By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The 114th Drake Relays presented by Xtream and Powered by Mediacom are scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 24-27 at Jim Duncan Track and Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.

WATCH THE 114TH DRAKE RELAYS PRESENTED BY XTREAM LIVE APRIL 25-27 ON USATF.TV

Here are 10 college and university storylines involving professional and collegiate athletes to keep an eye on at one of the most prestigious meets in the country:

A rivalry renewed, with an added layer

The men’s university/college 4x1,600-meter relay showdown last year involving Air Force Academy and Iowa State was one of the most memorable in meet history, with Ethan Ashley, Sean Maison, Scott Maison and Eli Bennett prevailing for the Falcons by a 16:23.31 to 16:23.69 margin.

Air Force secured its first title in the event since 2018, denying Iowa State back-to-back championships for the first time since 1990-91.

Both programs return Friday for the marquee distance relay, with Gonzaga also part of the lineup, seeking the program’s first championship in the event at the Drake Relays.

Iowa State still holds the meet record of 16:09.45 from 1981.

Ashley and Bennett have the potential to return for Air Force, with Emanuel Galdino, Kelvin Bungei and Gable Sieperda all expected to compete for Iowa State.

Gonzaga is led by Wil Smith, with the rest of the Bulldogs’ lineup still yet to be determined.

Oklahoma State was the last men’s program to run sub-16:20 at Drake Relays, winning in 16:18.80 in 2017.

Iowa State, which has won 11 titles in the 4x1,600 or 4xMile relay in meet history, is looking to equal the success of Illinois, which leads all men’s programs with 12 championships in the event.

Augustana women look to push DMR streak to six

The longest active run for any college or university in a relay event at the meet belongs to Augustana of South Dakota, which has captured five consecutive titles in the women’s distance medley relay and eighth overall, including victories in 2011, 2012 and 2014.

Augustana had to rally last year with PJ English surging past Loras College’s Kassie Parker on the 1,600-meter anchor leg to not only prevail by an 11:42.58 to 11:44.22 margin, but also to lower the NCAA Division 2 all-time mark from 11:42.94 in 2022.

Despite the setback, Loras produced the Division 3 record.

Ella Heinitz and Caroline Sudbeck are expected to return Saturday for Augustana, with the potential for freshman Ashley Overgaauw and Eleni Lovgren to join the Vikings’ lineup.

Minnesota State, another Division 2 program, and Division 3 entry Wartburg are the top challengers to end Augustana’s streak.

Lincoln University of Missouri still boasts the longest streak of any university or college women’s relay in meet history, winning seven in a row in the 4x100 from 2003-09.

Mavericks hope their cups runneth over again

Minnesota State celebrated the addition of the College Relays Cup for NCAA Division 2, NCAA Division 3, NAIA and National Junior College Athletic Association programs last year at the Drake Relays by sweeping both the men’s and women’s team titles.

Minnesota State prevailed in the women’s competition with 33 points and the Mavericks triumphed in the men’s standings with 30 points, taking the combined performances from the 4x100, 4x400, 4x800, 1,600-meter sprint medley and distance medley relay events to determine the winner.

Under the guidance of Mike Turgeon and Chris Parno, the Mavericks won the 4x100 and 1,600 sprint medley relay titles in both genders last season, in addition to placing second in both the men’s and women’s 4x400.

Minnesota State is entered in all five men’s relays, as well as the 4x200 and 4x110 shuttle hurdles events.

The Mavericks are looking to lower their own Division 2 all-time mark of 58.15 in the 4x110 shuttle hurdles relay, which the program achieved at the Drake Relays in 2014.

Minnesota State will try to repeat as women’s champions, despite only being entered in the 4x100, 4x400, 1,600 sprint medley and distance medley relays.

Kentucky looks to climb back to top of podium

After winning the women’s Relays University Cup in 2022 with 36 points, Kentucky did not attend America’s Athletic Classic last year, but the Wildcats are back this season, with head coach Lonnie Greene seeking a third career team championship in Des Moines, along with his victory at Purdue in 2018.

Utah triumphed for the first time in the women’s competition last year with 36 points and Nebraska prevailed in the battle among the men’s programs with 26 points, just ahead of Air Force Academy.

Iowa, which secured the men’s Relays University Cup in 2022, is pursuing a fourth overall victory at Drake Stadium, including wins in 2017 and 2018.

Notre Dame might not win the women’s team competition, since the Irish are only entered in the 4x800 and distance medley relay as part of the Relays University Cup standings, in addition to the 4x1,600 relay. But Notre Dame could grab valuable points away from other leading contenders based on their performances, which could also challenge some of the meet’s all-time performances based on the depth of the Irish roster.

Basten seeks big return on Blue Oval

Following a third-place effort Tuesday in the USATF 1 Mile Championships as part of the annual Grand Blue Mile event in Des Moines, former Drake standout and Under Armour Mission Run Baltimore Distance athlete Alec Basten is scheduled to compete Thursday in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase field, which also features several college standouts.

Kevin Robertson of Syracuse and former Portland standout Riley Osen are both unattached entries in the field, which also includes Reece Smith of Northwest Missouri, who ranks No. 4 all-time in NCAA Division 2 at 8:33.64.

Christopher Collet from Wartburg, who ran the Division 3 all-time mark of 8:38.46 last year at the Portland Track Festival, is also expected to compete, in addition to Jason Renze from Air Force Academy.

Brigham Young’s Henry Marsh has held the men’s college and university meet record of 8:31.02 since 1977.

Renewing acquaintances

Kassie Parker and Fiona Smith are two of the most decorated distance runners in NCAA Division 3 history, so much so that they both hold 5,000 meter records.

Parker boasts the absolute mark of 15:37.0 from last year at the Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford, with Smith running 15:50.48 on Dec. 2 to produce the all-time indoor performance at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener in Boston.

The last time they squared off in a race was at last year’s Division 3 outdoor championship meet, with Parker prevailing against Smith in both the 5,000 and 10,000 finals.

Parker, now representing Hansons-Brooks ODP, was entered Thursday night in the women’s 5,000, but decided to scratch, leaving her training partners Anne-Marie Blaney, Amy Davis, Olivia Pratt, Angelina Rafter and Jessie Cardin.

Smith is also scheduled to compete for College of St. Benedict, looking to take aim at her first career sub-16 outdoor performance.

Rosina Machu from Gonzaga and Skylar Boogerd of Ole Miss also boast sub-16 credentials among the expected entries. Kaylee Beyer from Winona State is also scheduled to compete.

Only two female athletes eclipsed the 16-minute barrier in last year’s race, with China’s XiuZhen Ma winning in 15:43.92 and Lindsay Cunningham, a standout at NCAA Division 2 program Winona State, placing second in 15:45.91.

Former Missouri star Karissa Schweizer boasts the all-time meet performance of 15:23.21 in 2018.

Sprint stars hoping for strong performances

Kentucky’s Clinton Muunga, representing Zimbabwe, and Miles Jones will have to contend in the men’s 100-meter dash with elite athletes from NCAA Division 2, NCAA Division 3 and the NAIA, all looking to make their mark in Saturday’s final at Jim Duncan Track.

Antonio Lay from Central Missouri has a best wind-legal effort of 10.19, in addition to an all-conditions performance of 10.10.

Sam Blaskowski of Wisconsin-La Crosse is the fastest sprinter in Division 3 history with his wind-legal 10.13 from last year’s NCAA championship meet. Blaskowski also achieved his first sub-10 performance with a wind-aided 9.99 on April 13 at the Beach Invitational in Long Beach, Calif.

Jaylan Washington from Ottawa (Kansas) has achieved a wind-legal 10.21, which ranks No. 6 all-time in the NAIA.

Calvin Smith of Alabama achieved the university and college men’s 100 meet record by running 10.11 in 1983.

Auburn’s Harvey Glance recorded the fastest 100 performance in meet history by clocking 10.01 in 1976.

Hurdling showdowns with historical implications

The women’s university and college 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles are expected to match elite athletes from multiple divisions, with potential record-setting performances on the horizon Friday and Saturday.

South Dakota’s Jacy Pulse edged Olivet Nazarene’s Hannah Antkoviak by a 56.79 to 56.97 margin in the women’s 400 hurdles showdown last year at Jim Duncan Track.

Antkoviak became the first female athlete in NAIA history to eclipse the 57-second barrier, before lowering the all-time mark to 56.71 at the championship meet last season in Indiana.

Pulse clocked a lifetime-best 56.11 last year at the NCAA Division 1 West Regionals in Sacramento, Calif., and triumphed April 20 at the 64th Mt. SAC Relays Presented by Nike with a 56.17 effort in Walnut, Calif.

The university and college all-time meet performance of 55.37 was achieved in 1984 by Iowa State’s Nawal El Moutawakel and equaled in 2007 by South Alabama’s Muizat Ajoke Odumosu.

Kentucky’s Alexis Glasco and Minnesota State’s Denisha Cartwright, representing the Bahamas, are expected to square off Saturday in the women’s 100-meter hurdles final, as the only two entries in the field with sub-13 credentials.

Glasco, a transfer from Coastal Carolina, has run a wind-legal 12.67.

Cartwright ranks No. 2 in Division 2 history with a wind-legal 12.94, in addition to running an all-conditions best 12.81 with her wind-aided performance March 30 at the 96th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays.

Vashti Thomas of Academy of Art, who contributed to the Drake Relays record of 52.50 in the women’s 4x100-meter shuttle hurdles relay in 2013, also boasts the Division 2 all-time mark in the 100 hurdles of 12.70 from the same year.

There hasn’t been an all-conditions sub-13 performance at Drake Relays since 2021, with the last wind-legal effort belonging to Michigan’s Cindy (Ofili) Sember, who secured victory in 12.90 in 2016.

Leticia Wright of Ohio State holds the women’s university and college wind-legal all-time mark of 12.87 from 2011.

Reminiscing runway greatness

Iowa State’s Sydney Willits, the reigning NCAA Division 1 women’s indoor long jump champion, and Kentucky’s Luke Brown – runner-up in the Division 1 men’s indoor triple jump final in Boston – are among the highlighted horizontal jumpers seeking favorable conditions this weekend at Drake Stadium.

Willits produced three personal-best efforts to capture the title, punctuated by a 22-1.50 (6.74m) performance.

Iowa State hasn’t secured victory in the university and college women’s long jump at Drake Relays since Venezuelan athlete Jhoanmy Luque triumphed in back-to-back years in 2017-18.

Lishanna Ilves of Nebraska, representing Estonia, won the long jump title in 2022 at Drake Stadium with a wind-legal mark of 20-7.75 (6.29m). She is also scheduled to compete Friday, in addition to Cornhuskers’ teammate Rebecca Pecora of Italy.

Brown, representing Jamaica, achieved a personal-best 55-1.50 (16.80m) in the triple jump at Texas Tech in January during the indoor season. 

Brown is competing Friday in the championship college and university field, following the top outdoor mark of his career, a 54-1 (16.48m) performance April 13 at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational in Florida.

Keenan Hall was the last Kentucky male athlete to prevail in the triple jump at Drake Relays with a 51-7 (15.72m) effort in 2011.

The meet record for university and college men’s competitors of 55-3.25 (16.84m) by Texas Southern’s Paul Emordi has stood since 1985.

Sorting out the high jump hierarchy

Jenna Rogers became the first Nebraska female athlete since Sharon Burrill in 1979-80 to win the university and college women’s high jump with her 5-10.50 (1.79m) clearance, despite inclement weather throughout last year’s competition.

Rogers is attempting Saturday to become the first women’s competitor to capture back-to-back high jump championships at Drake Relays since Purdue’s Corissa Yasen in 1994-95.

Kentucky’s Charity Hufnagel, who won the NCAA Division 1 outdoor title last year representing Ball State, is also entered in the competition, in addition to South Dakota’s Daniella Anglin and two-time Division 2 outdoor winner Arika Harbo from Concordia-St. Paul in Minnesota.

Kyle Rollins, a former NCAA Division 3 men’s high jump champion for St. John Fisher in New York, is one of three graduates competing unattached in the men’s university and college field, in addition to Auburn graduate Dontavious Hill and Nebraska alumnus Mayson Conner, the 2022 Drake Relays winner.

Rollins cleared 7-4.50 (2.25m) to triumph last year.

Isaiah Holmes, who competed collegiately at both UCLA and Miami (Fla), is representing Shore Athletic Club, with the field also including NCAA standouts Tyus Wilson of Nebraska, Evans Yamoah from Central Missouri and NAIA record holder Michael Millslagle from Graceland (Iowa), who has achieved a pair of 7-2.50 (2.20m) clearances, first April 6 at Pittsburg State in Kansas, followed by April 12 at the Jim Duncan Invitational at Drake Stadium.