Smith, Austin pace Bulldogs with first-place finishes at MVC Championships
MEN’S
Sophomore Brogan Austin paced the men’s track and field team in its final meet of the indoor season with his first-place finish in the 5,000-meter run at the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Austin led a pack of 14 as he crossed the finish line in 14 minutes, 24 seconds, which was two seconds faster than Southern Illinois’ Neal Anderson. Like any good athlete, Austin was searching for ways to improve even as soon as he won the MVC 5,000-meter crown.
“Overall, I was pleased with my performance as well as the team’s (performance),” said Austin. “I wish I could have done some things differently, but nevertheless, (it was) a great learning experience for my running career.”
Senior Jon DeGrave placed in two events in his final indoor MVC championships, as he took second in the 400-meter dash and sixth in the 200-meter dash. DeGrave finished the 400 in 48.73 seconds while his teammate, sophomore Brett Wright, snagged fifth place with a time of 49.50 seconds. DeGrave finished the 200 in 22.35 seconds.
With a jump 48 feet 1.75 inches, junior Dan Karys tied for fourth place in the triple jump.
The Bulldogs placed three runners in the top six of the mile run, as sophomore Omet Kak, senior Charlie Lapham and sophomore Doug Brady finished in fourth, fifth and sixth place, respectively. Kak, who also snagged fourth place in the 3,000-meter run, is looking forward to the postseason and outdoor track season.
“If I do not compete in the last-chance meet, then I will just continue training and look forward to the outdoors season, which is just around the corner,” said Kak.
The Bulldogs took fifth place overall at the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
WOMEN’S
Junior Marissa Smith led the women’s track and field team with her first-place finish in the 60-meter hurdle finals at the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships this past Sunday.
Smith ran a personal-best time of 8.44 seconds to beat Northern Iowa senior Olimpia Nowak in the UNI Dome. Smith finished in second place in last year’s MVC indoor championships at the same venue.
“I’ve been sick for the past few days, and I’ve been trying to pull it together,” Smith said. “I just really wanted to win it.”
Senior Kirsten Lake finished in seventh place in the 800-meter run in her final MVC indoor championship. Lake finished with a time of 2:16.44 seconds.
Rounding out the top 10 in the one-mile run was freshman Mariel Fulton and junior Cammy Dole, with their eighth- and 10th-place finishes, respectively. Fulton finished with a time of 5:16.68 while Dole was clocked at 5:18.58.
Some Drake runners will be back in action at Iowa State this Saturday for the “Last Chance” meet. This meet gives runners one more opportunity to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships.