Missouri
Drake Relays
@MIZ_TrackField Wins DMR to Close Drake Relays
4/28/2018 3:30:00 PM | Track & Field
Mizzou records multiple Drake Relays titles in women’s events for the first time in program history
DES MOINES, Iowa – Mizzou Track & Field captured one more title on the final day of the Drake Relays Saturday, as the women's distance medley relay team of redshirt senior Valeska Halamicek (Weldon Spring, Mo.), redshirt junior Tsai-Anne Joseph (St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago), redshirt freshman Karina Liz (Aurora, Ill.), and senior Karissa Schweizer (Urbandale, Iowa) took home white flags.
The title gives Mizzou three white flags on the meet, the 10th time in school history Mizzou has recorded three or more white flags in one Relays. All three of Mizzou's Drake Relays titles happened in women's events, the first time in school history Mizzou has won multiple white flags in women's events. On Friday evening, Schweizer set the meet record in the 5000m run, while redshirt senior Megan Cunningham (Eureka, Mo.) won the 10,000m run.
NOTABLE TIGERS
In a race reminiscent of Mizzou's SEC Indoor DMR title, Schweizer grabbed the baton with the Tigers in fourth-place as she passed Indiana State, Iowa State and South Dakota State's anchor legs to clinch the title as she crossed the finish line at 11:07.59. Schweizer finished with a 4:32.19 mile run split, while just two days after running an 800m run personal record of 2:08.77, Liz split a 2:10.30 800m third leg to keep Mizzou close before handing the baton off to Schweizer. The title is the second Drake Relays women's DMR title in Mizzou history, after the 1997 team took first with a time of 11:13.67.
In the 400m hurdles, redshirt senior Jerrad Mason (Bridgetown, Barbados) ran a season-best time of 51.69 in a seventh-place finish. The time currently ranks 29th in the NCAA West Region this season.
In field events, Mizzou recorded three top-five finishes, including a pair of fourth-place finishes from junior Karissa Roman (Kewanee, Ill.) in the high jump and junior Becky Keating (Reading, England) in the hammer throw. Roman cleared 1.74m (5-8.5), while Keating recorded a throw of 59.90m (196-6). In the men's hammer throw, redshirt junior Avery Carter (Lee's Summit, Mo.) followed up his program top-10 mark at the Tom Botts Invitational (April 20) with another strong performance, as he produced a throw of 62.76m (205-11) to place fifth.
QUOTABLES
Mizzou senior Karissa Schweizer
On taking a calculated approach to gaining the lead…
"Getting it where the placement I got it in helped me tremendously. Our team took a 180 from SECs. Beginning with Val, who led the race for a while, then we had Karina helping us stay in the pack and stay connected. And we threw Tsai in there who wasn't even in our group at SECs, so having us all come together was huge. It really helped me, because I was able to attack slow and be tactical, which is how I like to race."
On how special it can be to win a title as a team…
"This means so much to me, just being able to put it all together. We have raced a lot of DMRs, but this year it has really clicked. To be able to put it together at SECs, then again here at Drake, it is so special that we were able to maintain our health and strength throughout the season."
UP NEXT
With the conclusion of the Drake Relays, Mizzou will now move to postseason competition, beginning with the SEC Outdoor Championships, which will take place May 11-13, in Knoxville, Tenn. The SEC meet will be the final chance for student-athletes to set top-48 qualifying marks/times for the NCAA West Preliminary, which will be held May 24-26 in Sacramento, Calif.
For all the latest on Mizzou Track & Field, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (MIZ_TrackField).
RESULTS - TRACK EVENTS
800m Run, Men – 10. Chris Conrad, 1:52.22 // 14. Cain Winebrenner, 1:53.17
400m Hurdles, Men – 7. Jerrad Mason, 51.69
DMR, Women – 1. Valeska Halamicek, Tsai-Anne Joseph, Karina Liz, Karissa Schweizer, 11:07.59
RESULTS - FIELD EVENTS
High Jump, Women – 4. Karissa Roman, 1.74m (5-8.5) // 9. Valeria Kostiuk, 1.70m (5-7)
Discus, Men – 24. Will Fife, 43.04m (141-2)
Hammer Throw, Men – 5. Avery Carter, 62.76m (205-11) // 12. Patrick Kunza, 58.74m (192-8)
Hammer Throw, Women – 4. Becky Keating, 59.90m (196-6)
Players Mentioned
