Loy's Late Surge Gains Him Drake 1500-Meter Crown

04.24.2010 | Track and Field

DES MOINES, Iowa - Iowa State's Rico Loy had not closed out his 1500-meter races with a strong final lap recently. Until Saturday's Drake Relays final. The redshirt freshman moved up on the Drake Stadium backstretch on the race's final lap. Loy then roared by the giant stadium scoreboard and down the home stretch, slowly gaining on Oklahoma Bapist's Silas Kisorio, Wisconsin's Rob Finnerty and Cyclone teammate Jory Zunich to win the race in 3:45.27. He had to lean at the finish, twice.

"There are two lines very close together," Loy said. "I leaned at the first one and realized immediately that it wasn't the finish line so I kept my head down."

Loy's late dash may be an auspicious preview of things to come. Kisorio was second in 3:45.37 followed by Finnerty (3:45.45) and Zunich (3:47.56).

"We knew he could run like this, he has run 3:44," Iowa State head coach Corey Ihmels said. "He had just been somewhat timid in competition. This time I think he got up there far enough in the race that he could get feel that he could win."

Loy hails from Bad Wildbad, Germany, located in the Black Forest in the south of the country. He had missed last season's track campaign with an Achilles injury. He is the seventh Iowa Stater to win the Drake Relays university-collegiate 1500-meters and the first since John Nuttall won a second straight title in 1991. The other Drake winners from ISU are Jeff Myers (1977), Bob Verbeeck (1982-83), Paul Black (1984), Raf Wyns (1985) and Bob Soule in (1988).

Earlier in the day it was cat and mouse late in the 1600-meter anchor leg of the university men's distance medley. Iowa State's Brandon Rooney ran behind Wisconsin's Craig Miller. With just over 200 meters to go, Rooney shot past Miller. Ultimately Miller prevailed by the smallest of margins as the Badgers finished first in 9:32.84. But that did not overshadow Rooney's anchor split of 3:59.9 as the Cyclones' time was a school record 9:33.39.

"I probably made my move a bit too soon," Rooney said. "I knew (Miller) was very good and that I needed to push the pace late. I tried to get a jump on him but tied up late in the race."

Hillary Bor, Brian Sandvig, and Elphas Sang ran the first three legs of the relay for Iowa State. The Cyclones' previous standard was 9:33.80 set by Barnaba Korir, Sebron Flenaugh, Jonathon Rigg and Raf Wyns in 1987. It was the second distance medley record in as many days for ISU head coach Corey Ihmels. Iowa State's women's distance medley won the Drake Relays title Friday in a new school mark.

"We had a good weekend," Ihmels said. "When you put together back-to-back efforts like we did, you need to enjoy it and I think our team enjoyed much of the weekend. Brandon probably went for the lead a little soon today but he gave a great effort."

Iowa State 400-meter hurdler Kianna Elahi keeps getting better. She finished second overall in the Drake event Saturday in a personal best 58.59. Erica Moore of Indiana State was the winner in 57.21.

"I knew I could run that fast and I know I can run faster," Elahi said. "I am getting more confident in my training and in running this race."

The women's 4 x 1600-meter team of Semehar Tafaye, Erin Penticoff, Ines Fischer and Lisa Koll finished third in 19:14.80. Minnesota won the race in a meet record 18:58.82. Iowa was second in 19:05.63.

Koll moved into the mixed zone after the race for media interviews. While she was talking with reporters, the members of Illinois Wesleyan relay team came up and got Koll's autograph. Soon to follow was Iowa's Betsy Flood, another prep product from the state of Iowa.

Koll had gotten the baton well behind the first two teams but still gained ground on the leaders and held her position of third place.

"The way the race came about, I knew that I had to get out fast," Koll said. "I knew I would have to make a move to get up with the leaders but they were running well and so I was not able to catch them."

Iowa State's Jenna Caffrey was fourth in the 100-meter hurdles.

The Cyclones travel to Columbus, Ohio next weekend for the Jesse Owens Classic.

Drake Relays Results:

Men:

1,500-meter run: 1) Rico Loy, IOWA STATE, 3:45.27; 4) Jory Zunich, IOWA STATE, 3:47.56

Sprint medley relay: 1) Eastern Illinois, 3:16.89; 11) IOWA STATE, 3:24.03.

DMR: 1) Wisconsin, 9:32.84; IOWA STATE, 9:33.39.

4x100-meter relay: 1) Baylor, 39.58; 7) IOWA STATE, 40.86.

Discus: 1) Jared Schuurmans, Doane, 182-08; 9) Mike Zika, IOWA STATE, 161-00.

Hammer Throw: 1) John Freeman, Georgia, 220-03; 11) Josh Koglin, IOWA STATE, 190-10; 15) Zach Richards, IOWA STATE, 188-06.

Women:

100-meter hurdles: 1) Letecia Wright, Ohio State, 13.07; 4) Jenna Caffrey, IOWA STATE, 13.54.

400-meter hurdles: 1) Erica Moore, Indiana State, 51.21; 2) Kianna Elahi, 58.59.

Sprint medley relay: 1) Tulsa, 3:47.44; 9) IOWA STATE, 3:56.10.

4x100-meter relay: 1) Texas El Paso, 44.45; 6) IOWA STATE, 45.68.

4x1600-meter relay: 1) Minnesota, 18:58.82; IOWA STATE, 19:14.80.

Hammer Throw: 1) Gwen Berry, Southern Illinois, 204-03; 10) Britta Christofferson, IOWA STATE, 181-04.