(Eugene, OR) – A total of five men and ten women Drake Relays alumni have secured their spot on the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team. While we have focused on multiple Iowans who secured a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team, we will jump over to the athletes who ran in the Drake Relays at the collegiate level.
Starting off with the women’s events, 2023 Drake Relays Champ Maggie Malone Hardin, set a meet record in the Women’s Javelin with a throw at 211-10 to earn a spot on her third Olympic team. Continuing with the Javelin event, Drake Relays champion, Kara Winger, earned second at 206-6 to make her fifth Olympic team. Madison Wiltrout, who earned third at the 2024 Drake Relays, finished third in the Javelin at 200-8 to make her first Olympic team. Three women will join the U.S. Olympic team in the Pole Vault as well. Recent 2024 Drake Relays Pole Vault champion, Bridge Williams, won the event with a vault of 15-6 1/4 to make her first Olympic team. Kate Moon was right alongside Williams with the same vault 15-6 1/4 to make her second Olympic team as the defending gold medalist. Lastly, Brynn King, who earned fifth at the Drake Relays this season also vaulted 15-6 1/4 to finish with her overall personal best and gain a spot on her first Olympic team.
Running away from the field events, let’s jump over to the track as two women were able to capture their first Olympic opportunity in the Women’s 100-meter hurdles. Masai Russell set a meet record and ran the fastest time in the world at 12.25 after previously earning second in the 2022 Drake Relays. Alysha Johnson, former eighth-place finisher in the 2023 Drake Relays, earned her personal best of 12.31. In the Women’s 1500-meter run, Nikki Hiltz set the meet record with a personal-best 3:55.33 to make her first Olympic team after formally finishing as the champion in the 2023 Drake Relays. Lastly, the 2023 Drake Relays champion Anna Cockrell, finished second overall with a personal best 52.64 to make her second Olympic team.
In the men’s field events, 2023 Drake Relays Hammer Throw champ Rudy Winkler, earned second with a season-best 258-10 to earn a spot on his third Olympic team. In the High Jump, Tyus Wilson of Nebraska and 2024 Drake Relays champion, earned third with a jump at 7-4 1/4 to make his first Olympic team. Finally, in the Triple Jump, three-time Drake Relays performer, Donald Scott, earned third at 55-4 1/4 to make his second Olympic team.
Finally, in the men’s running events, Abdihamid Nur earned second at 13:09.01 to make his first Olympic team who earned fifth in the 2021 Drake Relays. CJ Allen who was the 2019 and 2023 Drake Relays champ, finished second with his season-best 47.81 to make his first Olympic team.
(Information provided by Mike Mahon)
