Women’s Sprint Medley Crushes Record at Drake

DES MOINES, Iowa – The women's sprint medley relay team crushed the event's Academy Record this afternoon (April 30), as members of the Air Force track and field team wrapped up competition at the 112th Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa.

The senior trio of Grace Proesch, Michelle Roca and Brid O'Connell joined freshman Taylor Rioux to cross the finish line in 3:56.82 – a time that deleted nearly 10 seconds from the program standard that had stood since 2003. Proesch and Rioux ran the 200-meter legs of the non-traditional relay event, while Roca took the baton for the 400-meter lap and O'Connell anchored the race for the final 800 meters, as the Falcons finished fourth in the 15-team race.

Collecting five points with that finish, the women placed 11th in the meet's Relays Cup (scoring in the 4x100, 4x400, 4x800, sprint medley, distance medley) standings – a finish that equaled their best Cup placement in Academy history.

The quartet returned to the Blue Oval less than three hours later to run in the 4x400-meter relay – an event that saw Roca, Rioux, O'Connell and Proesch combine for their second-fastest time of the season (3:49.28) and a sixth-place finish in their section.

The women also competed in the distance medley relay on Saturday, as freshman Sydney Weaber, sophomore Zoe Iwu, senior Jenna Kill and freshman Ally Peterson combined to finish 14th in a time of 11:54.02 – the 10th-fastest outdoor mark in Air Force history.

On the men's side, Air Force earned a top-three finish in the University section of the 4x400-meter relay, as seniors La'akea Aiu and Wyatt Murphy bookended freshmen Cameron Breier and Darek Hackett for a third-place time of 3:13.55 – the Falcons' second-fastest time of the season. The 4x400-meter event was the second relay of the day for the two seniors, as Murphy led off the 4x100-meter relay that finished fifth (41.14, with sophomore Jackson Connelly, senior Charles Dimnwaobi, junior Zac Larrier) and Aiu ran the 400-meter leg of the distance medley relay that finished 13th (9:58.25, with sophomore Sean Maison, senior Frank Rossi, junior Sam Gilman).

Two throwers also competed on Saturday, with juniors Jaret Prete and Hayden Bullock finishing within the top half of their hammer throw (12th, 195'6") and discus throw (13th, 161'11") fields, respectively.

Air Force continues action tonight, as the rest of the squad competes at the Fresno State Invitational, but the team regroups next Friday (May 6) for the annual Air Force Twilight Open.

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