The Drake men's and women's track and field teams are set to compete at the 2018 Drake Relays presented by Hy-Vee this week, April 25-28.
Drake will face-off against top competitors from over 70 colleges and universities including Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Purdue, Kansas State and Marquette as well as Missouri Valley foes Bradley and Missouri State. The Bulldogs will look to continue their strong season in one of its final meets before the MVC Championships. Drake has picked up 19 individual event wins this season and recorded several marks near the top of the school record books.
Earlier this month, senior Taryn Rolle (Nassau, The Bahamas) shattered the school triple jump record with a leap of 41-8.5. Rolle's mark is the best in the Missouri Valley this season and ranks in the top 50 nationally. She will also see action this weekend in the long jump where she finished ninth last weekend at the Tom Botts Invitational.
Xavier Lechleitner (Edgar, Wis.) will open action for the Bulldogs Thursday evening in the 800 meters. Lechleitner took third last weekend against stiff competition including Missouri and UNI. Senior Bailee Cofer (Overland Park, Kan.) will help lead the distance runners Thursday night in the distance carnival. Cofer is set to race in the 5,000 meters, an event she won just weeks ago at the Jim Duncan Invitational.
Mary Young (Urbandale, Iowa) looks to continue her strong senior season Friday in the 100-meter hurdles. Young finished third last year in the event and finished in the top-three in every outdoor meet this season. Fellow hurdler, Victoria Coombe (Centennial, Colo.) enters the Relays just a week after a career-best performance at the Tom Botts Invitational. Coombe's mark of 1:00.80 sits as the sixth-fastest in school history.
On the men's side, sophomore Malik Metivier (Toronto, Ont.) will lead a group of three Bulldog in the 400-meter hurdles. Metivier opened his season at the Arkansas Spring Invitational with a personal best 52.17 to take second before winning the event at the Jim Duncan Invitational and taking third last weekend.
Freshman Kundai Maguranyanga and Cloud Mashibera will both get their first taste of the Drake Relays this weekend. Maguranyanga had a breakout start to open his season with a win in the 200 meters at the Arkansas Spring Invitational, followed by a 100 meter win at the Jim Duncan Invitational while also being an integral part on several of the Bulldogs relay teams. Mashibera earned MVC Indoor Freshman of the Year honors following his impressive win in the long jump. His mark of 24-8.25 is the fifth longest in school history and was the first conference long jump title since 2009.
Following this weekends events, the Bulldogs will head to Lincoln, Neb. for the Nebraska Invite as a final tune-up before the MVC Outdoor Championships, May 10-13.
