April 26, 2002
Des Moines, Iowa -- Sophomore Janae Strickland made Missouri history Friday when she finished in second place in the women's shot put with a Missouri outdoor record throw of 50-5.25. Her personal-best throw is a provisional-qualifying mark, her second of the 2002 outdoor season.
"I didn't realize it was 50 feet," Strickland said. "I just knew it felt good. I wasn't going for a PR or anything. I called my dad and I laughed. I was full of different emotions."
Assistant coach Brett Halter noted the greatness of Strickland's performance Friday.
"To have a two-foot PR at the Drake Relays is huge," Halter said. "Drake is not always the easiest place to throw well -- especially the first time. Basically it was a star-studded field and Janae went in and delivered."
Junior Russ Bell made it up to the Drake Relays champion stand twice Friday as he won the men's shot put title and won the men's discus competition for the second year in a row. He is only the 13th male performer to win both events in the same year in the Drake Relays' 93-year history.
Bell earned his second and third Drake Relays Championships as he took the men's shot put title Friday afternoon in Des Moines, Iowa, throwing 62-5.25. Later in the day, Bell defended his Drake Relays title in the discus, winning with a throw of 181-5. Bell's teammate Christian Cantwell was second in the discus with a mark of 175-3. Both Cantwell and Bell will participate in the men's invitational shot put tomorrow afternoon.
Sophomore Jennifer Bennett was fifth in the women's pole vault, clearing a height of 12-3.5 which ties her personal-best mark and ties the school outdoor record.
Freshman Jesse Sims performed well at his first Drake Relays appearance. The Paola, Kan., native took second place in the high jump as he cleared a height of 7-0.25.
The final day of the Drake Relays is tomorrow.