April 29, 2005
DES MOINES, Iowa - Friday at the 96th Annual Drake Relays, the University of Missouri women's distance medley relay team took runner-up, running in 11:14.05, the second-fastest time for the outdoor season in the world. With three sophomores, the Tiger men ran the fourth-fastest time all-time at Missouri in the 4x800-meter relay with a second-place showing. Throwing in his third Drake Relays all-time, senior Conrad Woolsey became a men's university division shot put champion at Drake Stadium in front of an estimated crowd of 9,000.
The women's DMR comprised of the same crew that ran for ninth at the NCAA Indoor Championships: Ashley Patten, Whittney Stuart, Trisa Nickoley, and Amanda Bales. Patten lead off, running a 3:25.8 1200-meter leg, standing in fourth. Senior, Stuart, retained the fourth-place spot, running a 56.7 at 400 meters. Then the stick once again went to freshman Nickoley (Tecumseh, Kan.). Just like with many of the DMRs ran by the team during the indoor season, Nickoley sped the team into a closing position with her 800-meter leg, running in 2:08.0. Tiger senior Amanda Bales anchored with a 4:44.9 1600-meter leg and cruised to a runner-up showing. National champion Michigan took the title for the second year in a row, clocking a world-leading time of 11:10.80 - the Tigers took second for the second-consecutive year.
The men's 4x800-relay team edged out Kansas and Illinois State for the runner-up spot in their race. Running the fourth-best time for Missouri all-time, the Tiger relay was made up of three sophomores; Tipper O'Brien, Jimmie Jones, and Marcus Mayes; and junior Rem Moll. O'Brien and Jones led off with 1:52.7 and 1:52.5 legs, respectively to place the Tigers seventh in a tight-nit pack. Moll ran a 1:50.8 to move the Tigers up to fourth. Mayes exploded out to the gate, taking over second by the end of the second turn, and ran a 51.3 opening lap as a result. With unwavering strength, Mayes cruised to a 1:49.0 overall leg, topping the Jayhawks and Redbirds as they closed. Kansas State won the race in 7:21.32, giving the Big 12 a top-three sweep in the event.
The team's 4x800 time is only surpassed all-time at Missouri by the 2000, 1981, and 1964 relay teams that won Drake Relays Championships. The 2000 team contained 2004 Olympian Derrick Peterson and 2003 All-American Timothy Dunne. With Neville Miller redshirting this outdoor season, talented youth returning for the '06 relays, and an aging K-State team not returning key runners, Missouri could have what it takes to take the title in the future.
Three-time Division I All-American Conrad Woolsey took the title in the men's university division shot put, winning by over two feet over defending champ, Iowa's Ken Kemeny. Woolsey's best of 61 feet, 2 inches (18.64m) is a season best and expands his NCAA regional qualifying mark. Sophomore Bill Hobson took eighth in the event, reaching the finals. Freshman Nate Englin placed ninth in his first Drake Relays.
Woolsey's win gives the Missouri men their 67th relay title all time, third best of all schools in the university division. The Tigers have taken three of the last four titles in the men's shot put university division - Russ Bell won the division in 2002 and 2003. Between the special invitational and university divisions, the Tiger collegians have accounted for 10 Drake Relays Championships. Christian Cantwell has won the special invitational division of the men's shot put for the last three years consecutive, and will compete tomorrow afternoon for the '05 title.
Freshman Jason Miller (Stafford, Va.) placed eighth in his first Drake Relays in the men's high jump, clearing the bar at 6-8¾ (2.05m).
The meet concludes tomorrow with highlight events including the women's 4x800-meter, the men's distance medley, the men's invitational 800-meter with Derrick Peterson and Timothy Dunne, and the men's invitational shot put with Christian Cantwell, among others. Officials are anticipating the 39th-consecutive sellout of Saturday's action with 18,500 people in the stands.
Drake will provide a live-video broadcast of Friday's and Saturday's events at drakebroadcasting.com. Final results, news, and quotes can be found at drakerelays.org.