 200 (21.55) and 400 meters (47.66). He competes for Widefield High School.

LAST TIME OUT — The Hawkeyes battled chilly temperatures and wet conditions to win 13 events and set a new school distance record at the Iowa Invitational last weekend at Francis X. Cretzmeyer Track in Iowa City. Twenty-five Hawkeyes posted collegiate-best performances at the 10-team, co-ed meet.

Hawkeye senior Diane Nukuri smashed her second school record of the 2008 outdoor season, winning the 3,000 meters in 9:18.82. Former Hawkeye Penny O’Brien set the previous record of 9:20.61 in 1985. Nukuri also broke the school 10,000-meter mark earlier this month.

Iowa senior Shane Maier and junior John Hickey were Iowa’s regional qualifiers on the day. Maier won the discus with a throw of 171-1, while Hickey won the shot put with a toss of 58-0 ¼. There were a total of 15 regional qualifying marks posted on the day.

Two members of the Hawkeye coaching staff also won events while competing unattached. Men’s assistant coach Joey Woody won the 400-meter hurdles in 51.54. Women’s volunteer assistant Becca Franklin won the hammer throw with a mark of 176-4. The former Hawkeye, who completed her eligibility last season, still holds the school record of 195-0 in the event.

NEXT UP — The Hawkeyes will host the 10th annual co-ed Musco Twilight Meet May 3 at Francis X. Cretzmeyer Track in Iowa City. The Big Ten Network will air a tape-delay broadcast of the meet on May 14 at 7 p.m. (CT). Competing teams include Drake, Minnesota, Northern Iowa and Wisconsin. Events are scheduled to start at 3 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults and $2 each for groups of 15 or more. University of Iowa students and fans ages 18 and under will be admitted free.

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