Crouser Sets Sights On World Record To Open Drake Relays, Joined by American Record Holder Chase Ealey

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Ryan Crouser, one of the most decorated throwers in track & field history, returns to Des Moines and the Drake Relays presented by Xtream powered by Mediacom this spring to add more laurels to his crown. The two-time Olympic champion, who already owns the indoor and outdoor world records in the shot put, aims to best his indoor record in a free exhibition event Wednesday, April 26, inside historic Drake Fieldhouse.
 
Under the same roof that has witnessed some of Drake's most storied athletic history, along with numerous standout Drake Relays performances, Crouser will attempt his own in trying to beat his world record of 22.82m (74-10.5). His world record attempt will be part of an eight-thrower competition featuring four of the top men and women in the world taking part in a team competition, including the reigning women's World Champion and American record holder, Chase Ealey. 
 
"With titles in each of the last four Drake Relays, Ryan Crouser has become one those athletes forever stitched into the rich tapestry of the Drake Relays," said Blake Boldon, the Franklin P. Johnson Director of the Drake Relays. "Every time he comes to Des Moines, he wants to make sure our fans see something special, and our fans appreciate that commitment to the sport and his ability to put the entire stadium on the edge of their seat every time he steps in the ring. We're excited to provide a once-in-a-lifetime talent like Ryan Crouser the opportunity to make history here in Iowa in front of some of his most passionate fans."
 
In addition to his two Olympic gold medals and Olympic record, Crouser is coming off of a 2022 World Championship and has thrown farther than 22m (72-2) 198 times in his career and 23m (75-5.5) or more eight times putting him in prime position to start the 2023 Drake Relays off with a world record.
 
After winning her first U.S. title in Des Moines in 2019, Chase Ealey went undefeated throughout the entire 2022 outdoor campaign to become the first American woman to be crowned World Champion in the shot put. Ealey owns the American Record in the indoor shot put with a heave of 20.21m (66-3.75). Coming off wins at the Millrose Games and US Indoor Championships this winter, Ealey's indoor American Record is also at risk in this one-of-a-kind competition. Her outdoor personal best of 20.51m (67-3.5) is the second-best throw ever by an American woman.
 
"This unique team format in an intimate setting will bring fans close to the action, with the opportunity to see history in both the men's and women's competitions," Boldon said. "Chase Ealey's return to Des Moines to throw head-to-head against Ryan Crouser in a mixed gender competition is the exact type of innovation that Drake Relays fans have come to expect each April."
 
The World and American Record attempts will be part of an overall larger competition on Wednesday evening with six other throwers, including:

• Josh Awotunde, a men's 2022 World Championships bronze medalist, was fifth in the 2022 World Indoor Championships event. The four-time All-American at South Carolina has a personal best of 22.29m (73-1.75).
• Danniel Thomas Dodd, the Jamaican women's national record holder in the event at 19.95m that was also a Pan-Am Games record, earning her the 2019 title at the Pan-Am Games just months before she finished second at the World Championships.
• Chuck Enekwechi, a men's Olympic finalist and finalist at the last two World Championships. The Nigerian record holder at 21.80m (71-6.25) finished third at the 2021 Drake Relays after winning titles as a collegian at Purdue.
• Maggie Ewen, who just finished second in the women's 2023 US Indoor Championships after claiming the title in 2022. She is a three-time World Championship finalist and a Diamond League champion that ranks third all-time among American women in the indoor shot put and seventh in the outdoor event with a personal best of 19.79m (64-11.25).
• Tripp Piperi, who recently finished third at the US Men's Indoor Championship after taking eighth in the outdoor World Championships over the summer. He is also a two-time NCAA Champion that owns a personal best of 21.74m (71-4)
• Jessica Woodard, who finished third at the last two women's US Championships and was a finalist at the 2022 World Championship. The six-time All-American at Oklahoma owns a personal best of 19.40m (63-7.75). 

The competition will divide the field into four mixed teams of two, and the best throw from each male and female competitor on each team will be added to crown a champion. The event will be televised on Mediacom MC22. 
 
The event is free and open to the public to witness the historic competition. However, priority seating will be available for Drake Relays ticket holders. Doors to the event open at 5:30 p.m. for a youth throws exhibition hosted by USATF Iowa beginning at 6:00 p.m., followed by warm-ups from 6:30-7 p.m. The competition will begin in earnest at 7 p.m. Throughout the competition, a live DJ will keep the energy between throws, and various food and beverage options will be available on Forest Avenue from some of Relays' fans' favorite vendors.
 
While the Drake Fieldhouse is currently a multi-purpose facility used by many Drake athletic teams, the building does have a rich competitive history starting on Jan. 4, 1927, when the Drake men's basketball team hosted Kansas in the building's first game. It was the team's home venue until 1957, when the Bulldogs moved games to Veterans Memorial Auditorium. Later it served as the home of the Drake women's basketball team until the construction of the Knapp Center and was also the host of the Iowa Girls State Basketball Tournament. 
 
A 1/12th mile track with banked hairpin turns circled the basketball court and hosted 16 Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships starting in 1927 and the Iowa high school indoor track and field championships. The venue has also seen numerous Drake Relays records in events such as the high jump, pole vault, shot put and long jump when conditions necessitated the events be moved indoors. 
 
About the Drake Relays
The Drake Relays presented by Xtream powered by Mediacom has served as "America's Athletic Classic" since its first running in 1910. The annual competition, hosted by Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, is recognized internationally as a destination for the world's premier track & field athletes across multiple professional and amateur divisions. In 2020, the Drake Relays was named a Silver Level event on the World Athletics Continental Tour, one of only two meets in the United States to earn Silver Level status. In addition to its signature stadium competition, the Drake Relays includes two marquee road running events open to the general public — the Grand Blue Mile presented by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield and the Drake Road Races. For more information, visit drakerelays.org.