Long Beach State University Athletics
Track Off To Drake Relays
4/24/2008 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
April 24, 2008
Long Beach, Calif. - One week after hosting the team's lone home meet of the year, most of the team will get the week off, but a small contingent will head to Des Moines, Iowa for the Drake Relays. The Drake Relays, a meet being run for the 101st time this year, will run through Saturday.
The trip to Drake is part of the additional commitment to the relays themselves from the Beach. A place where the team has found success, the 49ers want to be among the best in the region along with placing nationally in the relays on a regular basis.
Participating in the Drake Relays is a good part of that. Not only is the event one of the longest-running in the country, but the track is also the site of this year's NCAA Championships, held from June 11-14.
"Not only does this prepare us for the NCAAs, we really want to do well in a meet like this," said head coach Andy Sythe. "The Drake Relays have a lot of tradition and many great teams coming out this year. We're glad to be a part of it."
On the men's side, the 4x100m relay team has already qualified for the NCAA Regionals, but the team with the best shot at winning is in an event not run at the NCAA championships. The sprint medley, combining a 400m run, two 200m runs and a 800m run features Brent Gray, Austin Fowler, Kelsey Caesar and Alex Freitas each in their top events, and will certainly give the 49ers a chance for the podium if not the outright title. The same group will also run the 4x400m relay and try to get both teams qualified for the NCAA Regionals for the men.
On the women's side, the 4x100 team will attempt to close in on a regional berth, as the quartet came within .14 seconds last weekend. The 49ers will also see a number of the women participate in the open events, as Phylicia Johnson will also run the 100m hurdles, Jessica Branker will run the 100m dash and Alex Shaw will participate in the javelin.
