More than 7,200 athletes are expected to participate in the Drake Relays, which begin today and run through Saturday. That will also include several area athletes competing in the high school division. Kyle Heidebrink of Spirit Lake will run in the 110 hurdles, Tyler Tonderum of Armstrong Ringsten will race the 100 meter dash, and the sprint medley team from Spirit Lake Park will also participate. On the girls side, Megan Lawler from Spirit Lake will run the 100 meter dash, Okoboji’s Brandi Demuth has qualified in the 100 hurdles, Amanda Dunn and Makenzi Anderson of Okoboji will throw in the discuss, and the Okoboji 4×100 relay and 4×100 shuttle hurdle teams will also run.
The Drake Relays usually feature around 100 elite track and field athletes. This year’s event in Iowa could include as many as 160. Relays director Brian Brown says he believes competitors will want to get familiar with Drake Stadium, which will also host this summer’s national track and field championships. The field at the 101st running of the Drake Relays is headlined by 14 meet record holders.
