2017 Drake Relays Results
DES MOINES, Iowa—Seniors
Emily Grove and
Danielle Waldner captured Drake Relays titles in the collegiate pole vault and shot put, respectively, while freshman
Chris Nilsen finished runner-up in the Rio Olympic Rematch pole vault at the 108th Drake Relays on Saturday.
After finishing runner-up at the Drake Relays a year ago, Grove was a quarter inch off the meet record and won the pole vault competition in 14 feet, 3 ¼ inches. Classmate
Emily Brigham tied for third place in 13-3 ½. Senior
Madison Mills, who won the event back in 2014, took sixth in 13-3 ½. Freshman
Makiah Hunt, senior
Hunter Wilkes and junior
Maddie Aune also competed for the Coyotes in the women's pole vault field.
"The bar progressions were pretty aggressive today," Grove said. "I think that helped everyone in the field perform well."
Waldner fired the shot put 52-7 ¼ on her final throw in capturing the shot put title. Waldner held the lead in 51-1 headed into the finals, a mark which she improved twice in her last three throws. The senior has improved her place in each of her four Drake Relays competitions from fourth, seventh and 12th the past three years.
As the only collegiate in a field of Olympians and professional vaulters, Nilsen placed second with a clearance of 18-4 ½. The freshman led the event with no misses through the first four progressions. The 2016 Olympic Bronze Medalist Sam Kendricks went on to make 19-0 ¼ to capture the Drake Relays title. Nilsen would have captured the collegiate section of the pole vault, contested Friday, by three inches.
"
Chris Nilsen, I have got to tell you, I am a huge fan," Kendricks said of the freshman from South Dakota. "At 19 years old, he's taking the world by storm in the collegiate series. He is jumping on my pole brand now, the UST Essx, which I think is really cool. But man, he put it all on the line, lathered up in sweat and was taking all of the advice he could get. He's a great jumper and I see such a huge future for him."
Freshman
Zack Anderson made 6-11 ½ on his third attempt in the high jump for fourth place. The mark ties his Summit League-leading and season best height.
Junior
Lindsay Joyce finished fourth in the 1,500 meters with a clocking of 4:32.13.
The South Dakota women's distance medley relay broke an 11-year-old school record by 12 seconds. Sophomore
Madeline Huglen, junior
Brooke Ireland, senior
Nicole Schmidt and senior
Amber Eichkorn teamed to run 11:40.68 for sixth place.
The men's sprint medley relay of freshman
Sam Clark, sophomore
Jovane Parkinson, freshman
Mason Wichers and sophomore
Jacob Simmons added the final top-10 finish of the day by placing ninth in 3:29.42.
The Coyotes compete at the Howard Wood Dakota Relays in Sioux Falls, S.D. next Friday and Saturday.
