Pole vaulter Sandi Morris looked nothing like someone coming off ankle surgery.
Morris soared 15-7 1/4 (4.76m) to win the women's invitational pole vault for the fourth straight year and highlight the Friday night session of the 110th Drake Relays presented by Hy-Vee.
It was her first competition since undergoing surgery on her left ankle Sept. 8. She used the winter and early spring to rehabilitate and it would appear that she'll be as good as ever.
Morris won a duel with world leader Jenn Suhr, the Drake Stadium record holder, in the World Showdown event. Suhr, who has cleared 16-1 1/4 (4.91) this year, had a clearance of 15-3 1/2 (4.66m) to finish second and Emily Grove was third at 15-1 1/2 (4.61m).
After winning event, Morris missed one attempt at 16-1/2 (4.89m) and then called it a night. That would have broken her event record of 16-0, which she set last year, and tied Suhr's stadium record.
Sprinter Kenny Bednarek, long jumper Kendell Williams and high jumper Jeron Robinson won other elite events and Oklahoma State won two women's relays, including a national collegiate best in the 4x800. Iowa State posted the No. 2 collegiate time in the men's 4x800.
Bednarek, a freshman at Indian Hills Community College, faced down a talented, much more experienced field in the men's invitational 200 and won the event in 20.29 seconds. That's the second-fastest time this year by a collegian at any level and ties him for No. 8 in the world.
Former Northern Iowa star Brandon Carnes, a 16-time Missouri Valley Conference champion, was second in 20.62.
Williams, who ranks eighth on the world list this year, beat a strong field to win the women's Tokyo Challenge long jump with a leap of 21-8 3/4 (6.62m). Kylie Price jumped 21-5 1/2 (6.54) to finish second and Chanice Porter, seventh in the world this year, took third at 21-4 1/4 (6.51).
Robinson, the reigning U.S. indoor and outdoor champion, won a jump off with Canadian Djano Lovett to win the men's Tokyo Countdown high jump after both cleared 7-5 1/4 (2.27m). Both came in with big victories, Lovett winning at the Mt. SAC Relays last Sunday with the No. 2 jump in the world and Robinson claiming the title at the Texas Relays.
Oklahoma State won the women's 4x1600 and 4x800 relays, speeding to a 8:25.41 clocking in the 4x8, the fastest collegiate time in the country this year by a margin of 5 seconds. Oklahoma State also won the men's 4x1600, giving OSU a sweep of those events for the third time in five years.
Southeast Polk set a Relays record in the high school girls 4x800 with a time of 9:10.38, while Waukee set a meet record of 3:17.41 in the preliminaries of the boys 4x400 relay. Waterloo East's Kerris Roberts tied her own meet record in winning the girls 100 in 21.82. She ran 12.74 in the prelims, but the favoring wind was over the allowable limit.
Johnston's Joe Schaefer had a big day, winning the boys 800 and giving the Dragons a come-from-behind victory in the 4x800.
Tipton's Jamie Kofron and Council Bluffs Lincoln's Darby Thomas both pulled off impressive doubles. Kofron became just the second thrower to sweep the girls shot put and discus in consecutive seasons, while Thomas became only the second athlete to win the girls 100 hurdles and long jump in the same Relays.
