DES MOINES, Iowa –The Drake Relays kicked off its 2026 season with the annual celebration of Relays Night hosted by Drake men's basketball yesterday. Wednesday night's festivities included an introduction of the Relays staff, celebrated the victors of the 2025 Relays Wellness Challenge, and announced comeback commitments of three elite level athletes.
 
The featured commitments include familiar faces Ryan Crouser, Sandi Morris, and Sam Kendricks.
 
Crouser, a three-time Olympic champion and the current world record holder in the outdoor shot put (23.56m/77'-3.75"), will be returning to Des Moines in April for the second installment of his revolutionary throwing event, the World Shot Put Series Crouser boasts 11 U.S. championships, two world titles, four NCAA crowns while competing for the University of Texas, and six Drake Relays titles over his career. Last year, he debuted the WSPS and was inducted into the Drake Relays Athlete Hall of Fame.
 
"After a thrilling launch of the World Shot Put Series at the 2025 Drake Relays, Des Moines is the natural host for our 2026 season opener," Crouser said. "The energy in the venue created an incredible competition and the world took note of the outstanding performances."
 
The World Shot Put Series is organized in a "king of the ring" format, with athletes eliminated as competition progresses like high jump and pole vault. Throwers are tasked with trying to heave their shot put past a designated line to advance in the competition. Athletes get two attempts to clear the targeted distance with consecutive misses resulting in elimination. Placement is determined by the furthest line cleared with ties broken by the total of all misses by each competitor.
 
The WSPS is still a relatively new format for contestants and fans alike, which places more significance on each attempt with eliminations possible after just the second toss. Additional details on the WSPS can be found here.
 
Pole vault legends Sandi Morris and Sam Kendricks also announced their commitment to return to Des Moines and the 2026 Drake Relays on Wednesday night.  Morris is an Olympic silver medalist and 2-time World Indoor Champion while also boasting a quartet of World Outdoor Championship silver medals and five Drake Relays titles. Kendricks is equally decorated with an Olympic silver and bronze medal to his credit, plus a pair of World Championship golds and four Drake Relays top honors.
 
Crouser, Morris, and Kendricks are all Drake Relays record holders in their respective fields. Crouser's shot put mark and Kendricks' top vault were also Drake Stadium records, with the latter clinching a U.S. title and American record in 2019. All three officially announced their returns to the Des Moines themselves with individual videos played during the game in the Knapp Center.
 
Wednesday night also featured the first athlete commitment for Relays Week 2026 as the Monopoly Man put his name in the ring for the annual Mascot Madness race at the Grand Blue Mile. Monopoly Man announced he would be challenging Drake's Spike as the Bulldogs' representative looks to defend his title.
 
The Drake Relays introduced its team of Barb Cox Endowed Relays Internship on Wednesday night. The intern staff consists of second-year staffer Myrissa Carillo, Breanna Page, Ruby Hoch, and Bulldog track and field team member Sam Carpenter.
 
Relays Night also provided halftime entertainment. Students from six Des Moines elementary schools competed in two heats of a shuttle race on Ron Pearson Court. Boys and girls represented Pleasant Hill, Willard, Phillips, Samuelson, Walunt, and Edmunds elementary schools. For more information about elementary and middle school participation in the 2026 Drake Relays, please visit here.
 
The Drake men's basketball team provided an appropriate exclamation point to the evening with a dramatic 82-78 win over Evansville. The Bulldogs overcame a 19-point deficit to tie the largest comeback in program history and secure their third straight victory.
 
Drake Relays All-Session tickets are now for sale and can be purchased here: godrakebulldogs.com/tickets. Registration for the 58th annual Drake Road Races is now open here. Registration for the Grand Blue Mile will open on Feb. 10.