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Iowa State University Athletics
ISU to Compete in 99th-Annual Drake Relays
04.22.2008 | Track and Field
AMES, Iowa- Iowa State prepares for its strongest meet of the 2008 outdoor season thus far, as the Cyclones will travel to Des Moines on Thursday for the 99th-annual Drake Relays running on the Jim Duncan Track.
ISU will be sending down ten athletes to compete individually and six relays will also be running for the Cyclones. The Relays will be especially important for the several Iowans on the squad traveling to Des Moines.
"We have a well-rounded group competing at Drake," said Iowa State track and field coach Corey Ihmels. "We have a lot of Iowa kids on the team who are excited to get down there and run on the blue oval."
The Cyclones will be bringing their top distance runners to compete at America's Athletic Classic. Lisa Koll, the American Collegiate Record Holder in the 10,000-meters, will be competing in the 5,000-meter run. The Fort Dodge High School alum will run in the 5,000-meters for the first time this outdoor season, and look to regionally qualify in her second race this season, after qualifying for the 10,000-meter run.
"Lisa is excited about competing in the Drake Relays, it is something she has watched since high school," Ihmels said. "I think it is important to her, and we are excited to getting out there, competing hard and seeing where we are at."
In the men's distance events, are Kiel Uhl and Guor Majak in the men's 5,000-meter run. Uhl and Majak earned sixth and seventh respectively in their inaugural Drake Relays last year. Uhl regionally qualified in the 5,000-meter run last weekend at the Mt. Sac Relays.
Freshman Hillary Bor, who regionally qualified in the 3,000-meter steeplechase last weekend, will try his hand in the 1,500-meter run at Drake. The Kapsabet, Kenya native will be performing in his first Drake Relays.
"Hillary is someone who is not from Iowa, and going to be in the Drake Relays for the first time," Ihmels said. "I think he will do some good things, but I do not think he will have a full appreciation for everything until Saturday when it is all over. He will have a lot of fun and do a great job."
Along with Bor, another international athlete, Jayden Russ will run in the 3,000-meter steeplechase this weekend. The Brisbane, Australia native currently is regionally qualified in the event running 8:58.90, the 26th-fastest time in the nation. Bor holds the 14th-fastest time in the country of 8:54.92.
Burlington, Iowa native Jenna Caffrey will represent the Iowa State hurdlers in the 100-meter hurdles. After redshirting the indoor season, Caffrey has come on strong outdoors, winning the 100-meter hurdles at the Big Bear Invite and surpassing her season best at the Sun Angel Classic with a time of 14.12. The sophomore was a three-time Drake Relays champion in high school and placed third in the 100-meter hurdles as a freshman last year. Caffrey also was a member of the second-place shuttle-hurdle relay squad at Drake last year.
"Jenna Caffrey always runs well at Drake, so we expect big things from her", Ihmels said.
Two newcomers will anchor the field events. Tiffanie Synacek earned a spot in the women's high jump field, and Luke Pinkelman will participate in the men's shot put this weekend. Synacek, a Council Bluffs native, set her season-best height of 5-07.00 last week at the Kansas Relays. Pinkelman has shined in the outdoor season, regionally qualified in the shot put with a toss of 58-6 3/4.
ISU will also compete in several relays. The Cyclone men will run in the 4x1600-meter, the 4x800-meter and the distance medley relays. The ISU women will compete in 4x100-meter, the 4x1600-meter and the distance medley relays.
The Drake Relays will offer stiff competition, as officials expect nearly 1,700 athletes, representing schools from a whopping 34 states and Canada.
Events for the university division will begin with the 10,000-meter run at 4 p.m. on Thursday. Friday's events will end with fireworks at 8:55 p.m. The men's 4x400-meter relay will be the last event run in the 99th-annual Drake Relays.
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