TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Sophomore Max Harlan (Hopkins, Minn.) unleashed a huge personal best to finish second in the javelin on the first day of Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championship. Harlan was one of three Bulldogs to finish in the top 10 of the event.
 
Harlan was already firmly in second place going into his final throw when he launched the javelin 186-6 (56.48m) to solidify his position and better his previous best by more than 14 feet. His lifetime best performance was nearly matched by teammate Jake Taylor (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) who finished fifth in the event with a throw a 164-8 (50.19m).
 
The Drake men's team also collected points in the 10,000 meters as freshman Maximilian Fridrich (Salzburg, Austria) finished sixth in hot, windy conditions with a time of 32:22.47. Sophomore Kyle Cass (Deforest, Wis.) trailed 22 seconds behind in eighth-place.
 
In preliminary heats, freshman Kundai Maguranyanga (Harare, Zimbabwe) advanced to the finals of the 200 meters with a wind-aided time of 20.86. His time was the fifth-fastest qualifying time of the day to earn him a lane in the finals. Teammate Aaron Chier (Belgium, Wis.) narrowly missed advancing with a time of 21.38 which was the ninth-fastest qualifying time.
 
The women's team's evening was highlighted by freshman Mille Bretl (Milwaukee, Wis.) finishing 11^th in the preliminary heats of the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:52.92 to just miss advancing to the finals.
 
Action for the Bulldogs resumes Saturday with the resumption of the heptathlon and decathlon at 10:30 a.m. Drake's Erik Olson (Rockford, Minn.) is currently in eighth place in the decathlon while Bryce Lang (Lee's Summit, Mo.) is 11^th in the heptathlon.
 
 
MVC Outdoor Track & Field Championship
Day 1 - Friday, May 11
 
Drake Individual Men's Results
200 Meters – Prelims
5. Kundai Maguranyanga, 20.86
9. Aaron Chier, 21.38
10. Caulin Graves, 21.39
 
1,500 Meters – Prelims
11. Kevin Kelly, 4:07.18
 
10,000 Meters
6. Maximilian Fridrich, 32:22.47
8. Kyle Cass, 32:44.41
10. Kyle Brandt, 33:28.16
 
Javelin
2. Maxwell Harlan, 186-6 (56.84m)
5. Jake Taylor, 164-8 (50.19m)
10. Jacob Lewis, 156-8 (47.76m)
12. Erik Olson, 147-0 (44.80m)
20. Blair Barrow, 104-10 (31.96m)
 
Decathon – Day 1 – 5 Events
8. Erik Olson, 2920
 
 
Drake Individual Women's Results
200 Meters – Prelims
17. Mariah Crawford, 24.89
23. Sophia Jackson, 25.93
 
1,500 Meters – Prelims
11. Millie Bretl, 4:52.92
14. Elizabeth Aho, 5:03.47
 
10,000 Meters
12. Bailee Cofer, 38:56.05
 
Pole Vault
11. Christina LeMunyon, 11-1.50 (3.39m)
14. Cameryn Baldwin, 10-1.50 (3.09m)
 
Heptathlon – Day 1 – 4 events
11. Bryce Lang. 2,386