BERLIN, GERMANY - Drake Relays alum Allyson Felix made history by becoming the first woman ever to win three world women's 200-meter titles Friday night at the World Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
A two-time Olympic silver medalist, Felix was one of three Drake Relays alumni who captured medals during day seven of competition at the 1936 Olympic Stadium.
Meanwhile, former Drake distance standout runner Matt Gabrielson (Belmond, Iowa_, representing Team USA, will be competing in the marathon on Saturday.
Felix, who finished third in the women's invitational 100 at the 2006 Drake Relays, crossed the finish line first in 22.02 seconds, while Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie of the Bahamas earned a bronze medal after finishing third in 22.41. Ferguson-McKenzie was inducted into the Drake Relays Athletes Hall of Fame in 2005.
"I'm just extremely happy," said Felix. "Three times is very special, even more special to take place in this stadium with so much history. I don't think I could have asked for more tonight. Looking at the time, I would have liked to run a little faster. I think the conditions might have played a role in it. We were warming up, had to stop and come inside. But tonight, I really focused on the win. That's really what I went after."
Felix, who won world titles in 2005 and 2007 and has been ranked No. 1 in the world four of the last five years, posted the fastest time in the world this year of 21.88 in Stockholm on July 31. Felix entered the evening tied with Jamaican standout Merlene Ottey (1993, 1995), with two world titles in the 200.
Last April Ottey was selected as one of the Drake Relays Athletes of the Century in conjunction with the 100th running of the Drake Relays.
Two-time world outdoor championships gold medalist and 2004 Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner was second in the men's 400 final, running a season best of 44.60. Wariner won the invitational 400 at the 2009 Drake Relays.
Brittney Reese, who won titles at the 2007 and 2008 Drake Relays, posted the second-best performance in women's long jump qualifying with her leap of 22-3. Reese was fifth in the 2008 Olympics.
Brianna Glenn, who won the invitational 200 at the 2001 and 2004 Drake Relays, also advanced into the finals of the women's long jump with a best of 21-5.25. 2008 Olympic Games finalist Funmi Jimoh, who competed in the 2005 Drake Relays, finished 21st in qualifying with a best leap of 21-9.50 but did not advance.
2008 World Indoor bronze medalist Andra Manson had a top clearance of 7-3.75 to finish ninth at his first world outdoor championship. Mason placed third in the invitational high jump at the 2009 Drake Relays.
2009 and 2006 USA Outdoor runner-up Keith Moffatt cleared the identical height and finished 11th. Moffatt tied for fourth at the 2009 Drake Relays.
2008 Olympic Games finalist Aretha Thurmond and 2008 Olympic Games gold medalist Stephanie Brown Trafton placed 10th and 12th, respectively, in the finals of the women's discus with marks of 196-6 and 192-0.
Brown Trafton placed second, while Thurmond was fourth in the women's invitational discus at the 2009 Drake Relays.
Chris Hill, who was named the outstanding men's performer of the 2008 Drake Relays, finished 24th in the finals of the men's javelin at 253-1.
