Willits Wins Drake Title, Women's 4x800 Down 1978 Record

Wednesday, April 22

Des Moines, Iowa

Iowa State

Drake Relays

Photo by: Jeff Spaur

Willits Wins Drake Title, Women's 4x800 Down 1978 Record

04.24.2026 | Track and Field

Web Results Photo Gallery

DES MOINES, Iowa – Sydney Willits became the long jump champion while the women's 4x800m took down the 48-year-old school record to highlight day three at the Drake Relays.

Willits leapt to a season-best 21-1 1/4 (6.43m) for her first Drake Relays title. Willits earns ISU's first Drake title in the event since Jhoamy Luque in 2018 and fifth overall title.

Ashlyn Keeney led off the 4x800m and handed the baton to Makayla Clark who posted a blistering split of 2:02.19. Emma Vorpagel ran next while Riley Beach anchored to produce the school record of 8:26.82, downing the 1978 record by nine seconds (8:35.36). The team took second.

The men's 4x800m team of Emanuel Galdino, Jacoby Harmon, Jailan Sohna and Sam Austin also secured silver, clocking a time of 7:22.74 (No. 10 ISU).

Josie Baker began the day leading off the 4x1,600m and handed off to Maelle Porcher who put the Cyclones in front opening a four-second lead. Bella Heikes then took the stick and kept ISU in first at the next exchange. Mercy Kibet anchored the Cyclones to 19:09.09, finishing third with the third-fastest time in Iowa State history.

The men raced the relay next, with Quinton Orr taking to the track first. Orr led through the first exchange and handed off to Devan Kipyego while ISU raced in a tight contest with Air Force. Joash Ruto had the next leg while Galdino had the final leg, crossing the finish line at 16:26.07, just .19 seconds off the title.

Hurdle prelims came next, with both Cyclone women in competition advancing. Zola N'Douma-Mona won her 100m hurdles heat and had the fourth-fastest time in prelims with 13.57w, while fellow freshman Emma Havighurst finished right after in 13.61w to move on.

In 110m hurdles prelims, Alec Carr moved on with an all-conditions best of 13.71w as he won his heat and finished third overall. Carr had his fastest time ever, with the wind reading of 2.2 m/s just over the legal limit of 2.0. Daylin Williams took ninth, one spot out of advancement.

The men's 4x100m earned advancement to tomorrow's final, an event with Relays Cup points on the line. Gus Langford, Ty Koehnk, Jeb Moon and Jon Rice finished with a season-best 41.09 for seventh in prelims.

For field events, freshman Tyson Seeser who won two Drake Relays titles in high school secured bronze in the championship high jump clearing a new outdoor-best 7-0 1.4 (2.14m). Ava Cinnamo also took bronze, with a mark of 40-9 3/4w (12.44m) in the championship triple jump.

In university division field events, Daniel Norris threw a season best in the discus and finished fifth (182-5, 55.60m). Kamari Brown also had a fifth-place finish, going out to an outdoor best and PR-tying mark of 49-1 1/2 (14.97m) in the shot put.

Iowa State takes on the final day of Drake Relays tomorrow beginning at 10 a.m. with the men's university hammer. Running events begin at 12:37 p.m. with the distance medley relay.

Iowa State Results

4x1,600m University (W): 1. Oregon State – 19:06.06; 3. Iowa State (Baker, Porcher, Heikes, Kibet) – 19:09.09 (No. 3 ISU)

4x1,600m University (M): 1. Air Force – 16:25.88; 2. Iowa State (Orr, Kipyego, Ruto, Galdino) – 16:26.07

100m Hurdles University/College Prelims (W): 1. Rachel Mehringer, Indiana State – 13.03w; 4. Zola N'Douma-Mona, Iowa State – 13.57w; 5. Emma Havighurst, Iowa State – 13.61w

110m Hurdles University/College Prelims (M): 1. Luke Schroeder, Wisconsin-La Crosse – 13.58w; 3. Alec Carr, Iowa State – 13.71w; 6. Jack Latham, unattached – 13.95; 9. Daylin Williams, Iowa State – 14.08w

4x100m University Prelims (W): 1. Iowa – 44.50; 10. Iowa State (Laing, Sandvig, Moon, David) – 46.27

4x100m University Prelims (M): 1. Iowa – 39.89; 7. Iowa State (Langford, Koehnk, Moon, Rice) – 41.09

400m Hurdles University/College (M): 1. Dillon Leacock, Missouri – 50.68; 5. Alec Carr, Iowa State – 50.89 (PR, No. Aidan Jacobsen, Iowa State – 52.45

400m University/College (M): 1. Tavon Underwood, Kansas State – 46.07; 4. Ty Koehnk, Iowa State – 47.13 (PR)

1,500m University/College (M): 1. Lasse Funck, Missouri – 3:43.97; 6. Nathan Pestka, Iowa State – 3:47.44 (PR)

4x800m University (W): 1. Oklahoma State – 8:16.65; 2. Iowa State (Keeney, Clark, Vorpagel, Beach) – 8:26.82 (No. 1 ISU)

4x800m University (M): 1. Iowa – 7:20.36; 2. Iowa State (Galdino, Harmon, Sohna, Austin) – 7:22.74 (No. 10 ISU)

Triple Jump Championship (W): 1. Jaiah Hopf, DePaul – 41-8 1/2 (12.71m); 3. Ava Cinnamo, Iowa State – 40-9 3/4w (12.44m)

Discus University/College (W): 1. Hadley Lucas, Wisconsin – 161-11 (49.35m); 3. Betty Rosvold, Iowa State – 160-6 (48.93m)

Shot Put University/College (M): 1. Cooper Cerese, Drake – 60-6 3/4 (18.46m); 14. Hanson King, Iowa State – 52-8 (16.05m); 19. Daniel Norris, Iowa State – 51-7 3/4 (15.74m)

Discus University/College (M): 1. Bryce Ruland, Iowa – 187-2 (57.06m); 5. Daniel Norris, Iowa State – 182-5 (55.60m); 12. Michael Etuma, Iowa State – 162-5 (49.50m)

Shot Put University/College (W): 1. Sage Burbach, Nebraska – 52-2 3/4 (15.92m); 5. Kamari Brown, Iowa State – 49-1 1/2 (14.97m)

High Jump Championship (M): 1. Mason Kooi, Nebraska – 7-1 3/4 (2.18m); 3. Tyson Seeser, Iowa State – 7-0 1/4 (2.14m)

Long Jump Championship (W): 1. Sydney Willits, Iowa State – 21-1 1/4 (6.43m); 5. Amari Laing, Iowa State – 19-2 3/4 (5.86m)