Michalski eclipses 1977 mark held by BYU’s Marsh to improve to No. 3 in the world this year, with Kray and Yusuf ascending among top Division 2 competitors with 5,000 and 10,000 victories; Caldwell earns first Drake championship flag in sixth year competing at meet, with Archibeck and Hansen also securing wins

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Daniel Michalski took down one of the oldest meet records in meet history and earned a unique distinction in the process Thursday at the 111th Drake Relays presented by Xtream, eclipsing the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase all-time mark on a night that also highlighted several colleges and universities earning their first championship flags competing at “America’s Athletic Classic” at Jim Duncan Track in Des Moines, Iowa.

Michalski, the 2017 NCAA Division 2 steeplechase champion at Cedarville along with an All-American at Indiana, clocked 8 minutes, 29.83 seconds to take down the 1977 record of 8:31.02 held by Brigham Young’s Henry Marsh and elevate to No. 3 in the world this year.

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Michalski also became only the second male athlete to have the prestige of winning steeplechase races at both the Drake Relays and Penn Relays, joining Patrick Sang of Texas.

Michalski prevailed at Penn competing for Indiana in 2019, the same year he ran his previous-best 8:30.69.

Sang secured victory at Drake in 1984, followed by Penn in 1986.

Michalski, the American leader this season, will be targeting the Olympic standard of 8:22 flat when he competes May 9 at the USATF Golden Games and Distance Open at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif.

All the remaining university races were won with significant personal-best performances, including Division 2 athletes delivering impressive efforts to win both the men’s 5,000 and 10,000. A trio of Division 1 female competitors triumphed in the 3,000 steeplechase, 5,000 and 10,000.

Minnesota State University-Moorhead senior Nadir Yusuf capped the evening by running a program-record 29:12.04, improving on his own mark of 29:58.44 at the 2019 Mt. SAC Relays.

Yusuf, who ran the fastest 10,000 at the meet since 1985, elevated to No. 4 among Division 2 competitors this year and ascended to the No. 35 performer in division history.

Yusuf covered the final lap in 65.84 seconds to continue to pull away from South Dakota State’s Chase Cayo (29:19.10) and Tennessee-Martin’s Ryan Ford (29:19.55).

Alec Kray of Augustana University in South Dakota used the motivation of missing out on the opportunity to compete at Division 2 indoor nationals March 11-13 by less than a tenth of a second in the 3,000 and by seven seconds in the 5,000 to fuel him to an exceptional effort Thursday in the 5,000.

Kray closed in 58.35 to clock a lifetime-best 13:56.24, becoming the first Augustana athlete to break the 14-minute barrier and elevate to No. 6 in Division 2 this season. He also ascended to No. 32 in division history, improving on his 14:10.51 indoor performance Feb. 13 in Topeka, Kan.

Wartburg junior Joe Freiburger was runner-up in 14:00.69, taking over the Division 3 national lead this season.

Abby Caldwell, competing in her sixth Drake Relays for both Iowa State and as a prep athlete at Waverly-Shell Rock, finally earned her first championship flag with a personal-best 10:05.62 in the 3,000 steeplechase.

Caldwell, who also earned a victory April 9 at the Jim Duncan Invitational at the Blue Oval by clocking 4:27.79 in the 1,500 meters, ascended to No. 19 among Division 1 competitors this year by improving almost 14 seconds from April 2 at the Hayward Premiere in Eugene, Ore.

South Dakota State’s Leah Hansen made her first career 10,000 a memorable one, clocking 34:03.03 to earn the first victory for the Jackrabbits at Drake Relays, in addition to ranking 31st among Division 1 athletes this season.

Hansen, the Summit League cross country champion and NCAA cross country finalist March 15 in Stillwater, Okla., took the lead just before the 7,000-meter mark and never relinquished control.

Adams State teammates Brianna Robles (34:15.36) and Kaylee Bogina (34:35.27) finished second and sixth overall, elevating to the Nos. 3 and 5 competitors in Division 2 this season.

Loras junior Kassie Rosenbum took over the Division 3 lead by taking third in 34:19.16, with Iowa Western sophomore Faith Linga producing a new National Junior College Athletic Association Division 1 leader by placing seventh in 34:42.65.

Notre Dame graduate student-athlete Erin Archibeck overcame a 16-second deficit in the final three laps of the women’s 5,000 to pass teammate Maddy Denner (16:16.40) and win in a personal-best 16:12.92 in her first race since placing 12th on Oct. 30 at the Atlantic Coast Conference Cross Country Championships.

Archibeck, who ran 16:25.50 indoors at Vanderbilt last year, earned the first 5,000 victory in meet history for Notre Dame and extended her collegiate career until at least the ACC championship meet May 13-15 at North Carolina State.

In the unseeded distance races, Utah State teammates Bridger Altice (14:16.11) and Roberto Porras (14:16.94) took the top two spots in the men’s 5,000.

Eastern Illinois freshman Adam Swanson prevailed in the men’s 1,500, with Bradley senior Scott Seymour securing victory in the 800 in 1:50.70.

Missouri senior Karina Liz, a member of the Tigers’ distance medley relay championship team at Drake Relays in 2018, won the women’s 800 in 2:08.50.

Notre Dame sophomore Jocelyn Long clocked 4:23.60 to emerge victorious in the women’s 1,500, with Creighton sophomore Danielle Hotalling winning the women’s 5,000 in 1701.64.