Women's Track and Field 3/31/2011 1:02:00 PM Drake Athletics

Women?s Track Kicks Off Outdoor Season

Thursday, March 31, 2011

What's Ahead: The Drake women's track and field team start off its spring campaign at two locations. Some team members will head south to the Spring Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark. on April 2. Others will compete in the Central Invitational hosted by Central College in Pella, Iowa on April 2. Start time of the Spring Razorback Invitational is at 3 p.m., while the Central Invitational will begin at 10 a.m.

Indoor Season Recap: Propelled by a strong core of returning veterans that hold many school records, the Bulldogs had a successful 2011 indoor track and field campaign.

Leading the way for the Bulldogs was senior Ari Curtis (Fort Collins, Colo.), who competed in a variety of events this season. Curtis finished second at the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Track And Field Championship in the 400-meters. In other meets, Curtis took home the long jump crown at the Iowa State Open, the 800-meter title at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational and the pentathlon title at the Jayhawk Classic with a score of 3,638.

As the school record-holder in the 400-meter hurdles, heptathlon and pentathlon, Curtis earned MVC Athlete of the Week honors for her performance in the pentathlon at the Jayhawk Classic, which at the time was the 25th best mark in the nation in the event.

Fellow senior Beth Hamling (Council Bluffs, Iowa) had a strong campaign finishing third at the MVC Championship in the 400-meter races clocking in at 55.37.

Senior Tyse Samani (Kansas City, Mo.) set a new personal best in the high jump at the Jayhawk Classic on Jan. 25 with her jump of 5 feet 7.75 inches. Samani earned a second place finish at the conference meet.

Senior Casey McDermott (Newton, Iowa) had a strong season as well. The Drake steeplechase record-holder had the best times on the team in the 3000-meters, 5000-meters and the mile.

Senior Johanna Sprang (New Brighton, Minn.) started her season by claiming the pole vault title at the Iowa State Holiday Preview in December. The school record-holder in both the indoor and outdoor pole vault had a season best vault of 11 feet 6.5 inches at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational on Feb. 5.

The sophomore tandem of Marissa Smith (Ajax, Ontario) and Sarah Yeager (Ottumwa, Iowa) helped create a one-two punch for the Bulldogs in the 60-meter hurdles. Smith finished second at the MVC meet with a time of 8.60, a personal best. Yeager grabbed a sixth place finish in the event and set her personal best in the preliminary round clocking in at 8.88.

Seniors Kara McCartney (Elgin, Iowa) and Clarissa LaFlora (Kewanee, Ill.) finished fifth and eighth in the 800-meter race at the MVC's. Both runners ran their season bests in the qualifying rounds as McCartney crossed the line in 2:13.00, while LaFlora finished in 2:16.83.

Senior captain Cambria Pardner (Aurora, Colo.) had a season best triple jump of 38 feet 6 inches at the Missouri Valley Conference Indoors to garner a sixth place finish.

Outdoor Season Preview: Senior Ari Curtis (Fort Collins, Colo.) looks for a strong campaign after a breakout outdoor season last year where she competed at the USATF National Championships last summer. Curtis heads into the 2011 spring campaign ranked 20th nationally in the 400-meter hurdles and 38th in the heptathlon according to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) preseason computer rankings.

Curtis was also in the USTFCCCA computer rankings last year for her performance in the 400-meter hurdles. She finished 10th in the event at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor National Championship setting a school record of 57.89.

The sophomore tandem of Sarah Yeager (Ottumwa, Iowa) and Marissa Smith (Ajax, Ontario) will move from the 60-meter hurdles indoors to the 100-meter hurdles outdoors. Yeager will also compete in the 400-meter hurdles along with Curtis.

Senior Casey McDermott (Newton, Iowa) looks to wrap up a successful Drake career as the versatile runner will compete in a variety of events this spring season.