Iowa track heads to Drake Relays
The Hawkeyes travel to Des Moines to compete in one of the biggest sporting events the state has to offer.
Iowa thrower Reno Tuufuli jokes with the crowd after throwing them a tee shirt at the Musco Twilight Invitational at the Cretzmeyer Track on Saturday, April 13, 2019. Tuufuli won both the shot put and the discus. The Hawkeyes won 10 events during the meet. The Iowa women ranked first with 183 points, and the men ranked fifth 76 points.
April 24, 2019
When thinking about the biggest sporting events in the state of Iowa, the annual Iowa-Iowa State football matchup is probably the first thing that comes to mind.
The Drake Relays make a case for a close second place.
In an event that brings together some of the top college and prep athletes in the country, as well as a strong corps of professionals, the Drake Relays will be the center of the track and field world from April 25-April 27.
Iowa track and field will compete at the 110th Drake Relays, and Director of Track and Field Joey Woody has been counting down the days in anticipation.
“The Drake Relays is always one of the major highlights of our season and something we circle on the calendar at the beginning of the year,” Woody said. “We are looking forward to defending the Hy-Vee Cup that the men won and win our first cup for the women’s program.”
The Hawkeyes have put themselves in a favorable position to accomplish both of those goals.
Going into Des Moines, Iowa sits at a new high in the rankings. The men entered the top 10 in the Week 4 rankings, coming in at No. 10. The women are up eight spots from the previous week at No. 13.
These are the highest rankings both programs have seen during the outdoor season since the coaches’ association began tracking in 2008.
The high ranking for both squads inspires confidence, particularly in regards to winning the Hy-Vee Cup.
“This is a great thing that Hy-Vee does for track and field and the Drake Relays,” Woody said. “To be able to compete to win the Hy-Vee Cup is a big deal, and I am really excited about the opportunity to do that.”
If the Iowa men bring home the cup this year, that would be the third-consecutive year. The women are still hunting for their first Hy-Vee Cup since its inaugural season in 2013.
The Hy-Vee Cup is awarded to the men’s and women’s team with the highest point total in five relays — the 4×800, distance medley relay, sprint medley relay, 4×100, and 4×400.
RELATED: Iowa track and field looks back at past success at Drake Relays
The Drake Relays offer a platform for Hawkeye athletes to perform well on a big stage while at the same time return to a place in which they competed in high school.
“It’s always exciting for our student-athletes to compete at Drake, especially for many of our home-grown athletes who were Drake Relays champions in high school,” said Woody, a Drake Relays Most Outstanding Performer for City High in 1992.
Two athletes in particular who return to the Blue Oval with fond memories are Payton Wensel and Austin West, who last year competed in the Relays as prep athletes.
Competing for Linn-Mar High, Wensel was presented with the Gerry Cooley award at the conclusion of the event, given to the most outstanding female high-school athlete.
Wensel placed first in the 400-meter hurdles, and ran on the winning 4×100 and 800 sprint medley relays.
West, who will compete unattached at Drake this year, won the 400 hurdles and placed second in the long jump last year for Iowa City West.
Both athletes will have the opportunity to repeat their spectacular prep performances.
With Wensel and West now competing at the college level, the Drake Relays serve as an opportunity to find the next Hawkeye athletes.
“We are here to recruit the best kids in the state of Iowa and show that we are the best program in the state,” Woody said. “We are going to keep fighting to get the best kids in the state to come to Iowa.”
