Track Team Heads to Drake Relays
Last week the Dakota State track team sent a total of eighteen athletes to the 2019 Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa. There were five female athletes participating and thirteen male athletes. The Drake Relays is host to a multitude of levels ranging from high school participants to professional competitors. “This year fans will continue to have the opportunity to see some of the world’s greatest athletes and many future Olympic stars in action,” said Franklin P. Johnson Drake Relays Director, Blake Boldon. The weeks worth of races started on Saturday, April 20th and ended Saturday, April 27th. However, The Trojan athletes only started Thursday, April 25th.
The eighteen athletes running at the Drake Relays is a record number of qualifiers for Dakota State. The women’s team qualified for the 4×100 meter relay, 4×200 meter relay, and sprint medley relay. The athletes that competed in these events were Josie Wolf, Abbie Strasser, Jenni Giles, Jessi Giles, and Kirsten Paetow. One goal for the female runners over the weekend was to break the school record in the 4×100 meter relay. Track Coach Cody Foreman said the group of girls is close to the record.
The men’s team had both relays and individual competitors qualify. They competed in the 4×100 meter relay, 4×200 meter relay, 4×400 meter relay, sprint medley relay, and shuttle hurdle relay. Athletes include Walker Olivier, Brock Bumann, Josh Snook, Brenner Furlong, Tim Ward, Obang Ojulu, Kevin Jenkins, Riley Greenhoff, and Alex Durr. For individual events, Tyler Lems participated in the discus, Tyler Moulton in the javelin, Max Cruise in the 10,000-meter run, and Braden Curnow in the 5,000 and 10,000-meter run. Many of the male competitors think they have what it takes to make national qualifying times this season.
It was a busy weekend at the Drake
