Saturday, April 27
Des Moines, IA
9:00 am MT
Air Force Academy
at
Drake Relays
Photo by: Luke Lu, KL6Photo
Falcons Close Drake Relays with More Titles, Records
4/27/2024 6:37:00 PM | Track and Field
DES MOINES, Iowa -- In a day that included two more championship titles from the men and saw the women break another 40-year-old Academy relay record, the Air Force track and field team closed out the 114th running of the historic Drake Relays in record-setting fashion on Saturday, April 27.
Air Force claimed its third and fourth championships of the 2024 Drake Relays on Saturday – bringing this year's haul to a program-record four. Junior Darek Hackett, who won the 400-meter hurdles title yesterday, collected his second champions' flag of the weekend this morning, as he helped seniors Seth Meador, Braeden Holcombe and Philip Hundl to a first-place time of 57.33 in the 4x110-meter shuttle hurdles relay. Backed by a dominating final leg from Hundl, the quartet bettered the field by 0.87 seconds, posted the fourth-fastest time in program history, and claimed Air Force's first Drake Relays' title in that event since 1976 – and its fourth overall (1963, 1975, 1976).
Junior Javin Bostic secured the program's record-setting fourth championship of this year's meet by becoming the first-ever Air Force sprinter to win the 100-meter dash at the Relays. Bostic dominated the field from the gun, getting to the finish line in a time of 10.35 – 0.15 seconds ahead of the next finisher.
The quartet of junior Taylor Rioux, freshman Kori Leverenz, freshman Liliane Aittama and senior Ava Gilliana capped the women's day at the Drake Relays in record-setting style, as they combined for an Academy Record performance of 3:41.09 in the 4x400-meter relay. With that finish, the Falcons took 0.24 seconds off a program standard that had stood since 1984. In addition, by breaking the Academy's oldest traditional relay record on the books, Rioux, Leverenz, Aittama and Gilliana also became the fastest 4x400-meter relay in the history of the three service academies.
The Falcons continued to shine in the hammer throw on Saturday, making a pair of improvements to the top of the program's all-time standings. Surpassing the 71-meter mark for the fifth time this season, sophomore Texas Tanner placed second (71.71m, 235'3") in the Championship section – and led Air Force to two of the top-four finishes. Senior Gerrit Tamminga had a career day, as he unleashed a personal-best throw of 65.75 meters (215'8") to finish fourth in that section and move into No. 2 on the Academy's all-time list. In addition, junior Cooper Stroka improved his own No. 4 standing on the Academy standings as he used a career-best throw of 64.05 meters (210'1") to finish second in the Open section.
Air Force also claimed a top-five finish in the Championship section of the javelin throw, as junior Joe Nizich closed out the Relays for the Falcons with a fifth-place throw of 60.75 meters (199'3") – finishing just before another round of severe weather in the Des Moines area forced the meet to be postponed.
Back on the track, the Falcons rewrote the Air Force Relay Top 10 in every race they contested.
Hackett and Hundl capped their stellar day by joining freshman James Warmbrod IV and junior Cameron Breier for the third-fastest 4x400-meter relay in program history. Combining for a time of 3:08.87, the quartet finished fourth in the meet and become the Academy's quickest team since 2018. The distance medley relay of senior Eli Bennett, freshman Jace Martin, senior Alex Patton and classmate Sean Maison earned runner-up honors and produced the fifth-fastest outdoor DMR in program history with a 9:44.13 finish, while the sprint medley lineup of sophomore Jettason Rose, senior Jackson Connelly, classmate John Colizzi and sophomore Ben Scheller posted the No. 10 time in the program record book (3:26.01) during a fifth-place performance.
On the women's side, Air Force adjusted the program's all-time standings in both medley relay events. Senior Rebecca Wusinich, freshman Clara Teigland, freshman Camryn Bodine, and junior Halle Hamilton started the day with a sixth-fastest distance medley relay in Academy history (11:31.24), while senior Katie Thompson and the freshmen trio of Brooke Coleman, Allison Fernstrom, and Rachel Fereday recorded the program's second-fastest sprint medley relay (4:03.32) later in the day.
While this contingent of Falcons head home tomorrow (April 28), the remainder of the travels to Fort Collins for the Doug Max Invitational at Jack Christiansen Field.
| DRAKE RELAYS CHAMPIONS |
| Men's Shuttle Hurdles Medley Relay |
| Javin Bostic, Men's 100-Meter Dash |
Air Force claimed its third and fourth championships of the 2024 Drake Relays on Saturday – bringing this year's haul to a program-record four. Junior Darek Hackett, who won the 400-meter hurdles title yesterday, collected his second champions' flag of the weekend this morning, as he helped seniors Seth Meador, Braeden Holcombe and Philip Hundl to a first-place time of 57.33 in the 4x110-meter shuttle hurdles relay. Backed by a dominating final leg from Hundl, the quartet bettered the field by 0.87 seconds, posted the fourth-fastest time in program history, and claimed Air Force's first Drake Relays' title in that event since 1976 – and its fourth overall (1963, 1975, 1976).
Junior Javin Bostic secured the program's record-setting fourth championship of this year's meet by becoming the first-ever Air Force sprinter to win the 100-meter dash at the Relays. Bostic dominated the field from the gun, getting to the finish line in a time of 10.35 – 0.15 seconds ahead of the next finisher.
| ACADEMY RECORD |
| Women's 4x400-Meter Relay (3:41.09) |
The quartet of junior Taylor Rioux, freshman Kori Leverenz, freshman Liliane Aittama and senior Ava Gilliana capped the women's day at the Drake Relays in record-setting style, as they combined for an Academy Record performance of 3:41.09 in the 4x400-meter relay. With that finish, the Falcons took 0.24 seconds off a program standard that had stood since 1984. In addition, by breaking the Academy's oldest traditional relay record on the books, Rioux, Leverenz, Aittama and Gilliana also became the fastest 4x400-meter relay in the history of the three service academies.
| AIR FORCE TOP 10 MARKS |
| No. 2 – Gerrit Tamminga, Men's Hammer Throw (65.75m, 215'8") |
| No. 2 - Women's Sprint Medley Relay (4:03.32) |
| No. 3 – Men's 4x400-Meter Relay (3:08.87) |
| No. 4 – Cooper Stroka, Men's Hammer Throw (64.05m, 210'1') |
| No. 4 – Men's Shuttle Hurdles Relay (57.33) |
| No. 5 – Men's Distance Medley Relay (9:44.13) |
| No. 6 – Women's Distance Medley (11:31.24) |
| No. 10 – Men's Sprint Medley Relay (3:26.01) |
The Falcons continued to shine in the hammer throw on Saturday, making a pair of improvements to the top of the program's all-time standings. Surpassing the 71-meter mark for the fifth time this season, sophomore Texas Tanner placed second (71.71m, 235'3") in the Championship section – and led Air Force to two of the top-four finishes. Senior Gerrit Tamminga had a career day, as he unleashed a personal-best throw of 65.75 meters (215'8") to finish fourth in that section and move into No. 2 on the Academy's all-time list. In addition, junior Cooper Stroka improved his own No. 4 standing on the Academy standings as he used a career-best throw of 64.05 meters (210'1") to finish second in the Open section.
Air Force also claimed a top-five finish in the Championship section of the javelin throw, as junior Joe Nizich closed out the Relays for the Falcons with a fifth-place throw of 60.75 meters (199'3") – finishing just before another round of severe weather in the Des Moines area forced the meet to be postponed.
Back on the track, the Falcons rewrote the Air Force Relay Top 10 in every race they contested.
Hackett and Hundl capped their stellar day by joining freshman James Warmbrod IV and junior Cameron Breier for the third-fastest 4x400-meter relay in program history. Combining for a time of 3:08.87, the quartet finished fourth in the meet and become the Academy's quickest team since 2018. The distance medley relay of senior Eli Bennett, freshman Jace Martin, senior Alex Patton and classmate Sean Maison earned runner-up honors and produced the fifth-fastest outdoor DMR in program history with a 9:44.13 finish, while the sprint medley lineup of sophomore Jettason Rose, senior Jackson Connelly, classmate John Colizzi and sophomore Ben Scheller posted the No. 10 time in the program record book (3:26.01) during a fifth-place performance.
On the women's side, Air Force adjusted the program's all-time standings in both medley relay events. Senior Rebecca Wusinich, freshman Clara Teigland, freshman Camryn Bodine, and junior Halle Hamilton started the day with a sixth-fastest distance medley relay in Academy history (11:31.24), while senior Katie Thompson and the freshmen trio of Brooke Coleman, Allison Fernstrom, and Rachel Fereday recorded the program's second-fastest sprint medley relay (4:03.32) later in the day.
While this contingent of Falcons head home tomorrow (April 28), the remainder of the travels to Fort Collins for the Doug Max Invitational at Jack Christiansen Field.
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
400m Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Long Jump, Triple Jump
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Hurdles, Middle Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Decathlon
/ Track and Field
Hurdles, High Jump
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Javelin
/ Track and Field
Mid-Distance
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Long Jump, Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and FieldRyan Cole Interview - August 26th, 2025
Tuesday, August 26
Ryan Cole Interview - August 26, 2025
Tuesday, August 26
Ryan Cole Interview March 11, 2025
Tuesday, March 11
Ryan Cole Interview - March 11, 2025
Tuesday, March 11
