LINCOLN, Neb. – The Drake University track and field teams won four events and recorded nine personal bests on Saturday afternoon at the Nebraska Invitational in Lincoln, Neb. The meet was the Bulldogs' final competition before next week's Missouri Valley Conference Championship.
 
The small meet pitted 26 Bulldogs against Nebraska, Iowa State and Iowa State Wesleyan as both the men's and women's teams continued to post strong performances. Other members of the team had the weekend off to prepare for the MVC Championship.
 
The hurdlers again led the team with a pair of wins in the men's 400-meter hurdles and women's 100-meter hurdles.
 
Bas Van Leersum (Zaandam, The Netherlands) won the men's 400-meters with his best performance to date as a Bulldog with a personal best of 51.35. That time ranks as the fourth fastest in Drake history and is currently the top time in the MVC this season. Van Leersum was one of five Bulldogs to finish in the top eight in the event with Malik Metivier (Toronto, Ont.) coming in fourth in 53.05.
 
In the women's 100-meter hurdles, Mary Young (Urbandale, Iowa) continued her strong season with another win, this one coming in a time of 13.70.
 
Mariah Crawford (DeSoto, Texas) nearly swepts the sprints with a pair of personal bests by taking the 100 meters in 12.22 and finishing second in the 200 meters in 24.80. In the men's sprints, Caulin Graves (Kansas City, Mo.) won the 200 meters with a personal best of 21.23 that ranks as the sixth-fastest time in the Valley this season.
 
The Bulldogs return to the track Friday, May 12, for the first day of the MVC Championship in Wichita, Kan.
 
Nebraska Invitational
Drake Individual Men's Results
100 Meters
9. Nihad Ejubovic, 11.45
 
200 Meters
1. Caulin Graves, 21.23
5. Deonne Witherspoon, 22.02
11. Nihad Ejubovic, 22.66
 
400 Meters
4. Blair Barrow, 49.30
6. Cory Erickson, 50.70
8. George Webb, 51.77
10. Maxwell Harlan, 53.32              
 
800 Meters
9. Alec Bognar, 2:00.19
11. Michael Cooper, 2:02.01
12. John Freeman, 2:06.31
 
110-Meter Hurdles
3. Dom Lombardi, 15.00
 
400-Meter Hurdles
1. Bas Van Leersum, 51.35
4. Malik Metivier, 53.05
5. Dom Lombardi, 53.27
7. Hudson Priebe, 54.52
8. Tyler Zak, 55.33
 
4x100-Meter Relay
3. Lombardi, Priebe, Witherspoon, Graves, 41.16
 
 
Drake Individual Women's Results
100 Meters
1. Mariah Crawford, 12.22
 
200 Meters
2. Mariah Crawford, 24.80
4. Ebele Okoye, 25.40
 
400 Meters
4. Kayla Giuliano, 58.09
5. Kaylen Rettig, 59.14
 
1,500 Meters
8. Morgan Garcia, 5:01.71
9. Mykaela Cole, 5:03.37
11. Paige Nicholson, 5:07.26
13. Olivia Rogers, 5:23.11
 
100-Meter Hurdles
1. Mary Young, 13.70
5. Victoria Coombe, 14.46
12. Bryce Lang, 16.51
 
400-Meter Hurdles
3. Victoria Coombe, 1:01.81
7. Bryce Lang, 1:10.23