University of Missouri
DrakeRelays(O)
Women's 4x1600m Relay Team Wins at Drake Relays
4/25/2002 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
April 25, 2002
Des Moines, Iowa -- The 2002 Drake Relay Champion Women's 4x1600m relay team from Missouri did not have four runners who specialize in the mile. Three of the four usually participate in the 800m run and one just recently automatically qualified in the 5000m. But Thursday night at the Drake Relays, they were all great in the mile run.
"It's exciting," senior Jennifer Leerssen said. "The four of us don't really consider ourselves 'milers' and to put together a relay team like this and win is really great."
The relay team won the event in a meet record time of 19:36.27, approximately 35 seconds faster than the previous record. The win in the 4x1600m marks the fourth year that Missouri has had a relay champion at the Drake Relays.
"It's thrilling," assistant track coach Rebecca Wilmes said. "There were three seniors out there and you can count on them to lay it all on the line. You know you can put (the seniors) in a situation like that and they'll be rocks for you."
The women's heptathlon and men's decathlon wrapped up today as well. Junior Fiona Asigbee finished in third place with 4,951 points. It is her second-highest score in the event. Abbe Ohneck placed ninth with 4,415 points. In the men's decathlon, freshman Brandon Goebbert wrapped up with a strong 1500m run and placed seventh with 6,378 points.
Junior Kim Moore finished in sixth place in the women's 10,000m run in a time of 36:05.44. Lisa Buffington was 14th (36:32.63) and Katherine Bonugli was 17th (37:11.90). Both Buffington and Bonugli had personal best times in the event.
In the men's steeplechase, senior Adam MacDowell was 14th in a time of 9:11.94 and Steve Wade was 20th in a time of 9:24.88.
