Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – The 109th Edition of the Drake Relays will come to a conclusion Saturday afternoon.

There is plenty left to be settled on the blue oval inside Drake Stadium in Des Moines before this year’s Drake Relays end.

The focus flips to the track on Saturday with six titles on both the boys and girls side up for grabs.

Here are five things to watch on the final day of the Drake Relays on Saturday.

West Chases 400 Hurdle Title

Austin West just missed setting a meet record in his last 400 hurdles, clocking a career-best 52.39 that was less than a tenth of a second off the Forward/Coleman Relays record held by Iowa coach Joey Woody.

Another personal best from West on Saturday would put the West High senior in contention for the Drake Relays record of 51.94 set by Dustin Avey of Ames in 1994.

West enters with the fastest time by more than a second and is a heavy favorite to become the first 400 hurdles Drake Relays champion from Iowa City since Woody and Tim Dwight won back-to-back titles for City High in 1992 and 1993.

One More Shot at Drake Relays Gold

Bailey Nock has already had another impressive Drake Relays with top-six finishes in both the 3,000 and 800.

The final chance for the West High senior to secure an individual Drake Relays title comes Saturday in the 1,500.

Nock was fifth in the event last year and enters with the second fastest time in the state this spring at 4:46.17.

Crestwood senior Ellie Friesen who won the 3,000 title on Thursday has the top qualifying time at 4:42.24.

Solon 4×400 Back for More

An eighth-place Drake Relays finish last year proved the Solon 4×400 team was worthy of being called one of the best in the state.

The same foursome that finished eighth at Drake a year ago is back in the finals on Saturday and has another chance to prove it can compete with anyone.

Juniors Taylor Ryan, Abby Smith and Erin Kerkhoff and sophomore Cayley Annis clocked a seasons-best 4:01.15 in the 4×400 prelims on Friday night to earn a second consecutive trip to the Drake Relays’s finals.

The Spartans had the fifth fastest time in the prelims with Southeast Polk bring the fastest time to the finals at 3:52.62.

Schaeckenbach Seeks to Continue Magical Season

It’s been an impressive debut season thus far for City High sophomore Caroline Schaeckenbach.

In her first season of track Schaeckenbach qualified for the Drake Relays in three events and will wrap up her first trip to Drake Stadium with her best event the 400 hurdles.

Schaeckenbach enters with the fourth fastest time in the state this season in the 400 hurdles at 1:05.59 and will be seeking her first top-10 Drake Relays finish.

West High 4×800 Trying to Get Back on Top

It’s been 16 seasons since West High won a Drake Relays title in the 4×800 relay.

The Women of Troy get another shot at changing that on Saturday.

Bailey Nock and Deniz Ince lead a West High 4×800 squad that enters with the top time in the state at 9:32.78 after finishing runner-up to West Des Moines Dowling a year ago.

Nock and Ince each earned top-10 finishes in the 800 on Friday and our joined by freshmen Kiara Malloy-Salgado and Erica Buettner.

The Women of Troy are seeking their first Drake Relays 4×800 title since 2001.