DES MOINES, Iowa – Two world-leading times during the evening session highlighted the action Friday in the 116th running of the Drake Relays in sunny, breezy weather at Drake Stadium.
 
Eight records were set in all, pushing the two-day total to 12 in this latest edition of America's Athletic Classic.
 
Gracie Hyde in the women's steeplechase and Oklahoma State in the women's 4x800 set the fastest pace among the record breakers, while South Dakota pole vaulters soared to the greatest heights.
 
Oklahoma State was expected to run a fast time in the women's university 4x800 relay and the Cowgirls most certainly delivered.
 
The OSU foursome dazzled the Drake Stadium crowd by shattering the Drake Relays record, clocking 8:16.65 for the fastest time in the world this year. It's the second-fastest collegiate time ever, falling just short of Arkansas' collegiate record of 8:16.12 set at the Texas Relays last year. The old Relays record of 8:25.25 by Kentucky in 2022 was cleanly erased as OSU won the event for the fifth time, with all of those victories coming since 2015. 
 
Freshman Kadence Huck, who won eight state championships on Drake's Blue Oval while running for Nashua-Plainfield High School, led off for the Cowgirls. Elyse Wilmes pulled OSU ahead of Air Force on the second carry, Kaylie Politza opened a 20-meter lead with a 2:02.08 leg before turning things over to Kenyan Billah Jepkirui, a five-time Big 12 champion and the the fourth-place finisher at the NCAA indoor mile this year.

"That was the goal, aiming to surpass it  (collegiate record) or come as close as possible," said Politza, who ran the third leg. "Relay meets are always super exciting. Our coach (Dave Smith) always says having a baton in your hands gives you an extra super power. So we figured the environment here would be perfect and energetic to try to accomplish it. This was an awesome stadium and an awesome crowd."

"Coach said you're going to have a shot at it," added Huck. "He gave us a race plan to run and race hard."
 
Jepkirui pulled away to such a big lead that in the end, she was racing only against the clock and as fast as she was, running a 2:02.05, the collegiate record barely eluded her. The five victories ties OSU with Oregon for the most in the event.  .
 
Hyde, who finished second in the USATF 1 Mile Road Championships in downtown Des Moines on Tuesday, led the entire race en route to running the fastest women's steeplechase time in the world in 2026 of 9:22.19. Hyde, running her first steeplechase of the season, eclipsed the Relays record of 9:28.98 set last year by Sophie Novak. 

"I knew I might be doing a lot of the work alone," said Hyde. "I wanted to go out pretty hard and knew it was aggressive for April in a season opener, but I knew it was in me and wanted to give it a shot. I was most proud of the execution and what I was able to accomplish. I'm starting to prove to myself that I do belong here."
 
Rachel Anderson, from Minnesota Distance Elite, finished second in 9:28.72, which was also under the previous record. Anderson used a strong 71.69 final lap to move up from fourth place. A former Missouri Valley Conference champion at Southern Illinois, Anderson maintained her No. 4 spot on the world list.
 
University of South Dakota freshman Caelan Harland and sophomore Anna Wilis captivated the Drake Relays audience for nearly 90 minutes in the men's and women's university-college pole vault  posting milestones, while jumping simultaneously at opposite ends of the runway.
 
Willis, the reigning U.S. Under 20 National champ, set a Drake Relays record with a personal best 15 feet 2 1/4 inches (4.63m), which moved her up to No. 4 on the 2026 world list and No. 2 on the 2026 collegiate list. She missed three attempts at 15-5 (4.70m). 

"It was chaotic...my coach (Derrick Miles) was running back and forth coaching me and Caelan," said WIllis.  "It was chaotic and hectic...one person has a PR and then another and the energy is up. I wasn't expecting much going into today because I've been dealing with injuries. My main goal was to have fun and stay  consistent over higher heights.Honestly once I cleared the bar at 4.58 meters (15-0 1/4) before on my first attempt, I was getting into a good rhythm...Embracing the atmosphere at Drake has been really good."
 
Harland won the men's pole vault at 18-3 (5.63m) - the first 18-foot clearance in the event since 2017. Harland bettered his previous personal best of 17-10 1/2 en route to winning the Mt. Sac Relays last Saturday.
 
A VIP contingent of Drake Relays Athlete Hall of Fame pole vaulters Jeff Hartwig, Derek Miles, Sam Kendricks and Sandi Morris offered support along the sidelines. The two-time Olympians Hartwig and Kendricks are former U.S. record holders, while Morris is the current U.S. women's record holder. Kendricks and Morris have earned Olympic silver medals. Miles, who serves as the vault coach at South Dakota, won a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics. 
 
Iowa defended its title in the men's university 4x800 relay, posting the third-fastest time in school history at 7:20.36. For the second straight year, the Hawkeyes relied on a strong 1:47.78 anchor leg by senior Terrick Johnson to hold off rival Iowa State, which finished second in 7:22.74. The Cyclones had claimed a record 14 Relays titles in the event, while Iowa earned its fourth title.
 
Iowa State's Sydney Willits managed only two legal jumps in the women's university-college long jump. That proved to be enough. After fouling on her first attempt, Willits went 21-1 1/4 (6.43m) on her second try and that held up for her first Drake Relays title.
 
The 2024 NCAA indoor champion, Willits then fouled on her next three attempts before getting a legal jump in the last round. She ended up as the only jumper to exceed 20 feet. Northern Iowa's Josey Dunbar was second at 19-10 1/4 (6.05m).
 
Iowa senior Kalen Walker, the reigning Big Ten Conference 100 champ, led sprinters into Saturday's finals of the men's university-college 100 by running the fastest qualifying time with a wind-aided 10.12.
 
Iowa junior Holly Duax took the first step toward defending her title in the women's university-college 100 by posting the top qualifying mark of with a personal best 11.32. She also ran the opening leg on the Hawkeyes 4x100 relay, which had the fastest time in the preliminaries of 44.50. Iowa will be out to seek its first Relays title in the event since 2017.
 
Nebraska captured the women's university-college 4x200 relay in 1:34.46, its first Relays title in the event since winning back-to-back crowns in 1991 and 1992.
 
The Cornhuskers also finished second in the men's university-college 4x200 relay – South Dakota State won in 1:24.18 – and picked up five victories in field events.
 
On the men's side, Nebraska's Mason Kooi won the university-college high jump at 7-1 3/4 (2.18,), Hencu Lamberts threw 65-3 1/4 (19.89m) to win the university-college shot put and Brett Schwartz won the university-college discus with a throw of 192-8 (58.72m). In the women's division, Mine De Klerk took the title in the university-college shot put with a throw of 57-7 3/4 (17.57m) and Donna Douglas won the university-college discus with a mark of 186-4 (56.80m).
 
DePaul's brother-sister duo of Isaiah and Jaiah Hopf won both triple jump championships. Isaiah, the Big East Conference indoor champion, went 49-7 3/4 (15.13m) to win the men's event. This was a much more successful outing than his previous appearance at the Relays in 2024, when he fouled on every attempt and did not record a mark. Jaiah, a two-time Big East champ, won the women's event with a mark of 41-8 1/2 (12.71m) after finishing third at Drake last year. 
 
High school records fell in the girls 4x200 relay (Waukee Northwest, 1:38.40) and the boys 400 (Kaiden Kunze, Norwalk, 47.60). West Des Moines Valley tied the Drake Relays record in the boys 4x200 relay (1:26.55).