What's Ahead: The Drake women's track and field team will welcome the top talent from the Missouri Valley Conference to Drake Stadium to host the 2013 Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 10-12.

Following the Meet: Live results will be available throughout the meet at http://www.godrakebulldogs.com/fls/15700/statistics/2013MVCTF/index.htm.

Pre-Championship Poll: The Drake women rank 7th in the pre-championship poll, earning nineteen points. Whitney Westrum and Briana Isom-Brummer own top five times in the Valley in the 400 meters and Heptathlon respectively. Sarah Yeager and Marissa Smith hold the top two times in the women's 100-meter hurdles. Yeager won the 60-meter hurdles at the 2013 MVC Indoor Championship while Smith has two victories in the 100-meter hurdles this outdoor season.

The Shockers of Wichita State were selected as pre-championship favorites for the 2013 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championship, in a vote by league coaches.

The Shockers were the unanimous favorite, garnering all eight first place votes and the maximum 64 total points. They are currently ranked 25th in the nation according to the most recent USTFCCCA polls. The incredible Aliphine Tuliamuk-Bolton leads Wichita State. A distance runner, she is currently ranked 3rd in the nation in both the 5000 and 10,000 meters, both of which rank amongst the very best times run this year in the world and had the best 5,000 meters time by a minute and a half and the 10,000 meters by over two minutes. Tanya Friesen and Mariah Garcia hold top spots in their events as well. 



Indiana State checks in at the No. 2 position in the pre-championship poll with 54 points.  The Sycamores' Stacia Weatherford will look to continue her strong season in the hurdles and 400-meter races. Star field athlete Felisha Johnson will look to dominate Valley competition in the shot put, discus, and hammer throw. She owns the top distance in the Valley for the shot put, and top five throws in the other two events. Eyes will also be focused on freshman Katie Wise, the Valley's top short sprinter in the 100 meters.

Illinois State comes in at No. 3 in the pre-championship poll. Senior Brittany Smith, one of the nation's top hammer throwers and shot putters, leads the Redbirds. Her distances rank in the top ten for both events this season, and she enters this championship as one of the most dominant competitors in field events.

Southern Illinois' women's team is picked right in the middle at fourth in the pre-championship poll while Missouri State ranks fifth.

UNI will come into this weekend's championship ranked sixth in the pre-championship poll.  Paige Knodle will be an athlete to keep an eye on this weekend as she looks to maintain the best mark in the Valley for the Javelin throw.

For the Braves women's team, Sarah McMahon is second in the 5000 meters and looks to be Bradley's top finisher this weekend.

A Year Ago: Marissa Smith won the 100-meter hurdles in a personal best time of 13.57 to led the Drake women at the 2013 MVC Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Wichita, Kan.

Smith's win solidified the first win for a Drake athlete in the event since 1988 and broke the school record.

The Bulldogs finished with 43.50 points.

Another school record was set in the 1500 as Kirsten Lake dominated the field in the 1500 meters. Her time of 4:23.75 was three seconds faster than the next finisher. She also finished seventh in the 800 meters in 2:15.10.

Briana Isom-Brummer had a big weekend for the Bulldogs. She finished in third in the heptathlon tallying 4,786 points, a personal best for the two-day event. She then tied for fifth in the high jump, soaring to a height of 5-5.