PARIS, France – The Drake Relays is proud to highlight several former participants who are making waves on the global stage at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. These remarkable athletes have graced the Blue Oval in previous years and are now showcasing their incredible resilience and talent to the world.

Spotlight on Former Drake Relays Participants:
Petra Luteran: After competing in the high jump at the 2018 Drake Relays for Nebraska, Luteran faced significant challenges, including a car accident in 2022. Now a para-athlete representing Hungary, she will compete in the Long Jump, 200m, and 400m (T47) at the Paris Games.

Hannah Dederick: A standout in the 2023 Drake Relays, Dederick returns to the track in Paris, competing in the 100m, 400m, and 800m (T54).

Mikey Brannigan: A 2024 Relays competitor, Brannigan is set to compete in the men's 1500m. Brannigan will compete the second Paralympics of his career and try for his second Paralympic gold medal.

Noah Malone: Another former Drake Relays competitor, Malone will run in the 100M and 400M (T12) in Paris. The vision-impaired sprinter is a three-time Paralympic medalist including a gold in the Mixed 4x100 at the 2020 Tokyo games.

Roderick Townsend: Having competed in the high jump and long jump at the 2019 Relays, Townsend will now vie for medals in these events (T47) in Paris. The three-time gold medalist will be seeking more hardware.

Brittni Mason: A 2022 Drake Relays, Mason will add to the field women's 100m and 200m fields in Paris, looking for her third total Paralympic medal.

Catarina Guimares: Guimares, a 2022 Drake Relays participant, qualified for her first Paralympics this year and will showcase her skills in the 100m, 400m, and Long Jump (T38).

Derek Loccident: Another 2022 Drake Relays entry, Loccident will compete in multiple events in Paris including the 100m, Long Jump, High Jump, and Javelin (T64). He is seeking his first Paralympic medal after earning four-career World Championship medals.

Josh Cinnamo: A versatile athlete from Luther College, where he played football and competed on the track and field team for the Norse, Cinnamo will participate in the Shot Put (F46) at the Paris Games. Cinnamo took bronze at the 2020 Tokyo games and was featured in the 2024 Drake Relays elite men's shot put field.

Jenna Fesemeyer: Fesemeyer will race in the 1500m, 5000m, and Marathon (T54) as a wheelchair veteran and one-time Paralympian. She last competed at the Drake Relays in 2023.

Eva Houston: Houston, a current student-athlete at the University of Illinois and 2023 Drake Relays participant, will now aim for top finishes in the women's 100m and 800m races (T34) in Paris.

Erin Kerkhoff: A native of Solon, Iowa and current member of the UNI Track & Field team, Kerkhoff was a Drake Relays medalist in the 400m, Sprint Medley, and 4x400 despite a visual impairment. The Iowan will compete in her second Paralympics in the women's 100m and 400m, and is seeking her first medal.
 
Noelle Malkamaki: Malkamaki will represent the F46 classification in Shot Put at the Paris Games, continuing her track from the 2022 Drake Relays, where she represented DePaul University.

Jessica Heims: Another UNI Panther, Heims will throw the Discus (F64) in Paris. A Cedar Rapids Prairie alum, she has qualified for her third Paralympics and is hunting for her first international medal.

Jaydin Blackwell: Blackwell, who competed in the 2024 Drake Relays, will race in the 100M and 400M (F38) at his first Paralympics.

Desmond Jackson: Sprinter Desmond Jackson competed at the 2024 Drake Relays. In his second Paralympics, Jackson will focus on the 100m dash (T63) in Paris.

Jeremy Campbell: Four-time Paralympic gold medalist, Campbell will again represent Team USA in the Discus. He will look to repeat at the global champion after golds in Tokyo (2020), Rio de Janeiro (2016), London (2012), and Beijing (2008),

Justin Phongsavanh: An Ankeny native, Phongsavanh will compete in the Seated Javelin (F54) at the Paralympic Games. He was one of a few highlights during the 2024 Drake Relays' Thursday Night Throws series and is vying for a bronze medal after reaching the podium in Tokyo, his first Paralympic experience.
 
The Drake Relays is thrilled to witness these athletes carry forward their excellence and spirit from the Relays to the grand stage of the Paralympics. Their journeys inspire us all, embodying the perseverance and dedication that defines both the Drake Relays and the Paralympic movement.

The 2024 Paralympic Track & Field events will start on Friday, Aug. 30. Click here more information on all competitors.