April 27, 2011
Drake Relays Website | | Live Stream | Drake Relays Schedule 
| Stan Lyons Schedule
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Fighting Illini women's track and field team will compete at the prestigious Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, from April 28-30 along with sending a group of distance and field event athletes to the Stan Lyons Invitational on Saturday, April 30. The Illini, who are in action for the final time before the Big Ten Championships, are entered in 12 events, including four relays, at Drake Stadium, which is also the site of the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
"Drake is a prestigious meet that has been around for more than 100 years," head coach Tonja Buford-Bailey said. "We go to this meet almost every year, and it is always exciting to add another Drake champion to the list. We had success in the relays last year and ran season bests in the 4x100m and 4x400m. We will also have a group of distance and field event athletes in action at the Stan Lyons Invite."
This year marks the 102nd running of the Drake Relays, America's Athletic Classic. Colleges and universities from all over the United States will take part in the meet, including 128 women's university-college teams with 1,295 athletes competing. Last season, former Illini Aja Evans repeated as a Drake champion in the shot put and the Illini turned in their top relay times of the year.
On Thursday evening, the 4x1600m relay will kick off competition for the Illini at Drake followed by senior Elizabeth Boyle in the 5,000m. Senior Tamika Robinson will anchor the 4x100m relay and run the 100m hurdles on Friday morning before joining junior Ashley Kelly and sophomore Kayla Smith in the 100m in the afternoon. Freshmen Amanda Duvendack and Samantha Murphy will continue the action on Friday in the 800m while the prelims of the 4x400m relay and the finals of the 4x200m relay will wrap up the day.
The Illini distance crew will begin the action on Saturday morning with Boyle and sophomore Courtney Yaeger in the 8K road race and a trio of Illini, senior Chantelle Groenewoud and sophomores Madeline Aufmann and Amber Stack in the 3,000m steeplechase. Junior Latoya Griffith will run the 400m hurdles while sophomore Stephanie Morgan is slated in the 1,500m. The finals of four other events will also be on Saturday, including the 100m, 100m hurdles and both the 4x100m and 4x400m relays.
Freshman Stephanie Richartz, fresh off breaking the school record in the pole vault, will be among the athletes competing at Michael A. Carroll Stadium for the Stan Lyons Invitational. Other athletes to watch in Indianapolis include senior Kelly Washington and junior Kendall McCaugherty.
A complete list of Illini entrants at the Drake Relays can be found below. Live results will be linked on fightingillini.com, and the meet will be streamed live on www.GoDrakeBulldogs.com for a subscription fee. Full results and a recap following the completion of the meets can be found on fightingillini.com.
Illinois Schedule at the Drake Relays
Thursday, April 28
4:40 p.m.......4x1600m Relay (Chantelle Groenewoud, Katie Porada, Amber Stack, Stephanie Morgan)
8:40 p.m.......5,000m FINAL (Elizabeth Boyle)
Friday, April 29
9:32 a.m.......4x100m Relay prelims (Cheria Morgan, Ashley Kelly, Kayla Smith, Tamika Robinson)
11:14 a.m.....100m Hurdles prelims (Tamika Robinson)
12:45 p.m.....100m prelims (Ashley Kelly, Tamika Robinson, Kayla Smith)
2:34 p.m.......800m FINAL (Amanda Duvendack, Samantha Murphy)
3:40 p.m.......4x400m Relay prelims (Ryisha Boyd, Melissa Bates, Ashley Kelly, Latoya Griffith)
6:00 p.m.......4x200m Relay final (Cheria Morgan, Kayla Smith, Ashley Kelly, Melissa Bates)
Saturday, April 30
8 a.m.....8K Road Race (Elizabeth Boyle, Courtney Yaeger)
11:20 a.m.......3,000m Steeplechase FINAL (Madeline Aufmann, Chantelle Groenewoud, Amber Stack)
1:39 p.m.......400m Hurdles FINAL (Latoya Griffith)
2:21 p.m.......100m FINAL
2:35 p.m.......100m Hurdles FINAL
4:17 p.m.......4x100m Relay FINAL
4:37 p.m.......1,500m Seeded FINAL (Stephanie Morgan)
5:32 p.m.......4x400m Relay FINAL
