The Irish have won the men's 4x1600-meter relay every year since 2006 at the Drake Relays.

Irish Track and Field Set to Compete at Drake, Hillsdale Relays

April 22, 2009

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Irish track and field teams will travel to Des Moines, Iowa and Hillsdale, Mich., this weekend to compete in the Drake Relays and Hillsdale Relays.

The Irish will look to defend their men’s 4×1600-meter relay title at the 100th running of the Drake Relays.

Notre Dame has won the 4×1600 relay the past three years and in five of the last seven. Events get underway Friday morning.

The Irish will also try to add to their list of NCAA regional qualifiers at the Hillsdale Relays. Field events begin Friday at noon, followed by running events at 2:00 p.m.

The Irish are coming off strong performances at the Mt. SAC Relays and Dave Rankin Track and Field Invitational, including first-place finishes by Anna Weber in the Mt. SAC women’s hammer throw, Balazs Molnar in the Mt. SAC men’s 400-meter hurdles, Marissa Treece in the Dave Rankin women’s 1500 meters and Elise Knutzen in the Dave Rankin women’s javelin throw.

Notre Dame student-athletes still hold several of the top times in the country, as well. Patrick Smyth holds the second-fastest men’s 10,000-meter time this year at 28:25.85, while his 13:39.50 time in the men’s 5000 meters is good enough for fourth. Lindsey Ferguson’s women’s 3000-meter steeplechase time of 10:15.23 is currently the 11th fastest, while Mary Saxer is fourth in the nation with a 4.30m (14-1 1/4) pole vault mark.

Complete results will be available at www.und.com following both meets.

–ND–