Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

High school action at the 109th Drake Relays opens with an abbreviated slate on Thursday afternoon at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

After weather dampened the opening month of the season for many prep teams the forecast calls for excellent conditions that could lead to strong performances throughout the three-day meet that concludes on Saturday.

Only six of the 32 high school events contested at the Drake Relays are scheduled for Thursday, three each on the boys and girls side.

Despite the short list of events there is plenty of area athletes to follow on Thursday.

Here are five things to watch as the high school schedule kicks off.

Adding to the Legacy

Bailey Nock has done just about everything during a stellar prep career.

One of the top distance runners in the storied history of West High Nock has won a state cross country title and was the Class 4A champion in both the 3,000 and 1,500 last season.

The only thing eluding Nock has been a Drake Relays title.

Nock gets her first opportunity to change that on Thursday when she attempts to become the third West High athlete in school history to win a the 3,000 at the Drake Relays

Last year Nock clocked a career-best 10:00.13 at the Drake Relays but placed third behind Mid-Prairie sisters Anna and Marie Hostetler.

The Hostetler sisters and Crestwood senior Ellie Friesen join Nock as the favorites this season.

Frisen owns the fastest time coming into Drake at 10:06.08 while Nock’s best time this season of 10:18.92 is fourth.

Mac Makes History

While Nock seeks a historic win in the 3,000 Liberty High freshman Camille Mac will be making her own history when she hits the track on Thursday evening.

Mac will be the first Liberty High athlete to compete at the Drake Relays after joining teammate Taylor Cannon (100 hurdles) as the first qualifiers in program history.

This isn’t the first time Mac has made school history as a distance runner.

She became the first Liberty High cross country and medalist last fall when she placed 13th at the Class 3A state meet.

Mac enters Thursday’s 3,000 with the 17th best time in the state at 10:40.5.

Shot Put Showdown

Chandler Haight and Kat Moody have grown accustomed to going head-to-head at the biggest meets of the year.

The latest showdown between the top two shot putters in Class 4A comes Thursday with a Drake Relays title on the line.

Moody won her first Drake Relays title last season as a sophomore while Haight notched her second consecutive top-four finish placing fourth.

The most recent meeting between the two belonged to Moody as the Waukee junior won the title at the Forwald/Coleman Relays last Thursday in Iowa City with a state-leading toss of 47-3.

A title for Haight would make her the third member of her family to win Drake Relays gold, joining sisters Danica and Micaela.

 

Loaded Long Jump Field

Austin West brings the top qualifying mark to the Drake Relays in two events.

The West High senior is the unquestioned favorite in the 400 hurdles with a state-leading time of 52.39.

West also enters as the leader in the long jump with a leap of 23-3 but pegging a favorite is difficult, especially with a deep field like the one that will assemble inside Drake Stadium on Thursday.

Three athletes are within four inches of the state-leading mark that West achieved on April 12.

Clinton senior Jaelen Boysen (23-1) is the only other athlete to clear 23 feet but Davenport West senior DJ Mosley and Marion standout Blair Brooks both have jumps of 22-11 to their credit.

Toss in defending champion Nick Foss of Harlan who has jumped 22-4 this season and Cedar Rapids Kennedy senior Terrell Jordan Jr. who was fourth at Drake a year ago and the field gets deeper.

No one has gone farther this season than West who will be making his Drake Relays long jump debut.

Solon Throwers Make Drake Relays Debuts

The tradition of excellence in the throwing events at Solon is well known.

A new era of Solon throwers will experience the Drake Relays for the first time on Thursday.

Senior Emily Troyer will make her debut in the shot put while junior Coal Flansburg will appear in the Drake Relays for the first time in the discus.

Troyer enters with the eighth best mark in the shot put with a distance of 41-7 ½.

Flansburg, an Iowa State football commit, has the 25th best toss among discus qualifiers at 158-7.