Monday, April 18, 2011

DES MOINES, Iowa--The Drake Relays "Pole Vault in the Mall" at Jordan Creek Town Center returns this year after a one-year hiatus with a new format and a talent-rich roster featuring some of the best men's and women's pole vaulters in the world. The event, presented by Hy-Vee, begins at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 27.

Four of the top eight vaulters in both the men's and women's U.S. rankings will take part in this unique competition. Five teams will be paired with a male and female competitor joining forces to vie for a team championship based on the best combined finishing place of the five pairs. It is the first year women have vaulted in the mall.

The men's field includes Derek Miles, ranked No. 4 in the world, as well as U.S. No. 2 Mark Hollis, No. 3 Jeremy Scott, No. 8 Brad Walker and Mexico's Giovanni Lanaro. The women's field includes U.S. No. 4-ranked Becky Holliday, No. 5 Melinda Owen, No. 6 Kylie Hutson, No. 7 April Steiner Bennett and Mary Saxer.

"I like jumping indoors," Miles said. "You have lots of people close to you and the energy level is high, especially in the mall as it's so tight and a lot of people are around you. At the same time, when you get outdoors, if you get a nice Iowa tail-wind you can get up pretty high."

The team pairings are as follows: Miles and Steiner Bennett; Hollis and Owen; Walker and Hutson; Scott and Holliday; and Lanaro and Schwartz. All but Walker also will compete in the Drake Relays special invitational pole vault.

"It's been one of my favorite events," Miles said of the Drake Relays. "I have been coming here ever since I was in college at South Dakota. About my junior year I actually got a chance to go in the college division and I have been coming to the relays for almost 15 years. It's close to where I live in South Dakota, and not only that but it's awesome seeing so many people coming out to see the track event. The Drake Relays has been always a great event."

Miles won the inaugural Pole Vault in the Mall in 2008, while Hollis was second and Scott was fifth. A year later it was Hollis taking the crown with Scott second and Miles third.

Tickets for the 2011 Drake Relays April 28-30 are on sale now, and may be purchased online through the official Drake Athletics website (www.GoDrakeBulldogs.com) or by calling (515) 271-DOGS (3647). 

Pairings for the Men's-Women's Teams in "Pole Vault in the Mall"

Wednesday, April 27, 2011-6:15 p.m.-Jordan Creek Town Center

Derek Miles & April Steiner Bennett
Mark Hollis & Melinda Owen
Brad Walker & Kylie Hutson
Jeremy Scott & Becky Holliday
Giovanni Lanaro & Mary Saxer

Capsules on this year's entrants:

Derek Miles & April Steiner Bennet

Miles:

• Top-five world ranking each of past three years, and six of last eight.
• Ranked No. 1 in the U.S.
• Two-Time U.S. Olympian-finished 4th in pole vault at 2008 Beijing Games and 7^th in 2004 at Athens.
• Finished 4th at 2010 World Indoor Championships.
• Drake Relays Special Invitational pole vault champion in 2002, '08 and '09.
• Won inaugural Pole Vault in Mall in 2008 (18-8¾) and was third in '09 (17-8½)
• Personal-best mark of 19-2½  came in 2008 in Berlin, Germany.
• Won first U.S. outdoor championship at 2008 Olympic Trials, and finished second at '09 U.S. Outdoor Championships.
• College: South Dakota

Steiner Bennett:

• Ranked 7^th in the U.S. 2010
• 2008 U.S. Olympian, placed 8^th in Beijing (4.55m)
• Second at 2010 Drake Relays (14-2½)
• Won 2008 Drake Relays pole vault (14-2)
• Personal best 4.63m, April 12, 2008 in Norman, Okla.
• Indoor best 4.60m, Jan. 19, 2007 in Reno, Nev.
• College: Arkansas

Mark Hollis & Melinda Owen

Hollis:

• Ranked No. 2 in the U.S.
• Finished 5th at 2010 Drake Relays (17-7¼) , 3rd at '09 (18-5¼) and '08 Relays (17-7)
• Won 2009 Pole Vault in Mall (18-4½) after 2nd-place finish in '08 inaugural event (18-8¾)
• Personal best 18-10¼  April 30, 2008 in Champaign, Ill.
• Indoor best 5.62m, Jan. 14, 2011 in Allendale, Mich. and 5.63m, March 4, 2011 in South Bend, Ind.
• College: Olivet Nazarene. Born: Dec. 1, 1984.

Owen:

• Ranked No. 5 in the U.S.
• Personal best 14-10, July 31, 2010 in Champaign, Ill.
• Indoor best 14-11, Feb. 27, 2011 in Albuquerque, N.M.
• College: Idaho. Born: Oct. 30, 1984.

Brad Walker & Kylie Hutson

Walker:

• American record-holder at 19-9¾, cleared June 7, 2008 in Eugene, Ore.
• Ranked No. 8 in the U.S. in 2010. Was ranked No. 1 in 2007 and '05.
• Gold medalist at 2007 World Championships (19-2¾), silver medal in '05 (18-10¼)
• Gold medalist at 2006 Indoor Worlds (19-0¼), silver medal in '08 (18-8¼)
• Three-time USA Outdoor champion (2005, '07, '09)
• Three-time USA Indoor champion (2005, '06, '08)
• Member of 2008 U.S. Olympic team
• Indoor best 19-9¾, Sept. 9, 2008, Valencia, Spain.
• College: Washington. Born: June 21, 1981

Hutson:

• Ranked 6th in the U.S. 2010
• Finished 3rd at 2010 Drake Relays (14-2½)
• Was 4th in 2009 Univ/Col (13-1½), 6th in '08 (12-7 ½) and 8th in '07 (12-5½)
• Won indoor and outdoor NCAA championships in 2009 and 2010
• Personal best of 4.51m came May 7, 2010 in Bloomington, Ind.
• Indoor best 4.5m (March 13, 2010, NCAA meet in Fayetteville, Ark.)
• College: Indiana State. Born Nov. 27, 1987

Jeremy Scott & Becky Holliday

Scott:

• Ranked No. 3 in the U.S. in 2010 with a best of 19-1, after a No. 2 ranking in 2009
• 2009 U.S. Indoor champion (18-4½) and 2nd in '09 U.S. Outdoor Championships (18-10¼)
• Fourth at 2010 U.S. Indoor (18-4½) and Outdoor (17-6½) Championships
• Drake Relays: 7th in 2010 (17-1½), 2nd in '09 (18-5¼), 5th  in '07 (17-7)
• Pole Vault in the Mall: 2nd in 2009 (18-0½), 5th in '08 (18-0½)
• Tied for 6th at 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials (18-0½)
• Personal best is 19-1¼  (2009)
•  College: Arkansas. Born: May 1, 1981

Holliday:

• Ranked No. 4 in the U.S. 2010
• Outdoor personal best of 15-1 came in silver medal effort at Drake Stadium in 2010 USATF Championships, June 27, 2010
• Indoor personal best of 14-11 cleared twice, Feb. 27, 2011 (silver) and Feb. 28, 2010 (3rd), both in at U.S. Indoors at Albuquerque.
• Finished 3rd at 2006 U.S. Outdoor Championships
• College: Oregon. Born: March 12, 1980

Giovanni Lanaro & Jillian Schwartz

Lanaro:

• 3rd at 2010 Drake Relays (17-7¼), 2^nd in '07 (18-8 ¾) and 7^th in '06 (17-8½)
• 2008 Olympian (Mexico)
• Finished 4th (18-0½) at 2006 World Indoor Championships, his highest world championship finish, indoor or outdoor
• Outdoor personal best of 19-1 came April 15, 2007 in Walnut, Calif.
• Indoor personal best of 18-8¾  twice: Feb. 18, 2006 in Flagstaff, Ariz. and Feb. 18, 2009 in Stockholm, Sweden
• College: Cal State Fullerton. Born: September 27, 1981

Saxer:

• Ranked 8th in the U.S. 2010
• Finished 4th at 2010 Drake Relays with a vault of 13-9 1/4 
• Set a personal best of 14-9 at the 2010 USATF National Championships held at Drake Stadium in June
• Has an indoor personal best of 14-5¼ set at the Pole Vault Stars meet in Donetsk, Ukraine on Feb. 12, 2011
• Broke the Notre Dame school record in the pole vault with her vault of 13-3.75 in 2009
• College: Notre Dame. Born June 21, 1987