MVC Championship up next as Drake eyes NCAA
Story by Taylor Soule
The Drake track and field team travels to Cedar Falls on Saturday to open a weekend of opportunity. With the NCAA Championship two weeks away, a high finish at the Missouri Valley Conference Championship tops Drake’s to-do list. Plus, Drake will look to build momentum as outdoor season approaches.
The competition opens at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday at the UNI Dome.
Drake has completed seven meets throughout the 2012-13 season, with each resulting in several notable finishes.
At the Iowa State Open on Jan. 18-19, the Drake women opened 2013 with a bang, thanks to a pair of strong finishes by several Bulldog seniors. Senior hurdler Sarah Yeager finished first in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.81 seconds. Fellow senior hurdler Marissa Smith finished second in the finals in 8.82 seconds.
Senior hurdler Briana Isom-Brummer registered a time of 9.02 seconds to take fifth place in the 60-meter hurdles.
The Drake men opened the year with a statement, courtesy of several noteworthy field performances.
Freshman Scott Goad claimed second place in the high jump with a mark of 6-8.75. In other field action, junior Alex Kaster finished third in the triple jump with a mark of 45-6.50.
On the track, junior sprinter Brett Wright recorded a fourth place finish in the 600-yard race with a time of 1:11.79.
In distance competition, junior Brogan Austin finished third in the 3,000 meters, clocking 8:28.70. Freshman Rob McCann crossed the finish line in 9:13.62 to take fourth place.
Drake followed suit in subsequent meets, registering a number of strong performances.
At the final day of the Iowa State Classic on Feb. 9, Bulldog senior Isaac Twombly broke his own school record in the weight throw with a toss of 66-10.75.
In men’s distance action, Austin led Drake with a time of 8:10.61, the second best in Bulldog history, in the 3,000 meters en route to a second place finish.
On the women’s side, Smith won the 300-meter hurdles in 8.52 seconds. Yeager recorded a fourth place finish with a time of 8.60 seconds.
At the Iowa Invite a week later, the Bulldogs again registered several impressive performances.
In women’s competition, freshmen Kayla Bell and Taylor Scholl earned their first indoor victories. Bell won the triple jump with a mark of 36-8.25. Scholl triumphed in the 800 meters in 2:20.74. She missed the Drake record by 11 seconds.
The Drake men’s ‘A’ flight of the 400-meter relay led the way at the Iowa Invite on Feb. 15. Anchored by Wright, the Bulldogs finished first with a time of 3:17.92.
The Bulldogs are back in action at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls on Friday and Saturday as they eye the MVC Indoor Championship.
The 2013 NCAA Indoor Championship runs March 8-9 in Fayetteville, Ark.
