DES MOINES, Iowa – This weekend, the Drake Bulldogs’ track and field team captivated home fans at the 116th Drake Relays. The team celebrated two shining victories, making their mark at this storied event.
Cooper Cerese and Daniel Rotich stood out in the University/College division. Cerese, who also competed in Wednesday’s World Shot Put Series, won the outdoor shot put with a strong throw of 18.46m (60-6.75 feet). Meanwhile, Rotich finished first in the unseeded men’s 5k, clocking in at 14:30.45.
In the same race, Daghyn True trailed Rotich, finishing at 14:54.36. Brenden Heitzig also impressed, taking second in the men’s seeded 5k with a time of 14:04.32. On the women’s side, Breanna Burak secured 10th place in the unseeded 5k, crossing the line at 18:29.70.
The Bulldogs’ relays also made waves. The men’s sprint medley team, featuring True, Kaden Karpel, Lanse Larsen, and Jake DeVivo, secured a time of 3:33.59. Heitzig teamed up with Berkley Munnings, Gaven Corpin, and Carter Beasley in the distance medley for an impressive 9:50.48.
In another relay, True, DeVivo, Larsen, and Xander Kwa placed fourth in the 4×1600 with a time of 16:40.64. Kwa and Larsen also tackled the men’s 3000m steeplechase, finishing sixth and eleventh, respectively.
Ella Brown contributed significantly to both the women’s 4×400 and 4×800 relays, recording times of 3:55.39 and 9:08.16. She teamed with Sophia Agan, Gracie Federspiel, and Ashley Gaba in the 4×800, while Emma Nau, Denae McElrath, and Avery Littlejohn joined her in the 4×400. Brown also placed 20th in the women’s unseeded 800.
Maud Visscher excelled in the women’s field events, finishing second in the shot put with a throw of 15.87m (52-0.75 feet). She also took sixth in the discus with a throw of 45.52m (149-4 feet) and placed 20th in the hammer throw.
Ava Graham also impressed in the discus, finishing 14th with a throw of 42.90m (140-9 feet). Centaine Noom-Duckworth and Chinemerem Iwuagwu both stood out in the women’s hammer throw, securing fourth and sixth places, respectively.
On the men’s side, Owen Spira and Adam Phillips made their mark in the hammer throw. Spira achieved a sixth-place finish with a throw of 61.13m (200-6 feet), while Phillips took 17th at 58.63m (192-4 feet). Harrison McGregor just missed the top ten in discus, finishing 11th with a throw of 49.53m (162-6 feet).
Back on the track, Beasley, Munnings, Dylan DeAngelo, and Drake Dombrosky claimed third in the men’s university/college 4×400 relay. Beasley also finished fourth in the men’s 800, clocking in at 1:49.48. Dombrosky, Munnings, and teammates Xavier Baldwin and Josiah Rainey also achieved a strong showing in the 4×200.
Friday night saw other notable performances, including Bowen Martin and Jed Wilson in the men’s 10k, with Martin finishing 13th and Wilson just behind. The women’s sprint medley team of Bliss Knox, Josilyn Dufoe, Sophia Bleich, and Gracie Foster also finished 13th. Anika Mohrhauser secured 16th place in the women’s 10k with a time of 38:10.35.
Looking ahead, the Bulldogs will head to Iowa City next week for the annual Musco Twilight meet. It’s a great opportunity for them to continue their momentum as the season heats up.
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