DES MOINES, Iowa -- High School start lists were announced today for the 115th Drake Relays presented by Xtream powered by Mediacom. Drake Relays prep competition will run from April 23-26 at historic Drake Stadium.
See the link located to the right for the list of accepted entries and assigned in the high school division of the 115th running of the Drake Relays and the Blue Standard marks. More information is available
www.drakerelays.org.
Fans should be treated to an array of talent in the high school division of this year's Relays.
The high school boys' field is headlined by a handful of middle distance and distance runners. Drake Relays record holders Tony Anania of Norwalk and Jaden Merrick from Cedar Falls will look to lower their marks set a year ago. Anania, a University of Kentucky commit, and Merrick, who will run collegiately at the University of Colorado, own all-time Relays bests in the 3200 and 1600, respectively.
Anania was also the runner-up in the 800 last year behind then sophomore Quentin Nauman, a Western Dubuque prep and University of Oregon commit, who will be back on the Blue Oval to defend his crown. He will be joined by Moutafa Tiea of Iowa City West and Caleb Ten Pas from Des Moines Christian in what will be an electric 800 race.
Ankeny's Ethan Zuber, the 2024 runner-up in both the 1600 and 3200, is also back with retribution in mind. Zuber was a member of the Hawks' record-breaking 4x800 that shattered one of the Relays oldest records by over six seconds.
Landon Prince from Clear Creek-Amana will highlight the boys' field events as the state leader in both the shot put and discus. Prince will attempt to become the sixth athlete in Drake Relays history to sweep those two titles at the same meet.
On the girls' side, Clear Lake senior Reese Brownlee captured the 400 hurdles and long jump titles last year and is returning. Another north Iowa product, Charlee Morton of Hampton-Dumont, has won back-to-back championships in the Drake Relays shot put and discus. She will be trying to become the second high school athlete in Relays history to with three straight titles in the girls' shot put.
The top four returning placewinners return in the 100 hurdles led by defending champion Emma Havighurst of West Des Moines Valley, the current state leader. Ani Wedemeyer is back to defend her title in the girls 800 as a member of the Pleasant Valley Spartans. Other distance runners to watch include Indianola senior Jordyn Brown, Pella junior Marissa Ferebee, and Cedar Falls freshman Charlee Gall.
Arguably the star of the girls' lineup is Linn-Mar standout Abby Mecklenburg. The junior could threaten the Drake Relays long jump record set in 2004. Mecklenburg became the first Iowa high school female to jump 20 feet when she hit that mark twice on April 14 in Dubuque. She leapt 20-8 1/4 at the Hempstead Invitational, soaring the the national lead.
Following are the cut-off marks for acceptance in each event, the 2025 Blue Standard and the number of athletes or teams which attained the Blue Standard in that event.
| Boys |
|
Girls |
|
| 100m |
10.80 |
|
100m |
12.43 |
|
| 400m |
49.00 |
|
400m |
57.05 |
|
| 800m |
1:55.00 |
|
800m |
2:15.50 |
|
| 1600m |
4:17.00 |
|
1500m |
4:43.00 |
|
| 3200m |
9:20.00 |
|
3000m |
10:14.00 |
|
| 110mH |
14.70 |
|
100mH |
15.30 |
|
| 400mH |
54.25 |
|
400mH |
1:05.25 |
|
| 400m Wheelchair |
1:10 |
|
400m Wheelchair |
1:30 |
|
| 4x100m |
43.50 |
|
4x100m |
50.50 |
|
| 4x200m |
1:29.00 |
|
4x200m |
1:44.50 |
|
| 4x400m |
3:24.50 |
|
4x400m |
4:02.50 |
|
| 4x800m |
8:02.00 |
|
4x800m |
9:34.00 |
|
| ShuttleH |
59.75 |
|
ShuttleH |
1:06.50 |
|
| 1600 Med |
3:34.00 |
|
800 Med |
1:49.00 |
|
| High Jump |
6-7 |
|
High Jump |
5-6 |
|
| Long Jump |
22-6 |
|
Long Jump |
17-10 |
|
| Discus |
175-0 |
|
Discus |
135-0 |
|
| Shot Put |
56-0 |
|
Shot Put |
41-0 |
|
