In front of approximately 18,000 spectators, the Ball State men's track and field team will be participating in the Drake Relays hosted by Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
The field of teams is exceptionally strong with individuals from top 25 programs such as Nebraska, Eastern Michigan, Georgia, Stanford, Minnesota, Texas Tech, Indiana, Missouri and Colorado State.
The Drake Relays holds the U.S. track record for consecutive sellouts at 37. It has spanned over a century and is a major spectacle in college track every year.
Ball State will be sending four athletes for individual events -- Aaron Hoover (10,000-meter run), Ben Daniel (high jump), Paul Panning (pole vault) and Tom Green (javelin). Six relay teams will also be making the trip.
Panning is coming off a first place finish in the pole vault at Indiana State's Pace Setter Invitational (17-4 1/2). The senior's mark set a school record, breaking the old standard by nearly 10 inches.
Green, a sophomore, has won the javelin event in every single meet this outdoor season. Backing him up in that event throughout the season for BSU have been Andrew Miller and Matt Conly.
The Cards will also be sending relay teams for the 4x100, 4x200, 4x400, 4x1600, sprint medley relay and distance medley relay.
The Drake Relays, which starts Thursday and concludes Saturday, will mark the beginning of the four non-team scoring meets that Ball State has remaining.
BSU is fresh off a third place finish at the Pace Setter Invitational in a field of eight teams. Before that, the Cards finished first and second in the Eastern Illinois Big Blue Classic and Miami Invitational, respectively.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
