DES MOINES, Iowa – Select members of the Illinois State men's and women's track and field teams head to Des Moines, Iowa, for the prestigious, 106th running of the Drake Relays, Thursday, April 23 through Saturday, April 25.
"This is a fantastic meet which Drake does a wonderful job hosting," ISU Director of Track and Field Jeff Bovee said. "Our athletes look forward to this meet as much as any all year. We're looking forward to a great competition."
Competition begins for the Redbirds with the women's 4x1600-meter relay Thursday at 4:40 p.m., followed by the men's 4x1600-meter relay at 5:05 p.m. Ashley England and Haley Verbeke will then compete in the 10,000-meter run at 7:30 p.m., followed by the men's 5,000-meter run, featuring Tyler Morse, at 9:05 p.m.
"Our women's 4x1600-meter team should be very strong," Bovee said. "I think Ariel Michalek is having a breakout season. She is going to run the 4x1600-meter, and then two days later, come back and run the steeplechase, where she will try to improve her mark."
Friday on the track, the women's and men's 4x100-meter relays will compete at 10:58 a.m. and 11:10 a.m., respectively. ISU's women's 4x400-meter relay team will then race at 2:55 p.m., followed by Illinois State's defending Missouri Valley Conference indoor champion men's 4x400-meter relay squad at 3:20 p.m. ISU wraps up its running events Friday with the men's 4x800-meter relay at 8:33 p.m.
Anderson Devonish is slated to run in the 4x400-meter, 4x100-meter and sprint medley relays for the Redbirds. Devonish is currently ranked No. 25 nationally in the 400-meter. Meanwhile, JD LaFayette will compete in the 4x800-meter and the 4x1600-meter relays. He currently holds the top time in the 800-meter among all MVC freshmen.
"We're deep in the men's middle distance area, with two strong events in the 4x1600-meter and the 4x800-meter," Bovee said. "We're going to continue to try to drop down our men's 4x400-meter time. We're looking to try to put a mark out there to qualify for the NCAA First Round. Some of the top relays in the nation will be at Drake, and our guys will be trying to make the finals."
In the field Friday, top-seeded Jianna Williams will begin throwing the shot put at 11 a.m. Along with being favored to win the women's shot put, Williams is ranked No. 13 nationally in the event. At 12:30 p.m., indoor MVC champion Chase Pavelonis will compete in the pole vault, followed by the women's discuss at 1 p.m., featuring Morgan Keller.
"Jianna Williams is the top seed coming into the shot put, and we look for her to contend for a Drake Relays title, which those don't come very easily," Bovee said. "Chase Pavelonis will be pole vaulting, and he has a stellar field of vaulters who he will be going up against."
On Saturday, Williams will return to the field to compete in the hammer, an event which she is ranked No. 25 nationally.
On the track, ISU's men's and women's sprint medley teams will race at 10 a.m. and 10:20 a.m., respectively. The women's steeplechase will follow, featuring No. 38 ranked Ariel Michalek and Kelly McShea. McShea is competing unattached. The women's and men's 4x100-meter finals will then take place at 3:12 p.m. and 3:20 p.m., respectively, followed by the women's and men's 4x400-meter finals at 3:45 p.m. and 3:52 p.m., respectively.
The Redbird track and field team is coming off solid performances at the Illinois Twilight (April 18), with the men finishing in second place behind Illinois, and the women finishing fifth at the end of competition.
Live results from the Drake Relays can be found by clicking here.
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