Cowgirls Win Another Title at Drake Relays

April 28, 2017 | Cowgirl Cross Country & Track

DES MOINES, Iowa – The Cowgirls took center stage Saturday at the Drake Relays as the 4X800-meter quartet scored another win, Kaela Edwards made her outdoor debut and the 4X400-meter squad qualified for Saturday's final.

Savannah Camacho followed up anchoring the Cowgirls to victory in the 4X1,600-meter relay Friday with another smooth anchor-leg Satuday under the lights in Des Moines.

"We wanted to win this race and we figured Iowa State would make it interesting," coach Dave Smith said. "The conditions weren't great, it was cold and windy, but it was still a great race for about two and-a-half legs."

The quartet of Clara Nichols, Kaytlyn Larson, Kaylee Dodd and Camacho ran away with OSU's third relay win of the weekend in 8:37.20, nearly four seconds better than second-place Iowa State.

Nichols opened the race for the Cowgirls in a crowded field, but she made her way up into second position and set Larson up for a three-team race against Iowa State and the leaders Indiana State.

Larson made up the 50-meter gap on Indiana State and handed off to Dodd with a slight lead on the Cyclones, but Dodd dropped ISU's third leg after 400 meters and the Cowgirls never looked back.

"Kaytlyn didn't have any experience on our relays, but she brought us back up and into the race," Smith said. "After she got us to the front, I was pretty confident Kaylee wouldn't get caught and we would win it."

Dodd gave Camacho a two-second lead heading into the anchor-leg and Camacho comfortably gave the Cowgirls the win with a 2:06.90 leg.

Immediately after the Cowgirls' victory, Kaela Edwards toed the line in the 1,500-meter invitational run against some of North America's best.

"For the two collegiate women in the race, it was about time, but for everyone else, it was about money and placing, so it was a slow run," Smith said. "No one wanted to take the lead, so it didn't pick up until about 600 to go."

Edwards kicked into the lead with around 250 meters to go, but Olympic Bronze medalist Jenny Simpson took the race win. Edwards finished 10th among the elite in 4:18.23, which is good enough for top-25 in the region.

"I'm proud of how she ran," Smith said. "It's tough to open the season against Olympians and world-medalists, but she ran her final 800 in 2:10, which is usually about 4:02 1,500 pace. The rest of the field just had too much left."

Earlier in the day, Ambra Wesley's performance in the 4X400-meter relay capped off a valiant effort from the Cowgirls as they finished seventh and advanced to Saturday's final in 3:46.24.

"Ambra's anchor-leg was heroic," Smith said. "There was standing water on the track, it was windy and about 34 degrees, but she ignored all of that and ran her fastest split ever."

Stephanie Ferrante opened the race for OSU, and Amira Coleman and Danielle Coleman kept the Cowgirls in the race before Wesley's 54.44 anchor-leg brought the Cowgirls into second-place and a time-qualifying spot.

In the field, Ieva Zarankaite took third in the discus throw and Megan Honas finished fourth in the javelin.

Competition wraps up tomorrow as the Cowboys and Cowgirls line up for the distance medley relays, the Cowgirls run in the 4X400-meter final and freshman Ryan Smeeton runs in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Drake Relays | Des Moines, Iowa | April 28, 2017

Women's Results

1,500 Meter "Rio Olympic Rematch" Invitational
10. Kaela Edwards – 4:18.23

400-Meter Hurdles
14. Kennedy Turner – 1:03.28

Javelin Throw
4. Megan Honas – 43.12m/141-6

Discus Throw
3. Ieva Zarankaite – 50.84m/166-9
18. Baylor Nelson – 39.20m/128-7
--. Katie Kehl – FOUL

4X100-Meter Relay Qualifying
13. Oklahoma State Team A – 47.38
M. Harris, K. White,
S. Fields, L. Lewis

4X400-Meter Relay Qualifying
7. Oklahoma State Team A – 3:46.24q
S. Ferrante, A. Coleman,
D. Coleman, A. Wesley

4X800-Meter Relay
1. Oklahoma State Team A – 8:37.20
C. Nichols, K. Larson
K. Dodd, S. Camacho