Drake Relays To Include 17 Titans
The UW-Oshkosh track & field program will be represented by 12 men and five women at this weekend's Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa.
Competition in the four-day event begins Wednesday (April 24) and concludes Saturday (April 27) at Drake Stadium on the campus of Drake University.
First held in 1910, the Drake Relays is billed as America's Athletic Classic. The event, which attracts nearly 15,000 spectators per day, is regarded as one of the top track and field events for high school, college and professional athletes in the United States. A total of 14 world records have been set at the Drake Relays.
The UW-Oshkosh men will have competitors in seven events, including Nick Freitag, Steven Potter and Justin Skinkis in the 800-meter run (Unseeded University/College Division). Potter ranks 22nd in the NCAA Division III this season with an 800-meter run time of 1:55.27 while Skinkis ranks 29th in 1:55.73 and Freitag 43rd in 1:56.23.
The Titans will also have individual participation by Jack Flynn in the discus (University/College Division), Robert Ogbuli in the 100-meter dash (University/College Division), Bailey Quinn in the hammer throw (University/College Division), Joe Vils in the pole vault (University/College Division) and Jonathan Wilburn in the triple jump (University/College Division).
Vils ranks third nationally in the pole vault with a height of 16-0 3/4 while Wilburn ranks fourth in the triple jump with a measurement of 47-9, Ogbuli eighth in the 100-meter dash with a time of in 10.74 seconds, Quinn 11th in the hammer throw with a distance of 181-7 and Flynn 14th in the discus with a mark of 156-0.
Ogbuli, Benjamin Jung, Christian Lopez and Ryan Powers will compete for UW-Oshkosh in the 400-meter relay (College Division) while Freitag, Potter, Powers and Todd Beadle will perform for the Titans in the 1,600-meter relay (College Division).
The UW-Oshkosh women will have Alexandria Steger entered in the javelin (University/College Division) and Lauren Wrensch in the long jump (University/College Division).
Wrensch owns a Division III-leading measurement of 19-4 in the long jump while Steger ranks 10th in the javelin with a distance of 133-2.
Racing in the 1,600-meter relay (College Division) will be UW-Oshkosh's quartet of Wrensch, Alexandra Demco, Lindsay Denu and Taylor Pralle.
UW-Oshkosh will also send several of its team members to Friday's (April 26) UW-Whitewater Drake Alternative Meet and the Simpson College (Iowa) Kip Janvrin Open.
Drake Relays Schedule • UW-Oshkosh Competitors
Thursday, April 25
4:39 p.m. • Men's 800-Meter Run (Unseeded University/College Division)
Friday, April 26
9:04 a.m. • Men's 3,200-Meter Relay (College Division)
9:33 a.m. • Men's 400-Meter Relay (College Division)
10 a.m. • Women's Long Jump (University/College Division)
1:30 p.m. • Men's Triple Jump (University/College Division)
1:30 p.m. • Women's Javelin (University/College Division)
2:51 p.m. • Men's 100-Meter Dash (University/College Division)
2:59 p.m. • Women's 1,600-Meter Relay (College Division)
3:22 p.m. • Men's 1,600-Meter Relay (College Division)
Saturday, April 27
10:30 a.m. • Men's Pole Vault (University/College Division)
11 a.m. • Men's Discus (University/College Division)
1 p.m. • Men's Hammer Throw (University/College Division)