WHAT'S AHEAD: The Drake women's track and field will compete in their third Big 12 meet in as many weeks when they travel to Lincoln, Neb., to partake in the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational this Friday and Saturday (Feb. 4-5). The meet, held at the Devaney Center, will start at noon both days.
LAST TIME OUT: Senior Ari Curtis (Fort Collins, Colo.) won the pentathlon, senior Tyse Samani (Kansas City, Mo.) took home the high jump crown and sophomore Marissa Smith (Ajax, Ontario) won the 60-meter high hurdles for the Drake women's track team at the Jayhawk Classic on Jan. 28.
Curtis, competing in her first pentathlon of the season, registered a score of 3,638 points. She won the long jump and 800-meter sections of the competition.
Samani, for the second week in a row, tied a personal best in the high jump with a leap of 5-feet 7-inches.
Smith won the 60-meter hurdles clocking an 8.84 in the finals. Fellow sophomore Sarah Yeager (Ottumwa, Iowa) was fifth in the finals running a 9.10.
Senior Casey McDermott (Newton, Iowa) nabbed second place in the 800-meter race with a time of 2:15.44.
Fellow seniors Katie Coomer (Overland Park, Kan.) and Kara McCartney (Elgin, Iowa) were close behind McDermott in the 800 as they finished third and fourth, respectively. Coomer was clocked in 2:15.21, while McCartney ran the race in 2:18.35. Sophomore Cammy Dole (Anamosa, Iowa) was sixth finishing in 2:23.23.
Senior Beth Hamling (Council Bluffs, Iowa) ran a time of 25.41 in the 200-meter dash to register a second place finish.
Sophomore Whitney Westrum (Waukee, Iowa), in her first collegiate track meet of her career, finished 10th in the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.40. Westrum, a former Drake Relays outstanding high school girls performer, is also a standout on the Drake volleyball team.
Senior Johanna Sprang (New Brighton, Minn.) placed fourth in the pole vault with a vault of 10-11.75.
Freshman Celia Venezia (Labadie, Mo.) finished second in the 1000 meter race finishing in 3:16.19, while junior Kirsten Lake (Parker, Colo.) was sixth in the mile clocking in at 5:19.01.
Senior Cambria Pardner (Aurora, Colo.) was sixth in the long jump leaping 17-4.25. Pardner also placed 11th in the 60-meter dash clocking in at 7.90.
CURTIS NAMED MVC TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Drake senior Ari Curtis (Fort Collins, Colo.) was named State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Women's Track Athlete of the Week for Jan. 25-31, the league announced Tuesday (Feb. 1).
Curtis won the pentathlon with a score of 3,638 last Friday at the Jayhawk Classic. Curtis, who set the school record in the event last year, won the event competing in her first pentathlon of the season. Curtis's score ranks 24th in the nation and third in the MVC. Curtis won the long jump and 800-meter sections of the competition, while finishing second in the 60-meter hurdles and third in the shot put.
UP NEXT: For the third time this season, the Bulldogs will return to Ames, Iowa to partake in the Iowa State Classic next Thursday through Saturday (Feb. 10-12).
