Photos: Taylor Soule

Drake track and field boasted several notable finishes at last weekend’s Drake Relays despite blustery, drizzly conditions.

Sophomore Omet Kak and senior Charlie Lapham finished second and third in the 1500, notching the Bulldogs’ best distance finish.

The pair routinely trains together, making Saturday’s finish especially memorable.

“This race led to a fun last lap,” Lapham said in a Drake athletics press release.  “Finishing two and three was pretty exciting and this was a fun race overall.”

Kak took the lead entering the final lap, earning fans’ uproar.

“When I took the lead, the crowd got crazy,” Kak said in a Drake athletics press release.  “Unfortunately, I couldn’t hold it as Jeremiah Vaughn, he is a really good, and ran me down.”

Junior Kirsten Lake finished eighth in the women’s 1500, crossing the finish line in 4:25.46.  Besides topping the Missouri Valley Conference, Lake’s time was a personal best.

Lake lagged at the back of the pack entering the final lap but pushed into eighth.

“This is my third time that I’ve raced the 1500,” Lake said in a Drake athletics press release.  “I was really hesitant the first few laps as the pace was fast.  I was feeling good the last lap and I pushed and gave it everything I had.”

Drake sprinters notched notable finishes in the men’s and women’s 400 hurdles.

Senior Jon DeGrave claimed 10th in the 400-hurdles, clocking 52.16.

Senior Ari Curtis finished 12th in 59.78, her first finish under the one minute mark this season.

“I hit two hurdles and stumbled on a few, but I got through the best I could,” Curtis said in a Drake athletics press release.

Besides his strong performance in the 400-hurdles, DeGrave claimed fifth in the 4×200 alongside sophomore Brett Wright, senior Shaun James and junior Dan Karys.  Drake finished in 1:26.08.

Juniors Isaac Twombly and Kevin Harp led Drake’s field efforts.

Twombly broke his own school record for the third straight week in the hammer throw.  His toss reached 180 feet, seven inches en route to a 13th place finish.

Harp set a new school record in the men’s javelin.  Despite wind gusts exceeding 30 mph, Harp’s top throw registered 209 feet, one inch.

Throws coach Mark Kostek lauded Harp’s gritty throwing.

“His performance was pretty gutsy,” Kostek said in a Drake athletics press release.  “It’s pretty difficult to throw the javelin in those conditions.”