DES MOINES — The qualification period for high school athletes looking to earn a bid to the Drake Relays ends tonight at 11:59 p.m.
To qualify for the Drake Relays, athletes must have one of the top 24 marks in the state for all classes combined in the field events. For the 100 meter dash and the 100 meter and 110 meter hurdle races, athletes must have one of the top 32 entries.
The Drake Relays takes the top eight times in the state for the 800 meter run and the top 16 entries for the 800 meter run. For the 1,500 meter run, the 1,600 meter run, the 3,000 meter run and the 3,200 meter run, the Drake Relays take the top 21 entries.
And in the relay events, Drake accepts the top 80 4x100 relays, the top 24 4x200, 4x400 and sprint medley relays. The top 16 entries in the 4x800 and shuttle hurdle relays are accepted.
Murray junior Kate Patton is firmly in the 100 meter dash field, having posted the fifth-best time in the entire state so far this season, running a 12.55 hand-time at East Union.
Central Decatur junior Caitlyn Saxton also appears to be in good shape for qualifying in the 100 meter dash. Her hand-timed 12.81 at Nodaway Valley ranks her 19th as of press time.
In the 100 meter hurdles, Interstate 35 senior Ellen Lupkes is just outside of the top 32, sitting in 37th as of press time with a time 16.30. The cutoff at press time is a 16.18.
Clarke senior Sarah Pate is safe in both the shot put and the discus throw. Pate sits eighth in the shot put with her throw of 40-2.50 at Iowa State. She also ranks fifth in the discus with her 130-7 throw at the Lady Panther Relays in Creston.
The Interstate 35 4x100 relay team sits 27th with a time of 52.29, putting them firmly into the Drake Relays field.
Clarke senior Logan Weers finds himself 16th in the 110 meter high hurdles as of press time with his clocking of 15.22 at the Crawford Invitational in Osceola. Weers appears to be safely into the field.