DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Drake Relays University and College Division accepted entries were announced today with competition starting this Thursday at Drake Stadium. 

See the link located to the right for the list of accepted entries and assigned heats in the university and college divisions for the 114th running of the Drake Relays. More information is available www.drakerelays.org. 
 
After a year's absence, Illinois and Kentucky return to the Drake Relays loaded with talent that should entertain fans. 
 
Kentucky, under the guidance of Drake Relays Coaches Hall of Fame inductee Lonnie Greene, won a combined eight men's and women's events at the 2022 Drake Relays. Greene has won 42 Drake Relays titles in an eight-year period starting in 2013 as coach at both Purdue and Kentucky.
 
The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association ranks Illinois No. 6 in the latest women's outdoor rating index, while Ole Miss is No. 11 and Nebraska No. 12. In the latest men's poll Kentucky is ranked No. 16, while Iowa State is No. 21. A new poll will be released this Tuesday (April 23).
 
Illinois, which has won more Drake Relays men's titles (149) than any other school in the history of the meet, returns to the Blue Oval under second-year coach Petros Kyprianou.  Illinois won the Big Ten Indoor women's team title for the first time since 2013 and the Illini could set three Drake Relays records. 
 
Junior Tacoria Humphrey and freshman Elizabeth Ndudi rank Nos. 1 and 2 on the national collegiate list in the women's long jump at 22-1 and 21-11, respectively. Those marks are good enough to challenge the Drake Relays record of 22-3. Junior Barbara Sajdakova is ranked third collegiately in the high jump at 6-2 3/4, which threatens the Drake Relays record of 6-2 1/4, while junior teammate Tori Thomas is ranked No. 6 in the pole vault at 14-4, which betters the existing meet record of 14-3 1/2.
 
The women's throwing event features several collegiate leaders. Illinois junior Amber Simpson is ranked No. 2 on the women's hammer throw at 230-4. Nebraska junior Alexina Johannson is ranked No 2 on the collegiate list and No. 4 in the world in the shot put at 60-11 1/4, while Jalani Davis, is ranked No. 3 at 60-10. Minnesota junior Shelby Frank is No. 4 in the discus at 198-0.
 
Davis, who won the weight throw at the 2024 NCAA Indoor championships for Ole Miss, will be in the women's invitational shot put field along with Johannson, the Swedish national record holder who is the defending NCAA outdoor shot put champ.
 
Kentucky has turned in the fourth fastest collegiate time in the men's 4x100 relay at 38.96 with a chance of bettering the Drake Relays mark of 38.84 set by North Carolina A&T in 2022. Led by senior Kennedy Lightner, who anchors that 4x100 relay, Kentucky is ranked No. 7 on the collegiate list in the men's 200 at 20.30.  Iowa State's Darius Kipyego is tied for No. 2 on the men's collegiate 800 chart at 1:45.76. Minnesota junior Devin Augustine is ranked No. 4 on the collegiate men's 100-meter dash list with a wind-aided 10.02 mark.
 
Be sure to watch reigning NCAA Men's indoor champions Keaton Daniel from Kentucky (pole vault) and Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan of Ole Miss (shot put). Daniel has vaulted 18-7 1/4, which ranks No. 4 on the collegiate list and tops the current Drake Relays mark of 18-6 1/2 set in 1991 by Baylor's Bill Payne. Robinson-O'Hagan, who will make his Drake Relays debut in the men's invitational shot put, ranks No. 1 on the collegiate list at 67-10 3/4. 
 
Two athletes will be making their first appearance at the Drake Relays ranked second on the collegiate list in their specialities. Minnesota freshman Charles Godfred is ranked No. 2 in the men's long jump (26-10 1/2), while Kentucky freshman Luke Brown is No. 2 in the triple jump (54-1). Brown was second in the triple jump at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships. Then there's Minnesota freshman Angelos Mantzouranis, who is No. 3 in the hammer throw (242-3).  Iowa State junior Cam Jones ranks No. 4 in the men's shot put (65-9 1/2).
 
Schools will be competing for the prestigious Relays Cup, which is presented to teams that accumulate the most points for finishes in selected events (4x100, 4x400, 4x800, sprint medley, and distance medley relays) in the college and university divisions.
 
Nebraska and Utah return to defend their Relays Cup titles in the respective men's and women's university divisions. The Huskers are the defending Big Ten Conference outdoor men's team champion, while finishing second in the 2024 Big Ten Conference indoor men's meet.  
 
There are several unheralded stars from Iowa's small college ranks who have made a mark on the national level and look to make their presence known this weekend.
 
Graceland senior Michael Millslagle, a two-time NAIA indoor champ, set an NAIA outdoor all-time best in the high jump at 7-2 1/2  at Pittsburg State April 6 and repeated the feat a week later at the Jim Duncan Invitational.  Indian Hills sophomore Traunard Folson ran a wind-aided 9.98 to win the 100 at the Arkansas Invitational, which is the third fastest all-conditions mark in the world this spring. He also ran the second leg on Indian Hills' 4x100 relay, which was clocked in 40.09 beating national powerhouse Arkansas at the wire. Teammate Tyrice Taylor, the reigning National Junior College 800 outdoor champ, posted the fastest junior college time in the nation by winning the 800 in 1:47.92 at the Jim Duncan Invitational April 12.
 
Loras senior Grace Alley has captured NCAA Division III titles in both the pentathlon and heptathlon.