Cyclones capture seven titles in Missouri Relays

Sally.Donlin.Com

The ISU track and field team had a strong showing at the Missouri Relays on Friday and Saturday, finishing the meet with seven event winners.

Junior Kianna Elahi took first place in the 400-meter hurdles as she recorded 57.71, breaking the Missouri Relays record by about two seconds.

Cyclone Dana Christensen crossed the finish line first in the 400-meter dash in 56:95 on day one of the meet.

Elahi and Christensen also participated in the women’s 4×400-meter relay along with Donnise Powell and Callan Jacobson, earning another first place for the Cyclones with a time of 3:47.17.

The team of four was not only pleased to take home the title, but to have finished five seconds ahead of the team’s Big 12 rival, Missouri.

Sprinter Elphas Sang, who placed fifth in the 1,500-meter run earlier that day, saved enough energy to finish first in the men’s 800-meter run in 1:52.72.

Kersten Thorgaard also earned first place in the women’s 800-meter run by finishing in 2:14.74, only about two seconds ahead of her teammate Ines Fischer, who came in third.

Thorgaard was only 3 1/2 seconds away from earning an additional first place earlier that day in the 1,500-meter run, as she recorded 4:40.49 for second place.

Although the women’s team could not snatch the title in the 1,500-meter run, Alex Dillenbeck was able to do so for the men by crossing the finish line in 3:51.88.

High jumper Derek Alderks took first as he recorded 6-08.75, earning a new personal best by more than three inches. His teammate, Cameron Ostrowski, also competed in the high jump for his first time in a collegiate outdoor meet and earned second place, 6-06.75.

The Cyclones also attained a few first place recordings in the Central Invitational competition.

Field event competitor Laishema Hampton earned first in both the discus and the hammer throw. Cyclone Danielle Frere also earned a first place in the shotput as she threw 49-01.

The team’s next meet runs Thursday through Saturday at the Sun Angel Track Classic in Tempe, Ariz.