Panthers Cap Competition at the Drake Relays

Thursday, April 22

Des Moines, Iowa

University of Northern Iowa

Drake Relays

Panthers Cap Competition at the Drake Relays

4/24/2021 5:08:00 PM | Track and Field

Drake Relays Full Results Kip Janvrin Results

DES MOINES, Iowa  – UNI track and field capped  competition at the Drake Relays on Saturday with 13 total top-five finishes on the weekend. Both men's and women's squads finished seventh in the team rankings, the men posting 11 points and the women tying Notre Dame with 10 points.

The UNI women's 4x400-meter relay team of sophomore Jill Bennett, junior Emily Vos, freshman Libby Wedewer, and senior Allison Hilleman placed second with a time of 3:45.41 in the unseeded final. In the men's 4x400-meter unseeded final, junior Thai Thompson, Connor Blough, freshman Parker Kiewiet, and junior Tate Hookham placed third with a time of 3:15.39. Graduate student Kyler Yodts landed third in the men's hammer throw with a personal-best toss of 63.97m.

The Panthers notched fifth-place finishes in the men's and women's 4x100-meter relay finals. The men's team, composed of seniors Michael Santi, Tayshaun Cooper, graduate-student Elijah Hicks, and senior Dan Blocker, stopped the clock at 40.50. The women's team of junior Rylan Santi, Wedewer, graduate-student Taylor Raines, and freshman Paishence Johnson clocked a time of 46.32. Casey Hackett also recorded a fifth-place finish in the men's triple jump with a leap of 13.28m.

UNI's assistant coach Alexina Wilson took part in the Journey to Gold women's 1500 meters, finishing sixth with a personal-best of 4:11.16.

On Friday, the women's 4x200-meter relay team of Santi, Hilleman, Vos, and senior Emily Paul clinched gold after clocking a time of 1:39.20. Stopping the clock at 3:59.85, the Purple and Gold women's sprint medley team placed third. The Panthers also saw fourth place finishes from graduate-student Darius King (men's shot put and men's discus), freshman Rylie Todd (women's high jump), Vos (women's 200 meters), and the men's sprint medley.

The Panthers also saw action at the Kip Janvrin Open at Simpson College this weekend.  Seniors  Aleenah Marcucci, Hannah Schau, and Megan Hudson went 1-2-3 in the women's 100-meter hurdles, clocking times of 14.04 (PR), 14.61 (PR), and 15.09, respectively. Fellow senior Mallory Henze clinched second in the women's discus with a mark of 42.75m. Junior Morgan Nealey posted a toss of 14.23m in the women's shot put, landing second.  Senior Dianna Slight finished fourth in the women's 800 meters with a time of 2:18.71. Freshman Matt Davis posted an outdoor personal-best mark of 1.88m to place fourth in the men's high jump. With a personal-best toss of 43.68m, freshman Dominic Ehrman placed fifth in the men's javelin.

Up Next
The Panthers are slated to compete in the ISU Invite, hosted by Illinois State in Normal, Ill. on April 30 – May 1.