DES MOINES, Iowa -- The tradition of the Drake Relays presented by Xtream powered by Mediacom showcasing the world's top athletes alongside the finest collegiate and high school athletes grows even more this year. New for 2023 is an elite invitational men's and women's hammer throw competition set three weeks from now on Thursday evening (April 27) including the reigning world champion and the top throwers in the world.
 
In addition to women's World Champion Brooke Andersen, the men's and women's lineup includes six Olympians and five national record holders. The women will compete first at 4:45 p.m., followed by the men at 6:15 p.m. To allow these athletes to share the experience and competition with Iowa's high school athletes, the high school throws events are now scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. with the girls discus.
 
"One of the most cherished memories many competitors have of the Drake Relays is competing in the same stadium minutes before or after world record holders, world champions and Olympians and sharing the same space and moments as those athletes," said Blake Boldon, the Franklin P. Johnson Director of the Drake Relays. "It was a huge goal to provide that experience to Thursday's high school throwers and have them share the ring with the sport's best, and this field is truly one of the best."
 
Andersen will certainly provide that experience as she comes to Drake Stadium as the reigning World Champion and USA Champion with the fourth-best all-time performance in world history and second-best American throw at 79.02m (259-3). The 2021 Olympic finalist also owns three of the top 10 best throws ever by an American.  
 
World Championship qualifiers in Norway's Beatrice Llano and Greece's Stamatia Scarvelis are also in the field, along with three-time Lithuanian national champion Agne Lukoseviciute, who was a three-time All-American at nearby Grinnell College. Llano is a six-time Norwegian champion with a best of 72.10m (236-6), while Scarvellis has five Greek titles on her resume and a best of 71.43m (234-4).
 
Those international talents will also be up against an additional four American women that have eclipsed or neared the 75-meter mark.
 
Leading that group of Americans is Annette Echikunwoke, who finished third at the 2022 USA Championships and was a World Championship finalist. Echikunwoke has thrown 75.49m (247-8). Former Iowa Central standout Janeah Stewart, who has also cleared 75 meters at 75.43m (247-5) with the 14th-best throw in American history, is in the field, as is Maggie Ewen, who owns the 15th-best throw in American history at 75.04 (246-2). Another competitor, Alyssa Wilson, closely trails that trio with the 16th-best throw in American history at 74.78m (245-4) and was the 2018 Junior World Championships silver medalist in the event.
 
The men's hammer throw lineup includes five of the top six throwers from last year's USA Championships, four Olympians and three national record holders. American record holder Rudy Winkler headlines the field with his record mark of 82.71m (271-4). Winkler was second at the last USA Championships, sixth at the World Championship and finished seventh at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
 
Winkler was bested at the USA Championship by a soon-to-be fellow Relays competitor Daniel Haugh. Haugh owns a personal best of 80.18m (263-1), the fifth-best throw in American history. He also finished eighth at the 2022 World Championship and was an Olympic Finalist. The duo also has a pair of NCAA titles between them.
 
A trio of international athletes, including the national record holders from The Netherlands and Qatar will challenge the Americans. That group includes Denzel Comenentia and Ashraf Al-Saifi. Comenentia, the five-time Netherlands national champion, was a 2022 World Championships qualifier with a personal best of 76.80m (252-00) and an NCAA Champion at Georgia. Meanwhile, Al-Saifi is a two-time Olympian from Qatar that finished sixth in 2016 and is a four-time World Championships qualifier and a two-time junior World Champion. The Qatari national record holder at 78.19m (256-6) has also appeared in a pair of World Championships finals.