April 24, 2009
- Drake Relays Meet Central
- Iowa and the Big Ten Network
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- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch
DES MOINES, IA — The University of Iowa track and field team turned in a solid day of competition at Friday’s 100th annual Drake Relays in Des Moines, IA. Three Hawkeyes finished in the top five of their individual events, Iowa posted regional qualifying marks in two individual events and one relay, and five Hawkeye relay teams posted times that rank in the top 10 in Iowa school history.
Junior Zachary Schimp and senior John Hickey posted Iowa’s highest finishes of the day and each recorded regional qualifying marks in their respective events. Schimp placed third in the javelin (204-8), while Hickey placed third in the shot put (59-0 1/4). Senior A.J. Curtis also posted a regional qualifying mark in the shot put, placing fifth in 58-0 1/4.
The men’s 400-meter relay of freshmen D’Juan Richardson, sophomore Zeke Sayon, freshman Patrick Richards and junior Paul Chaney, Jr. qualified for the regional meet for this first time this season with a 40.58 in the prelims. They placed second in their heat and recorded the fourth-fastest overall prelim time to advance to Saturday’s finals. It was Chaney, Jr.’s outdoor season debut after wrapping up spring football practice last weekend.
Also advancing to Saturday’s event finals were sophomore Karessa Farley in the women’s 100-meter hurdles and the men’s 1,600-meter relay of sophomore Steven Willey, freshman Erik Sowinski, sophomore Chris Barton and junior Ray Varner. Farley won her heat in 14.35, which was the fourth-fastest overall prelim time. The relay placed second in 3:11.12, which was the fifth-fastest time in the prelim races.
Five Hawkeye relays earned a spot in the school record books with their Friday performances. The men’s 800-meter relay of Richarson, redshirt freshman Stephen Bee, Richards and Chaney, Jr., broke the school record of 1:26.39 set in 1979 with their 1:24.85 for sixth place. The men’s 3,200-meter relay of Willey, freshman Zack Braff, Sowinski and junior Adam Hairston turned in the second-fastest time in school history with their 7:33.08 for 11th place. The women’s 3,200-meter relay of freshmen Besty Flood and Brittany Dlhy, sophomore Lauren Hardesty and senior Jennie Docherty placed sixth in 8:53.91, which ranks fourth in school history. The women’s 800-meter relay of junior Rhonda-Kaye Trusty, sophomores Tiffany Hendricks and Kara-Aretha Graham and freshman Nicole Erickson placed ninth in 1:38.79, which ranks seventh. The men’s 6,400-meter relay of freshman Chase Kadlec, senior Eric MacTaggart and sophomores James Paul and Brian Marchese placed 11th in 17:17.63, which also ranks seventh in school history.
The Hawkeyes also saw season-best performances from the women’s 400-meter (46.56), distance medley (12:11.56) and 1,600-meter relays (3:49.92).
“We had a solid effort out there today,” said Head Women’s Coach Layne Anderson. “We progressed in several areas, and look forward to the competition Saturday.”
Saturday’s final day of Drake Relays competition is set to start at 8 a.m. at the Jim Duncan Track at Drake Stadium. A 90-minute taped delayed broadcast of Saturday’s events will air Sunday at 1 p.m. (CT) on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD.
IOWA’S FRIDAY DRAKE RELAYS RESULTS (WINNER PLUS IOWA PLACERS)
Women’s 100-Meter Hurdles Prelims
1. Kim Laing (Alabama) 13.80
5. Karessa Farley (Iowa) 14.35
Men’s Javelin
1. Ben Chretien (McNeese St.) 220-3
3. Zachary Schimp (Iowa) 204-8
Men’s Shot Put
1. Aaron Studt (Minnesota) 61-5 3/4
3. John Hickey (Iowa) 59-0 1/4
5. A.J. Curtis (Iowa) 58-0 1/4
18. Ryan Lamparek (Iowa) 53-5 3/4
Women’s 400-Meter Relay Prelims
1. Baylor (Carson, Townsend, Hood, Gregorgy) 44.60
12. Iowa (Farley, Trusty, Hendricks, White) 46.56
Men’s 400-Meter Relay Prelims
1. Baylor (Boyd, Prevost, Thomas, Harts) 39.89
4. Iowa (Richardson, Sayon, Richards, Chaney, Jr.) 40.58
Women’s 1,600-Meter Relay Prelims
1. Texas (Stewart, Smith, Malone, Nwosu) 3:36.76
20. Iowa (Hendricks, Praska, Mims, Erickson) 3:49.92
Men’s 1,600-Meter Relay Prelims
1. Ohio State (Woodard, Comer, Robison, Murdaugh) 3:08.51
5. Iowa (Willey, Sowinski, Barton, Varner) 3:11.12
Women’s 800-Meter Relay
1. Louisiana Tech (Lewis, Hanneman, Story, Wright) 1:35.02
9. Iowa (Trusty, Hendricks, Graham, Erickson) 1:38.79
Men’s 800-Meter Relay
1. Baylor (Prevost, Thomas, Boyd, Harts) 1:22.01
6. Iowa (Richardson, Bee, Richards, Chaney, Jr.) 1:24.85
Women’s 3,200-Meter Relay
1. Minnesota (Schwengler, Swenson, Cheever, Dorniden) 8:37.20
6. Iowa (Flood, Dlhy, L. Hardesty, Docherty) 8:53.91
Men’s 3,200-Meter Relay
1. Wisconsin (Miller, Ludwig, Bolas, Beth) 7:21.10
11. Iowa (Willey, Braff, Sowinski, Hairston) 7:33.08
Men’s 6,400-Meter Relay
1. Minnesota (Mead, Richardson, Rombough, Blankenship) 16:29.74
11. Iowa (Kadlec, E. MacTaggart, Paul, Marchese) 17:17.63
Women’s Distance Medley Relay
1. Baylor (Jones, Taylor, Benvegnu, Bedell) 11:12.75
19. Iowa (Hawks, Praska, Ellis, Berndt) 12:11.56
Click for complete Drake Relays results.