Thursday, April 21, 2011
DES MOINES, Iowa--Jenny
Barringer Simpson, a Webster City, Iowa native and 2008 U.S. Olympian, returns to her home state next week for the 102nd Drake Relays. She will compete against a world-class field in the women's
1,500-meter race beginning at 3:09 p.m. on Saturday, April 30 at Drake Stadium.
Barringer, ranked No. 4 in the U.S. at 1,500 meters, will face stiff
competition from two-time defending Drake Relays champion Lauren Hagans, former Tennessee All-American Sarah Bowman, Heidi Dahl
and former Kansas State All-American Amy
Mortimer. Mortimer will also defend her 2010 crown in the second annual
Grand Blue Mile on April 26.
A two-time USA outdoor champion and three-time NCAA champion, Barringer
is the American record-holder in the steeplechase with a time of 9:12.50, set
in a fifth-place finish at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. She won the
2009 NCAA Championship at Drake Stadium in a collegiate-record time of 9:29.12 for
her second NCAA title.
In Barringer's legendary career at the University of Colorado she broke NCAA
records indoors in the mile (4:25.91), 3,000 (8:42.03) and 5,000 (15:01.70),
and outdoors in the 1,500 (3:59.90), 3,000 steeplechase (9:12.50) and 5,000
(15:05.25).
Hagans won the 2009 Drake Relays 1,500 meters in 4:18.24, and lowered
her mark to 4:14.28 in defending her crown last year. She also finished second
in the inaugural Grand Blue Mile, but will not run in that event this year.
Bowman, who made the finals of the 2008 Olympic Trials, has an outdoor
personal best of 4:05.67 in the 1,500, set in 2009. She raced previously at
Drake in the 2008 NCAA Championships, placing third in 4:07.5.
Mortimer will tune up for the Relays invitational 1,500-in which she
finished 3rd a year ago-by seeking to defend her title in the Grand
Blue Mile on Tuesday. A 12-time All-American at Kansas State, Mortimer won last
year's mile in 4:34.91.
Joining Mortimer in running both the 1,500 and Grand Blue Mile will be Molly Beckwith, Gabrielle Anderson, Heather
Dorniden and Treniere Moser Clement.
Running only in the Mile will be Sara
Hall, Carmen Douma-Hussar, Korene Hinds and Jamie Cheever. Cheever was third in the 2009 Drake Relays
3,000-meter steeplechase.
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). Registration is
still open for the Grand Blue Mile at www.GrandBlueMile.com.
Jenny Barringer
Simpson At A Glance:
- 2008 U.S. Olympian (3,000-meter steeplechase).
- American record-holder in steeplechase (9:12.50).
- Set American record at 2009 World Championships in Berlin (5th place).
- 2008 NCAA Champion in collegiate-record time of 9:29.12 at Drake Stadium
- Two-time U.S. Outdoor champion (2007, '09) in 3,000-meter steeplechase.
- Ranked 4th in the U.S. in 1,500-meter run in 2009 & '10.
- Three-time NCAA champion.
