DES MOINES, IOWA, April 26–29 — When you’ve said “winner Ryan Crouser,” you’ve said it all.
And at the 113th running (putting?) of the Drake Relays, you had to say it twice, on Wednesday and Saturday, as the double Olympic shot put champ uncorked winning throws over 73-feet indoors and outdoors to win two Relays golds.
How’d that happen?
Well, there’s a good explanation. Like the Grand Blue Mile the night before, the indoor comp was another promotion for the Relays itself, and a darn creative one. Held inside the venerable Drake Fieldhouse on Wednesday of meet week, it featured 4 men and 4 women in alternate flights as a promo for the main event, with an eye toward Crouser breaking the indoor WR.
That didn’t happen but the hour-long competition was no less entertaining in the intimate indoor setting, which virtually every athlete in Relays history has passed through en route to the tunnel leading to the blue oval.
Competing against Tripp Piperi, Nick Ponzio and Chuk Enekwechi, Crouser — throwing last — opened with a 73-6¾ (22.42) heave and then added a 73-2 (22.30) and 72-3 (22.02) on his second and fourth. Piperi was 2nd with a 70-4½ (21.45) toss.
Crouser was almost as good outdoors in the cold and rain as he splashed around a puddled ring on Saturday. He won his fifth consecutive Relays title with an outdoor world leader 73-5¼ (22.38) on his second throw. He opened with a “sub-standard” 68-2¼ (20.780) and had a 72-5¼ (22.08) on his fourth throw. Moreover, he finally broke Christian Cantwell’s 17-year-old meet record.
“I’ve been chasing the Drake Relays record for a long time,” Crouser said. “I own the Stadium Record so I’m finally happy to get Cantwell’s. It was fun doing both comps and I really liked the indoor. I hope they make that a tradition. It’s a good environment. That distance today is one of my best ever in the rain. I was happy to get it in kind of unforgiving conditions.”
Jamal Britt claimed the men’s 110H in a windy 13.29 over Nebraska’s Darius Luff (13.48) while ’21 Olympic champ Hansle Parchment got a slow start and the resultant finish in 4th (13.60).
CJ Allen looked invincible down the stretch in the 400H, bulling his way to a convincing 48.78 win. “My execution was twice as good as when I last ran here,” he said. “I’m super encouraged and have dialed it in. I knew I had to execute those [final] hurdles and changed my stride pattern going into the last three hurdles.”
Other pro winners on the track included Isaiah Jewett in the men’s 2-lapper in 1:47.05 and Paul Ryan in the men’s 1500 in 3:40.23, with his 57.68 final lap edging Charlie Grice (3:40.67).
In the field, Will Williams won the LJ on his second attempt on the wet runway, a wind-aided 25-¾ (7.70). Rudy Winkler claimed the men’s hammer at 251-8 (76.70) over Denzel Comenentia (244-11/74.67) and Sean Donnelly (244-6/74.53).
In the University Division, Minnesota’s Kostas Zaltos threw the hammer 246-11 (75.27), a collegiate leader. All 6 of his throws were over 71m (232-11) and he finished about 18ft ahead of Minnesota’s Jake Kubiatowicz at 228-4 (69.60).
The team Relays Cup went to Nebraska off wins in the 4×4 and 4×8.
DRAKE RELAYS MEN’S RESULTS
Invitational Events
800: 1. Isaiah Jewett (Nike) 1:47.05; 2. Dezhu Liu’ (Chn) 1:49.21; 3. Shane Streich (AtlTC) 1:49.63.
1500: 1. Paul Ryan (adidas) 3:40.23; 2. Charlie Grice’ (GB) 3:40.67; 3. Adam Fogg’ (GB) 3:40.87.
110H(2.0): 1. Jamal Britt (EAN) 13.29; 2. *Darius Luff (Nb) 13.48; 3. Eric Edwards (unat) 13.56; 4. Hansle Parchment’ (Jam) 13.60; 5. Shane Brathwaite’ (Bar) 13.67; 6. Damion Thomas’ (Jam) 13.72.
400H: 1. CJ Allen (unat) 48.78; 2. Amere Lattin (adidas) 50.00; 3. Khallifah Rosser (Nike) 50.27; 4. Muhammad Abdallah Kounta’ (Fra) 50.39; 5. Jaheel Hyde’ (Jam) 51.54.
LJ: 1. Will Williams (TWC) 25-3¼w (7.70).
Indoor SP (4/26): 1. Ryan Crouser (Nike) 73-6¾ (22.42) (73-6¾, 73-2, f, 72-3, f, f) (22.42, 22.30, f, 22.02, f, f); 2. Tripp Piperi (unat) 70-4½ (21.45); 3. Chuk Enekwechi’ (Ngr) 68-3¼ (20.81); 4. Nick Ponzio’ (Ita) 67-6¾ (20.59).
SP: 1. Crouser 73-5¼ (22.38) (68-2¼, 73-5¼, f, 72-5¼, p, p) (20.78, 22.38, f, 22.08, p, p); 2. Piperi 70-6¼ (21.49); 3. Payton Otterdahl (IronW) 68-4¼ (20.83); 4. Ponzio’ 67-4 (20.52); 5. Enekwechi’ 66-¼ (20.12).
HT(4/27): 1. Rudy Winkler (TSNYAC) 251-8 (76.70); 2. Denzel Comenentia’ (Neth) 244-11 (74.67); 3. Sean Donnelly (adidas) 244-6 (74.53); 4. Ashraf Amjad Al-Saifi’ (Qat) 234-3 (71.40); 5. Isaiah Rogers (KennSt) 234-2 (71.39); 6. Alex Young (unat) 230-11 (70.39); 7. Joe Ellis’ (GB) 230-10 (70.37); 8. Morgan Shigo (Vel) 230-2 (70.16).
University Events
(4/27—St, 5K; 4/28—4x100h, 4×16, HJ, SP, DT)
100(2.5): 1. Isaiah Trousil (NnIa) 10.14w; 2. *Carlon Hosten’ (Mn-Tri) 10.28w; 3. **Sam Blaskowski (WiLC) 10.29w.
800: 1. James Olivier (unat) 1:48.45.
St: 1. Craig Nowak (unat) 8:35.27; 2. *Christian Baker (Tulsa) 8:38.66; 3. *Reece Smith (NWMo) 8:38.68; 4. *Luke Labatte (ND) 8:41.75; 5. **Ricardo Barbosa’ (ColbyCC-Por) 8:42.77.
5000: 1. Edwin Kurgat’ (Ken) 13:34.11.
110H(0.7): 1. *Hugo Morvan (SD-Fra) 13.88.
4 x 100: 1. Minnesota 39.30; 2. Northern Iowa 39.98.
4 x 200: 1. Purdue 1:22.90.
4 x 800: 1. Loras 7:22.17. II–1. Nebraska 7:25.78.
4 x 1600: 1. Air Force 16:23.31; 2. Iowa State 16:23.69; 3. Purdue 16:31.95; 4. South Dakota State 16:37.65; 5. Arkansas State 16:37.85; 6. North Central 16:39.66.
SpMed: 1. Minnesota State 3:21.47; 2. Nebraska Wesleyan 3:22.04; 3. Dordt 3:22.97.
4 x 110H: 1. Indiana State 58.60.
HJ: 1. Kyle Rollins (GSTC) 7-4½ (2.25); 2. **Jalan Rivers (AF) 7-1½ (2.17); 3. **Tyus Wilson (Nb) 7-1½.
SP: 1. *Isaiah Schafer (Mn) 63-¼ (19.21); 2. Trevor Otterdahl (NDSt) 61-8¼ (18.80); 3. Dylan Kucera (Midl) 61-¼ (18.60).
DT: 1. *Jacob Morris (Truman) 187-11 (57.29).
HT: II–1. *Kostas Zaltos’ (Mn-Gre) 246-11 (75.27) (CL);
2. Jake Kubiatowicz (Mn) 228-4 (69.60); 3. **Anthony Barmes’ (Drake-NZ) 228-2 (69.56); 4. T. Otterdahl 226-8 (69.08).
JT: 1. **Will Lawrence (WiPl) 229-2 (69.85); 2. Samuel Hardin (unat) 227-3 (69.27); 3. Austin Parsons (Mn) 224-0 (68.29); 4. **Matt Kraft (NDSt) 223-11 (68.26); 5. *Benji Phillips (NDSt) 222-1 (67.70).
Dec(4/26-27): 1. *Carter Morton (NnIa) 7454.
