Phelps, of Kingsley-Pierson/Woodbury Central, won her third-straight Drake Relays crown with a heave of 159-4 inches, besting her previous record of 153-4 by six feet. She’s the third athlete to win the event three straight years and will have a chance at a fourth title next year.
The Oklahoma State women finished the 4×1600 relay in 18:58.11, besting Minnesota’s record of 15:58.52 set in 2010.
The Oklahoma State men also won the 4×1600 relay in thrilling fashion as the Cowboy’s Kirubel Erassa edged Tulsa’s Adam Palamar at the line to win in 16:19.47. It marked the second year in a row a school has swept the men’s and women’s races in the university-college 4×1600 relay.
In the multi-events, which began on Wednesday, Zach Ziemek, a Wisconsin athlete, won with a total of 7,964 points, the highest winning total since 1998. Heather Miller won the heptathlon with a score of 5,860 points, besting two-time Drake Relays champion Lindsay Lettow, who finished second with 5,749 points.
Linn-Mar junior Stephanie Jenks became the second athlete to win the high school girls 3000 meters three years in a row, finishing with a time of 9:33.81, the best time in the country this year. Thomas Pollard of Gilbert won his second Drake Relays high school boys 3200 title, crossing the line in 9:07.50.
Jenks and Phelps weren’t the only prep athletes to win three straight titles, as Jeff Giannettino of West Burlington/Notre Dame became the first to win three consecutive titles in the high school boys high jump. The senior cleared 7-1, becoming the sixth Iowa high school jumper to jump 7-1 or higher.
A full day of events is on deck on Friday, beginning at 8 a.m. with the high school girls 100 hurdles.
