Drake masters 800 features another big (and well-traveled) field
Before Penn dominates our attention, a quick nod to another great masters exhibition: the same-weekend Drake Relays, which again hosts a masters 800-meter race. A field of 23 gets the gun about 1:30 p.m. Friday (Des Moines times). Some great athletes have won this event over the years, including David Nash (2008 and 2009) and Kip Janvrin (2007). David is back this year, but he’ll get a race from Pennsylvania’s Nick Berra (eschewing a chance at 4×4 glory at Penn, I guess). Nick has run 1:56 indoors, so outdoors (weather permitting), count on 1:55 or better. Another challenger is Brad Dittmar, a newbie M40 who has sub-2 speed and strength. One measure of the race’s prestige: It draws from 11 states. Dave Cairns is coming all the way from New Hampshire! Pray for sun.
Nick Berra (in red and blue) won the M40 Hartshorne mile in January.
Here’s the entry list for this year’s Drake Relays masters 800:
Drake Relays Masters Men’s 800 – 2010
David Bailey, 46, Davenport, Iowa
David Bakker, 44, Dodgeville, Wis.
Nick Berra, 41, Enola, Pa.
Jeff Burris, 43, Cedar Falls, Iowa
Dave Cairns, 40, Swanzey, NH
Roger Cassill, 44, Fairfax, Iowa
Mike Davis, 49, Minneapolis, Minn.
Brad Dittmar, 40, Edwardsville, Ill.
Mike Furrow, 47, Clive, Iowa
Guy Greigg, 40, South Sioux City, Neb.
Brad Joens, 48, Kersey, Colo.
David Nash, 42, Sioux City, Iowa
Rob Nesbit, 46, Leavenworth, Kan.
Tom Novak, 51, Iowa City, Iowa
Bill Oliver, 52, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Eric Parker, 49, Waterford, Wis.
Rick Peterson, 51, Maple Grove, Minn.
Dennis Pickard, 48, Liberty, Mo.
Jim Schoffman, 56, Fridley, Minn.
Kerry Sloan, 47, Harker Heights, Texas
Scott Smith, 48, Appleton, Wis.
Jim Watry, 47, Bonduel, Wis.
Bernie Wilder, 54, Davenport, Iowa
4 Responses
How do you find out about this race? Would have loved to know …maybe could have entered….
This year’s contact person at Drake was:
Carolyn Hill
Assistant Director Relays/Sports Info
Drake University
2507 University Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50311
515-271-2114
carolyn.hill@drake.edu
Great blog, Ken!
Drake is a wonderful meet. Many world records have been set at the Relays. I hope sometime they have a master’s women’s race, too. There is lots of talent in the Midwest.
I grew up in Ames, Iowa (30 miles north) and ran Drake in the women’s 880 several times. We ran our state meets there (a huge meet, as Iowa has had great girls’ track for decades). And I have fond memories of countless all-comers’ meets at Drake when I was in junior high and high school. It was a Tartan track and it was very fast! My Mom drove there so many times with station wagons full of kids that we used to joke that the car could find the way from our house to the stadium on its own!
Good luck to all the athletes.
Sue
Nick Berra informs me that he’ll run at Penn a day after Drake — by catching “the red eye” back to Philly. He’ll run the 4×4 at Penn.
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