Collegiate Athletes Fairing Well At Drake Relays
Two Northwest Missouri State University track & field athletes set school records Thursday night at the Drake Relays.
Junior distance runner Caroline Cunningham continued her assault on the women’s outdoor record book by taking down the 5,000-meter mark Thursday night at the Drake Relays.
Cunningham recorded a time of 16:54.94 in the unseeded 5,000 meters to move past Angela Adams’ old mark of 16:55.80 set May 13, 2010 at the North Central Invitational in Naperville, Ill.
Cunningham’s run on Thursday earned her an NCAA provisional qualifying time.
It marks the third outdoor distance school record that Cunningham has broken this spring. She owns the school marks in the 1,500m (4:29.71), 3,000m steeplechase (10:29.75) and 5,000m (16:54.94).
Reece Smith shattered his own school record and became the first Bearcat to ever run a time of less than 14 minutes in the 5,000 meters. Smith posted a final lap of 57.40 as he notched the 12th-best NCAA Division II time this season. Smith also captured an NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the race.
Junior Jake Norris earned an NCAA provisional qualifying time in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase. Norris notched a personal-best (9:08.52). It ranks as the fourth-best time in Northwest’s outdoor school history. Senior Tucker Dahle also took part in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 9:31.06.
Sophomore Bailey Blake competed in the women’s unseeded 800m and placed 11th with a time of 2:12.06.
Graceland’s Michael Millslagle will compete Friday at the Drake Relays in the College Men’s High Jump. He’s earned All-American status at the NAIA National Indoor earlier this year.
Northern Iowa’s Carter Morton also placed 4th and scored 6697 points in the Men’s Decathlon that finished Thursday. He led the first day of events after Wednesday and won the 110H as the first event Thursday. Carter is the son of Chad and Debbie (Barber) Morton. Debbie is a former South Harrison and Graceland athlete and the daughter of Jim and Linda Barber.
