WICHITA, Kan. – Six members of the Drake University track and field teams advanced through preliminary heats Saturday during the second day of the Missouri Valley Track & Field Championship in Wichita, Kan.
 
Freshman Caulin Graves (Kansas City, Mo.) continued his stellar MVC Championship debut by advancing to the finals in the men's 100 meters with the fifth-fastest qualifying time of the day in 10.47. On Friday, he finished second in the qualifying heats of the 200 meters in 21.02, a time that would rank fourth all-time in Drake history if not for the strong tailwinds over the allowable limit that sprinters have enjoyed so far in Wichita. He will aim to become Drake's first MVC Champion in either event since 2007, but will have to defeat the reigning three-time champion in both events, Brandon Carnes of UNI.
 
The men's team also had a pair advance in the men's 400-meter hurdles as defending MVC Champion Bas Van Leersum (Zaandam, The Netherlands) was fifth in the preliminary heats in 52.75 while fellow All-MVC performer Hudson Priebe (Chamberlain, S.D.) was sixth in 53.10. Freshman Malik Metivier (Toronto, Ont.) narrowly missed advancing in his first outdoor MVC Championship with a ninth-place time.
 
A pair of hurdlers also moved on for the women's team as Mary Young (Urbandale, Iowa) cruised through qualifying with a time of 13.43 in the preliminary round to finish second overall. In the 400-meter hurdles, Victoria Coombe (Centennial, Colo.) finished seventh among preliminary competitors in 1:02.42 to move on.
 
Earlier in the afternoon, Rai Ahmed-Green (Irvine, Calif.) finished second in her heat of the 400 meters and fourth overall in 55.99 to qualify for Sunday's final as well.
 
Competition resumes for the Bulldogs on Championship Sunday at 11:30 a.m. starting with the women's triple jump.
 
MVC Track & Field Championship
Saturday, May 13 – Wichita, Kan.
 
Drake Individual Women's Results
100 Meters (Prelims
17. Mariah Crawford, 12.10
 
400 Meters (Prelims)
4. Rai Ahmed-Green, 55.99
14. Ebele Okoye, 57.64
 
800 Meters (Prelims)
11. Kayla Giuliano, 2:16.51
13. Meghan Kearney, 2:17.81
19. Kaylen Rettig, 2:20.79
27. Paige Nicholson, 2:28.87
 
100-Meter Hurdles (Prelims)
2. Mary Young, 13.43
11. Victoria Coombe, 14.23
 
400-Meter Hurdles (Prelims)
7. Victoria Coombe, 1:02.42
11. Mary Young, 1:04.38
15. Bryce Lang, 1:08.28
 
High Jump
T10. Tamar Mosby, 5-1.75 (1.57m)
T10. Taylor Patton, 5-1.75 (1.57m)
 
Long Jump
T15. Taryn Rolle, 17-6
 
Drake Men's Individual Results
100 Meters (Prelims)
5. Caulin Graves, 10.47
16. Deonne Witherspoon, 10.83
 
400 Meters (Prelims)
9. Blair Barrow, 48.78
16. Cory Erickson, 51.54
17. Tyler Zak, 51.88
18. Nihad Ejubovic, 52.13
 
800 Meters (Prelims)
15. Xavier Lechleitner, 1:54.77
19. George Webb, 1:56.49
20. Cory Erickson, 1:57.39
23. Matt Cozine, 1:57.54
25. Alec Bognar, 2:01.98
 
110-Meter Hurdles (Prelims)
10. Dom Lombardi, 15.03
13. Hudson Priebe, 15.42
 
400-Meter Hurdles (Prelims)
5. Bas Van Leersum, 52.75
6. Hudson Priebe, 53.10
9. Malik Metivier, 53.57
10. Dom Lombardi, 54.36
12. Tyler Zak, 55.42
 
3,000-Meter Steeplechase
9. Chris Kaminski, 9:35.47
14. Kyle Cass, 9:58.07
 
Long Jump
17. Johnathan Osifuye, 17-9