SPRINGFIELD – For the second year in a row the Missouri State track and field team will head to Des Moines, Iowa for the Drake Relays this week (April 24-27) hosted at the Drake Stadium. The Drake Relays will begin for the Bears Thursday with the 800-meter run at 4:30 p.m. Friday's festivities start at 10 a.m. with the long jump, while Saturday will start with the triple jump at 9:45 a.m.  
 

Drake Relays
Dates	Thur., April 24 - Sat., April 27
Location	Des Moines, Iowa
Site	Drake Stadium
Thur., April 24 - Sat., April 27	4:30 p.m. (Thur.) | 10 a.m. (Fri.) | 9:45 a.m. (Sat.)
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Keeping Track of the Bears

• The Bears will make the trip to Des Moines, Iowa for the Drake Relays for the final outdoor test before the conference championship. Missouri State will compete in 14 events ranging across distance, sprints and jumps.
• Last year at the Drake Relays the Bears broke the school record in the 4x1600-meter relay, marking a 20:15.10 time with the team of Grace Breiten, Jessica Allen, Erica Wollmering and Paityn Howat.   
• Missouri State currently holds 17 top-eight marks in the Missouri Valley Conference in 13 different events.
• Taryn Smiley, Namibia Clavier and Jamilah James hold the top spot in the MVC in their respective events. Smiley set a new personal best in the 100-meter dash at 11.66 last weekend at the Tom Botts Invitational, while Clavier marked a season best 55.12 at the John McDonnell Invitational and also ranks 58th on the NCAA qualifying list. James' triple jump mark of 12.46m at the Mizzou Spring Open sits 41st in the West region.
• Last weekend at the Tom Botts Invitational, multiple personal bests were set led by Smiley and Chicago Bains.
• A new era in Bears track and field has begun, with interim head coach Jordan Fife taking the reins, along with assistant coaches Carmelita Jeter and Jake Brydson.
• Fife came to MSU in 2014 and has been the Bears head cross country coach for the past five seasons, while also serving as an assistant track and field coach.