Air Force Continues Action at Drake Relays

DES MOINES, Iowa – Three Air Force track and field athletes stepped into Drake Stadium this afternoon (April 23) for the first full day of competition at the 116th Drake Relays. The trio got the Falcons off to a strong start in Des Moines, as they accounted for the top collegiate finish in the hammer throw and a pair of top-three finishes in the 5000-meter run.

The junior duo of Anna Harden and Ella Johnson, the first Falcons on the Blue Oval this spring, picked up an impressive 2-3 finish in the 5000-meter run during Thursday's distance carnival. Despite a late morning change to the racing schedule due to an unfavorable forecast, the pair didn't let the early start time faze them. Less than a week after posting Air Force Top-5 marks in the 1500-meter and 5000-meter events at the Bryan Clay Invitational, Harden finished second in 16:34.83, while Johnson – who also impacted the program's top-10 in the 5K last week, was close on her heels with a third-place time of 16:38.77.

Just outside of the oval, senior Texas Tanner captured the top collegiate finish in the World Athletics' Continental Tour's hammer throw. With a throw of 77.16 meters (253'2") on his fifth attempt, Tanner bettered the elite collegiate field by more than one meter and finished second only to American Record Holder Rudy Winkler in the full, 11-thrower WACT event. That finish comes one day after Tanner was the last collegiate standing in the World Shot Put Series inside Drake Fieldhouse.

The Falcons continue action at the Drake Relays tomorrow (April 24), with seven relays and three field events on the Blue Oval schedule.

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Players Mentioned

Anna Harden

Ella Johnson

Texas Tanner

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