WICHITA, Kan. – Drake University junior Mary Young (Urbandale) became the latest Drake hurdler to win a Missouri Valley Conference title with a first-place finish in the women's 100-meter hurdles Saturday during the final day of the MVC Track & Field Championship.
 
Young bested the field with wind-aided time of 13.14 that would easily better her previous school record if not for the tailwind over the allowable limit. Her title marked the third time in the last seven years that a Bulldog has won the event as Young continues the legacy established by Sarah Yeager and Marissa Smith.
 
Young also ran a leg on the Bulldogs' 4x100-meter relay that finished sixth and the 4x400-meter relay that finished third in 3:42.72.
 
Young was one of five Bulldogs that earned All-MVC honors on the final day of the championship meet. Freshman Caulin Graves (Kansas City, Mo.) had a breakout championship meet for the men's team with a second-place finish in the 200 meters and a fourth-place showing in the 100 meters.
 
Graves raced to the finish in the 200 meters in 20.72, a time that would rank fourth-fastest in program history if not for the favorable wind, while his 10.31 finish in the 100 meters would register as the third-fastest in program history if wind-legal. UNI's Brandon Carnes won both races to complete four-straight wins in the events during his career.
 
The Bulldogs opened the day with an All-MVC performance in the women's triple jump as Taryn Rolle (Nassau, The Bahamas) finished second with a leap of 40-11.75 that would stand as a school record if not wind-aided.
 
Later, Rai Ahmed-Green (Irvine, Calif.) finished third in the women's 400 meters with a time of 54.85. That time was just 0.01 seconds off the personal best she set in the event on Friday that ranks as the second-fastest in program history.
 
Finally, Bas Van Leersum (Zaandam, The Netherlands) earned another All-MVC honor in his final MVC meet as he finished third in the 400-meter hurdles in 51.77. He also ran the leadoff leg of the 4x400-meter relay that finished fifth with a season-best time of 3:14.36.
 
The Bulldogs also got points in the distance events on Sunday with Bailee Cofer (Overland Park, Kan.) taking eighth in the women's 5,000 meters while Josh Yeager (Center Point, Iowa) took eighth in the men's 1,500 meters.
 
As a team, the Drake women finished tied for seventh in the team standings while the men were eighth. Wichita State swept both team titles on their home track.
 
 
2017 MVC Track & Field Championship
Wichita, Kan. – Cessna Stadium
 
Women's Team Standings
1. Wichita State, 226       
2. Illinois State, 137  
3. Southern Illinois, 107       
4. Indiana State, 104  
5. Northern Iowa, 90       
6. Missouri State, 70  
7. Drake, 38  
7. Loyola (Ill.), 38      
9. Bradley, 8
 
Men's Team Standings
1. Wichita State, 181.50
2. Northern Iowa, 166
3. Southern Illinois, 143.50
4. Indiana State, 104
5. Illinois State, 96
6. Bradley, 43
6. Loyola (Ill.), 43
8. Drake, 42
 
 
Drake Individual Women's Results
400 Meters
3. Rai Ahmed-Green, 54.85
 
5,000 Meters
8. Bailee Cofer, 18:05.32
 
100-Meter Hurdles
1. Mary Young, 13.14
 
400-Meter Hurdles
6. Victoria Coombe, 1:01.93
 
4x100-Meter Relay
6. Crawford, Rolle, Young, Okoye, 46.49
 
4x400-Meter Relay
3. Crawford, Young, Coombe, Okoye, 3:42.72
 
Triple Jump
2. Taryn Rolle, 40-11.75 (12.49m)
 
 
Drake Individual Men's Results
100 Meters
4. Caulin Graves, 10.31
 
200 Meters
2. Caulin Graves, 20.72
 
1,500 Meters
8. Josh Yeager, 3:56.64
 
400-Meter Hurdles
3. Bas Van Leersum, 51.77
5. Hudson Priebe, 52.50
 
4x100-Meter Relay
5. Witherspoon, Barrow, Lombardi, Graves, 41.23
 
4x400-Meter Relay
5. Van Leersum, Barrow, Priebe, Metivier, 3:14.36
 
Triple Jump
11. Johnathan Osifuye, 46-0.5 (14.03m)
 
Pole Vault
10. Erik Olson, 14-4 (4.37m)