Photo courtesy of Luke Lu, Drake Athletics
DES MOINES, Iowa — The Gustie track & field team sent a squad down to the renowned Drake Relays, and put together a variety of impressive performances over the weekend, including a school record and a pair of top DIII times.
The competition started on Thursday, as the men’s 4×800 relay kicked off the weekend. Carson Roehl (So., St. Bonifacius), Tucker Wallin (Sr., Red Wing), Blake Fuller (So., Anoka), and Markus Rupnow (So., Mankato) finished the relay in 7:51.86.
On Friday, the women’s 4×100 relay team of Danielle Miller (Jr., Waconia), Birgen Nelson (Sr., Edina), Megan Geraets (So., Mankato), and Kate Carlson (So., Inver Grove Heights) took third in the opening round, winning their heat with a time of 47.69, good for third in the MIAC this season and just shy of the 47.50 they clocked a few days earlier at the Gustie Twilight. Nelson went on to compete in the 100-hurdles later that day, finishing with the best DIII time at the meet, crossing the line in 13.81. Nelson’s performance is the second-fastest DIII time this season, beating out her own 13.88 which now sits third overall.
Women’s 4×200 relay team
On the men’s side on Friday, the sprint medley of Wyatt Quiring (Sr., Fairmont), Seth Zeitchick (Sr., St. Paul), Dylan Gast (Sr., Dellwood), and Blake Fuller (So., Anoka) finished in 3:40.99, while Quiring, Zeitchick, Gast, and Matthew Skelly (Jr., Le Sueur) completed the 4×200 relay in 1:30.98.
The women’s 4×200 relay team added an impressive performance to conclude the night, as Ally Rakow (Jr., Bloomington), Carlson, Geraets, and Nelson set a new school record with a time of 1:40.47. The mark is the best in Division III this season and the third-best Division III performance of all time.
Men’s DMR team
On the final day of competition, the men started off with a strong showing in the distance medley, as Tyler Smith (So., Norwood Young America), Quiring, Rupnow, and Wallin finished the DMR with a time of 10:20.25.
The women took to the shuttle hurdle on Saturday, as Miller, Nelson, Makenna Huetten (So., Eagan), and Daneyah Hughes (Fy., Chaska) finished with the best Division III time at 1:01.48, good for first in their heat and third overall. To close out the meet, the women’s 4×100 team bested their own time from the day before, finishing fifth overall with a time of 47.61.
Following the conclusion of the Macalester Rider/Bolstorff Invitational Saturday night, the Gusties will compete next in Mankato, heading to the Maverick Open on Wednesday.