The Drake track & field and cross country head coaching staff welcomed 19 student-athletes to the program for the 2023-24 season.
Brogan Giffin
Distance runner from Chantilly, Va., and joins Drake after two years at Boise State. His 1500m personal best is 3:46.42 and his 10k XC PR is 29:21.6.
Aaron Fynaardt
Local distance product from Des Moines Christian, where he was a five-time state champion and three-time all-state honoree.
Emma Nau
Local product from West Des Moines, who returns to the area after hurdling at the University of Findlay in Ohio. She competed on the Blue Oval at the Drake Relays and the Iowa State Track Meet for Valley High School.
Jake Turner
Transfer distance runner from North Florida, where was the 2021 Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year with a 3:48 PR in the 1500m and a 14:20 5K personal best.
Finnian Russell
Distance runner from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, where he was the 2023 Victorian state champion in the 1500m.
Christopher Norris
Thrower from Walla Walla, Wash., where he earned all-conference recognition in the javelin and discus.
Mary Cronin
Set to compete in jumps at Drake after successful high school career at Shawnee Mission East, where she was the team MVP in 2023.
Lauren Dillon
From the Des Moines metro area in Waukee. Three-time state champion for Waukee Northwest, specializing in sprints and jumps.
Cameron Bell
Distance runner from across the pond in Sheffield, England. He made Junior (800m and 1500m) and Senior (5K) England appearances.
Ethan Vargas
Transfer distance runner from Furman, where was an All-SOCON honoree in 2023. As a prep athlete, he was the 2020 Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year for cross country and won a USA Today Sports Award.
Favor Omoijuanfo
A sprinter from Century High School in Rochester, Minn., where she earned All-Conference honors three times and was consistently named to the Scholar Athlete honor roll.
Xander Kwa
Another Drake commit hailing from Australia. The distance runner won gold in the 2022 English U20 National Championships during the Open 3000m steeplechase and took silver in the 2022 Oceania Athletics Championships 3000m steeplechase. Across various events, he is a 23-time Tasmaniana State Champion.
Jaxson Plumb
Distance runner, who recently graduated from nearby Johnston High School. He finished third in the 2022 USA Triathlon Nationals and earned a bronze medal at the 2022 Iowa State Cross Country Meet.
Kate Parsons
Distance runner from Prosper, Texas, where she was a two-time UIL 6A Cross Country All-State selection and helped her team to a second place state finish in 2022. As a freshman in 2019, she was a Nike Cross Country Nationals team qualifier and the UIL 6A District 5 Freshman of the Year.
Amanda Radava
Spent her first two collegiate seasons at Louisiana Monroe. In 2023, Radava competed in four indoor meets and seven outdoor competitions including the Sun Belt Outdoor Championships where she set two personal records.
Erin MacFarlane
Middle distance runner from Scotland, where she ran for the Pitreavie Club.
Lara Smits
Thrower (discus and shot put) from the Netherlands. Smits finished second in discus at the U18 Dutch National Championships and took third at the U20 Championships in 2022.
Malachi Collier
From Maple Heights, Ohio and specializes in the hurdles and long jump. He took fourth in the long jump at the 2023 New Balance Nationals and was the 2023 LEL Conference Track Athlete of the Year.
Justin Cunningham
Cunningham began his collegiate career at Southwestern Community College in Creston, Iowa. He is originally from Nassau, Bahamas. The sprinter has competed on the Blue Oval before at the Jim Duncan Invite and Drake Relays. Cunningham represented Southwestern at the 2023 NJCAA Division I Outdoor Championships.
