After three days of competition at the Drake Relays, the K-State track and field teams completed their events on Saturday (April 25) at Drake Stadium, earning team scores based on their performances in five relay events.
The Wildcats took part in the 4×100, 4×400, 4×800, sprint medley relay, and distance medley relay, with both the men’s and women’s squads finishing inside the top five of their respective university divisions. The men claimed runner-up honors with 30 points, while the women secured fifth place with 15 points. The University of Iowa won both team titles, posting 40 points on the men’s side and 37 on the women’s.
“I’m really proud of our group this weekend. Honestly, I probably wouldn’t be a track coach today if it weren’t for the Drake Relays,” said head coach Travis Geopfert. “It was great to see K-State perform so well and walk away with a couple of titles from Jourdin Edwards and Tavon Underwood. These are moments these athletes will remember for a long time.”
The women’s distance medley relay kicked off the day, finishing ninth in 11:28.69—now the fifth-fastest time in K-State history. The team included freshmen Emma Baum and Reese Brownlee, junior Angi Pondler, and senior Grace Meyer. The men’s DMR placed sixth in 9:47.25, featuring senior Julian Avila, freshmen Mattix DaCunha and Vance Krudwig, and sophomore Jackson Esquibel.
Both the men’s and women’s sprint medley relay teams took third place. The men posted a time of 3:20.36 with freshmen Jack Guthridge and Croix DaCunha, sophomore Thomas Canivet, and freshman Dylan Plath. The women’s squad, composed entirely of freshmen—Desirae Riehle, Anastasiia Kretova, Delaney Brinker, and Anna Pozdeeva—ran 3:50.99.
In the men’s 4×100 final on Saturday, the Wildcats were runners-up with a time of 39.92 seconds, featuring sophomore Uroy Ryan, junior Nen Matlock, and freshmen Croix DaCunha and Jack Guthridge.
The day wrapped up with the university invite 4×400 relays. The women’s team finished fourth in 3:32.77, now the third-fastest time in program history, with runners Riehle, sophomore Ariana Jackson, Kretova, and senior Vanessa Mercera. The men again earned runner-up in the 4×400, clocking 3:06.73 with senior Cyrus Ways, Matlock, freshman Heath Grant, and junior Tavon Underwood.
K-State will close out the regular season on May 8 by hosting the Ward Haylett Invitational at R.V. Christian Track.
