AMES, Iowa – Drake track and field began its 2026 indoor season on Friday at Iowa State's Bill Bergan Open. The Bulldogs earned a couple victories and posted several other competitive finishes among the limited field in Ames.
Ethan Elliott highlighted Drake's field events with a first-place finish in the men's shot put (18.12m/59-5 1/2).
Harrison McGregor was right behind him with a runner-up mark of 16.05m/52-8.
Elsewhere among the throwers,
Sam Carpenter (second) and
Adam Phillips (third) went back-to-back in the men's weight throw with heaves of 20.22m/66 4 1/4 and 20.08m/65-10 1/2, respectively.
Chinemerem Iwuagwu and
Maud Visscher did the same on the women's side with throws of 18.06m/59-3 and 16.35m/53-7 3/4, respectively. Visscher also took fourth in the women's shot put at 13.27m/43-6 1/2.
Drake Dombrosky earned the Dogs' lone running victory with a 35.16 time in the men's 300. Dombrosky also teamed up with
Kaden Karpel,
Khalil Kaba, and
Berkley Munnings in the 4x400 relay to take second in 3:25.77. Karpel logged a runner-up mark in the men's 300, just behind Dombrosky, at 36.68.
Josiah Rainey,
Carter Beasley, and
Daniel Rotich also added second-place finishes for the Bulldogs. Rainey ran a 6.93 60m dash, Beasley a 2:21.97 1000, and Rotich a 4:11.19 mile.
Brenden Heitzig took fourth in the men's mile with a time of 4:14.61.
Dylan DeAngelo added another fourth-place finish in the men's 600 with a pace of 1:13.03.
Kaba, one of the Bulldogs' runner-up relay runners, had one of two fifth-place results in the men's 60m hurdles (8.42) while
Lanse Larsen had another to lead a handful of Drake men in the 3000 (8:21.03).
On the women's side,
Gracie Federspiel earned bronze in the women's 1000 with a time of 3:09.77.
Ella Brown crossed the line just after her in 3:11.89 to take fourth. Both Federspiel and Brown partnered with
Sophia Agan and
Ashley Gaba to run a 4:07.08 4x400 relay, good enough for another fourth-place finish.
Kayci Martensen rounded out Drake's top five place winners with a 10:04.18 3000m run.
The Bulldogs will be back in Ames next week for their second meet of the season. Drake will run at Iowa State's Cyclone Open on Friday, Jan. 23.
Notes
- Drake, which suffered its third straight loss, slipped to 4-12 overall this season, including a 3-3 mark in the Missouri Valley Conference.
- The Bulldogs are now 1-6 at home this season.
- Drake shot 41.9 percent from the floor (26-62) including 52.9 percent (9-17) in the second quarter.
- Drake outrebounded Bradley, 40-32.
- Drake made a season-low two 3-point baskets, while shooting a season low 11.8 percent (2-17) from three-point range.
- There were seven lead changes and nine ties in the game
- Freshman Anna Becker enjoyed her third career 20-plus scoring game by matching her career high with 22 points
- Becker scored 12 points in the second quarter, equaling the entire team total of 12 points by Bradley.
- Sophomore Maggie Taylor recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 15 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
- Sophomore Grace Knutson added 13 points.
- Senior Abbie Aalsma, appearing in her 50th career game for Drake, tied a season low with five points. She had scored 29 points in her last home game against Southern Illinois Jan. 2.
- Becker collected eight rebounds, bettering her combined total of seven rebounds in her previous two games.
- Drake had a nine-game winning streak against Bradley snapped but the Bulldogs still lead the all-time series, 71-19, including a 37-7 record in games played in Des Moines.
- This marked Bradley's first victory in Des Moines since earning an 80-75 win on Jan. 2, 2021.
