DES MOINES, Iowa – The elite portion of the 2026 Drake Relays scheduled has been completed with a full field of the World Athletics Continental Tour (WACT) women's 3000m steeplechase.
 
"The steeplechase has always been one of the most demanding events in track and field, and this year's lineup truly reflects both the endurance and determination required to succeed," said Franklin P. Johnson Director of the Drake Relays Blake Boldon. "We've assembled a group of athletes who combine tremendous stamina with competitive grit, and fans can expect a hard-fought race where strength, strategy, and resilience will be on full display from the first barrier to the final water jump."
 
A trio of steeplechasers will be competing in other events in Des Moines next week. Ms. Ankita, the fourth-ranked Indian of all-time with a personal record of 9:31.99 who also placed sixth at the 2025 Relays, will be part of the women's mile race on the Blue Oval. Angelina Ellis and Gracie Hyde will be downtown on Tuesday, April 21 as part of the USATF 1 Mile Road Championships. Ellis was a 2024 steeplechase finalist at the Olympic Trials and Hyde made the 2025 U.S. Championship finals in the same event.
 
Elsewhere, Relays returners Colett Rampf and Rachel Anderson are set to lace up their shoes for the steeplechase. Rampf finished eighth last year and was another U.S. Championships finalist while Anderson was 10th in Des Moines a year ago and finished inside the top 20 of the 2025 U.S. Cross Country Championships.
 
International standouts Adva Cohen of Israel, a 2021 Tokyo Olympics qualifier and 2-time Drake Relays champion from her NJCAA days at Iowa Central Community College, plus Simone Ferraz, another Tokyo Olympian and the second-best Brazilian steeplechaser of all time, add to the field.
 
Emily Paupore, a 2025 NCAA Championship finalist and Mid-American Conference title winner at Central Michigan, and Ava O'Connor, the reigning NCAA Division II steeplechase champion out of Ireland via Adams State, round out a promising field in the WACT steeplechase.
 
Tickets to the 2026 Drake Relays are available for purchase here.

Drake Relays Women's 3000m Steeplechase Lineup
Rachel Anderson
Ms. Ankita
Adva Cohen
Angelina Ellis
Simone Ferraz
Gracie Hyde
Ava O'Connor
Emily Paupore
Collet Rampf