DES MOINES — Despite gloomy weather on Saturday, the ISU women’s track and field team snagged four top-five finishes at the Drake Relays.

One ISU runner, senior Jessica Huff of Marshalltown, fought through Saturday’s cold and rain to take first place in the university/college 1,500-meter run.

“Jess ran a really good race,” ISU women’s head coach Dick Lee said. “She was sitting in second and third place for most of the race. Then, with 300 [meters] left, she took control and won the race. [The race] was so exciting that she had a big smile on her face at the finish line.

“This is great for her. When she was a senior in high school, she won the 800 at the Drake Relays. And now, this being her senior year at college, she wins the 1,500. She went out on top in high school and now at college.”

On a sunny Friday, runners couldn’t have asked for better track conditions. Iowa State got off to a good start in the university/college triple jump when Agata Kosuda took fourth place and teammate Priya Hoze placed sixth. Jumps coach Ron McEachran said he was happy with both results.

“They did well, I’m pleased with both of them,” McEachran said. “Priya is real close to being real good, and Agata had a good start and was really prepared.”

The event was Kosuda’s first outdoor triple jump of the season.

“My mark got me qualified for regionals, I think a school record,” Kosuda said. “I did what coach wanted me to do. I could have done better, but of course, I will do better at [next week’s] Big 12 meet.”

The relays were bittersweet for senior Sheba Clarke in the 100-meter dash. She had a season-best time winning her preliminary, but tweaked her hamstring near the end of the run. She didn’t compete in the finals. Lee said he didn’t want to take a chance on worsening her injury.

“I won my prelim, but in the last 10 meters [my hamstring] pulled. I am hoping that it’s just a cramp, nothing major,” Clarke said. “I’m upset; I had my mind set on trying to win at my last Drake [Relays]. To know that I got hurt and could have run in the finals disappoints me, but I understand that the rest of the season is more important.”

Clarke said Saturday’s unfavorable weather created a bad running environment.

“The weather was a factor; it was too cold for sprints, and with cold weather your muscles tend to pull,” Clarke said.

Rebecca Williams also had a productive weekend in Des Moines, capturing first place in the 100-meter hurdle preliminaries and notching a personal record. Williams took fifth in the finals. Sprint coach Scott Roberts was impressed with Williams’ performance.

“Rebecca went into the finals with the second-best overall time, which was her lifetime best,” Roberts said. “But in the finals, she didn’t get out like she wanted to. She got fifth, but it’s good to place in the top five at these relays.”

Williams was happy with her preliminary race but not satisfied with her run in finals.

“I ran a [personal record] in the prelims. I had no reaction at the start of the finals,” Williams said. “It was a disappointing race. I have to work on reaction drills.”

Williams, Jummy Alowonle, Sara Boisen and Ada Anderson comprised the sprint medley relay team that secured a third-place finish in the finals. Since Clarke was injured, Alowonle filled her spot.

“It went all right — this was the first time for the four of us to run [together] in a meet,” Alowonle said. “The tough part is the handoffs.”

Boisen, a West Des Moines native, also finished 13th in the 400-meter hurdles after winning her preliminary heat. Roberts was thrilled with her performance, and said she recorded her second-best time ever.

“I think that it was fun for her running in her home town [and] that really helped her out. She has been in that atmosphere before, so it was easier for her,” Roberts said. “I think she ran at the Drake Relays in all four years of high school, and she was the high school MVP [at last year’s Drake Relays].”

The women return to competition next week as the Big 12 Championships get under way April 29-May 1 in Norman, Okla.