After being forced to leave the track just moments before originally scheduled start time as a result of weather delay, Notre Dame returns to Blue Oval with inspired performance to take down meet, stadium and collegiate records with 18:44.15 performance; Gonzaga wins first men’s 4x1,600 title against host Drake, with Kentucky women and Iowa State men adding to 4x800 legacies and Wilson clearing 7-5 (2.26m) in men’s high jump

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Photos by Ava Kitzi and Lily Dozier

DES MOINES, Iowa – On a defining day for women’s distance relays in NCAA history, Notre Dame didn’t want to be left out of the national conversation, even if the event is seldom discussed at the collegiate level.

With Harvard and Providence producing the two fastest all-time NCAA distance medley relay performances in the Championship of America race at the 128th Penn Relays, Notre Dame had the stage all to itself Friday in the women’s university/college 4x1,600-meter relay, even if the spotlight was slightly delayed for the Irish as a result of inclement weather at the 114th Drake Relays Presented by Xtream and Powered by Mediacom.

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Siona Chisholm, Claire Sievern, Andrea Markezich and Olivia Markezich delivered one of the most remarkable performances ever showcased at Drake Stadium, smashing the meet, facility and collegiate records by clocking 18 minutes, 44.15 seconds, with Iowa State placing second in 19:06.26.

Notre Dame’s effort had added significance, considering the Irish were on the track ready to compete mere moments prior to the scheduled start of the race, before the meet was halted in the morning as a result of the weather delay due to the threat of lightning in the Des Moines area.

Once competition resumed, Notre Dame was even more determined than before, building an advantage of more than 100 meters against Iowa State during the second half of the race.

Oklahoma State and Minnesota were the only two women’s programs to ever eclipse the 19-minute barrier at Drake Relays before Friday.

Oklahoma State achieved the all-time meet, facility and collegiate performances in 2015 by running 18:58.11, and no team had run within five seconds of that effort during the past seven editions of the Drake Relays.

Although the more recognized collegiate races are the 4x1,500 relay – with Arkansas clocking 16:53.87 for the NCAA all-time mark at the 2022 Penn Relays – and the 4xMile relay, highlighted by Oregon’s 18:39.58 performance in 1985, the exceptional effort achieved by Notre Dame ranks as one of the defining moments in Drake Relays history.

Several hours later, Nebraska junior Tyus Wilson also elevated himself into the national spotlight in the men’s university/college championship high jump competition, producing multiple personal-best clearances on his way to achieving a 7-5 (2.26m) effort on his second attempt to equal the NCAA leader this season.

Wilson improved his top career mark to 7-3.75 on his first try, then continued his momentum with the 7-5 clearance to match Caleb Snowden of Arkansas Pine-Bluff, the NCAA Division 1 indoor runner-up, for the best collegiate outdoor performance this spring.

It was the best mark achieved by a collegiate male high jumper at Drake Relays since 1988.

Kentucky, which produced the women’s university 4x800-meter relay record by running 8:25.25 in 2022, returned following a one-year absence, with veterans Jenna Schwinghamer and Phoebe McCowan joining Sydney Steely and Lyric Olson to run 8:27.94, denying Notre Dame (8:32.16) a second victory on the day.

The Wildcats joined Oklahoma State as the only two women’s programs in meet history to have multiple sub-8:30 performances in the 4x800 relay.

Gonzaga made history in the men’s university/college 4x1,600 relay with its first Drake Relays title, as Carp Mukai, Jacob Alfonso, Sam Geiger and Wil Smith edged the host school on the Blue Oval by a 16:50.57 to 16:50.87 margin.

Drake was seeking its first championship since winning the 4xMile relay in 1968, but Smith held off Aidan Simon on the anchor leg to secure the win for Gonzaga in a Battle of the Bulldogs.

Iowa State rebounded from having a streak of four consecutive men’s university 4x800 titles halted last year by Nebraska to triumph in 7:22.53, with Devan Kipyego, Emanuel Galdino, Tyler Carreon and Peter Smith prevailing by nearly 10 seconds ahead of Indiana State.

Niko Schultz, who contributed to Nebraska’s win last year against Iowa State, earned an individual title in the men’s university/collegiate 800 in 1:48.46.

Hannah Antkoviak of Olivet Nazarene, who became the first female athlete in NAIA history to eclipse the 57-second barrier in the 400-meter hurdles last year at Drake Relays, added to her legacy Friday in another exciting matchup against South Dakota standout Jacy Pulse.

Antkoviak lowered her NAIA all-time mark to 56.20, holding off Pulse in 56.54.

Pulse prevailed in their first matchup last season by a 56.79 to 56.97 margin.

Jack Crull of Bradley repeated in the men’s university/college 1,500 meters by clocking 3:42.76.

Erin Reidy from Minnesota capped an impressive week by running 4:16.53 to emerge victorious in the women’s university/college 1,500, following a 4:16.51 effort April 24 at the Gary Wilson Invitational.

Darek Hackett became the first male athlete from the Air Force Academy to win the men’s university/college 400-meter hurdles at Drake Relays, clocking 50.37.

Kelsey Schweizer secured the first win for Missouri in the women’s university/college 800 in meet history with a 2:06.23 effort.

Payton Mauldin of Dordt College triumphed in the men’s university/college 400 meters in 46.38.

Nell Graham from North Dakota State prevailed in the women’s university/college 400 in 52.61.

Minnesota State swept the men’s and women’s college 1,600-meter sprint medley relay titles, helping the Mavericks in their pursuit of repeating as winners of the respective college cup competitions.

Denisha Cartwright, Tijuanique Morton, Eilika Lane and MaKenna Thurston ran 3:53.79 to capture back-to-back crowns, helping Minnesota State add to its resume that includes three of the four fastest performances in the event in NCAA Division 2 history.

Marvin Dure, Jabez Reeves, Qai Hussey and Paul Lins lifted the Mavericks past Northern State by a 3:27.71 to 3:27.79 margin, with Dakota State taking third in 3:27.84, helping Minnesota State capture its third consecutive championship in the event.

South Dakota was the final relay winner of the day, before the stadium was evacuated again as a result of a potential tornado warning, capturing the women’s 4x200 title in a program-record 1:34.24, with Pulse joining Erin Kinney, Caelyn Valandra-Prue and Sara Reifenrath.

Shelby Frank of Minnesota, who competed unattached last season at Drake Relays, repeated in the women’s championship university/college discus throw, producing an opening-round performance of 191-5 (58.34m) and never relinquishing control.

Arianna Fisher, a former Missouri All-American competing unattached, rallied in the sixth round of the women’s championship university/college triple jump with a wind-aided 43-2.25 (13.16m) effort to secure victory.

Cam Jones from Iowa State won the men’s championship university/college shot put with a fifth-round mark of 64-9.75 (19.75m).

Nebraska’s Amelia Flynt triumphed in the women’s championship university/college shot put with a fifth-round performance of 54-11.25 (16.74m).

Emily Grove, a South Dakota graduate representing Team ESSX, cleared 14-4 (4.37m) on her first try in the women’s championship university/college pole vault competition that was moved indoors.

Tori Thomas of Illinois also achieved a 14-4 clearance, with Grove prevailing on fewer attempts.

James Carter Jr., a former Iowa standout competing unattached, produced a wind-aided 52-8 (16.05m) effort in the sixth round of the men’s championship university/college triple jump.

Uladzislau Puchko, a freshman at Virginia Tech representing Belarus, was victorious in the men’s championship university/college discus with a fourth-round throw of 203-1 (61.90m).

The men’s 4x200 relay competition, along with the women’s invitational 3,000 steeplechase were both postponed until Saturday.