WHAT'S AHEAD: The Drake women's track and field team resumes the indoor campaign, competing at the Iowa State Open Friday and Saturday (Jan. 22-23) at Ames, Iowa. Competition starts at 3 p.m. Friday with the women's 5,000-meter run, while a full day of events on Saturday begins at 9:50 a.m.
   
WOMEN'S TEAM SEEKS TO DEFEND TITLE: The Drake women's team will be seeking its third straight distance medley relay title at the Iowa State Open.

Drake defended its title in the distance medley relay at the 2009 Iowa State Open  in 11:51.93 with the unit comprised of junior Nicole Braunsdorf (St. Francis, Wis.), sophomore Casey McDermott (Newton, Iowa), junior Caitlin Able (Aurora, Colo.) and sophomore Kara McCartney (Elgin, Iowa). Drake's second unit finished fourth in the women's distance medley relay in 12:35.64.

Braunsdorf came back the following day to place second in the mile at the 2009 Iowa State Open in 4:52.79, while McDermott was third in 5:00.04

Then sophomore Michelle Mitchell (Brookfield, Wis.) tied for fifth in the women's high jump at 5-4.25, while then sophomore Tyse Samani (Kansas City, Mo.) was eighth at 5-4.25. Able was sixth in the 400 in 58.21, while McCartney was seventh in the  600 yard run in 1:26.36;

WOMEN WIN 2 EVENTS IN OPENER: Junior Tyse Samani (Kansas City, Mo.) won the high jump, while junior Clarissa LaFlora (Kewanee, Ill.) captured the 600-yard run to highlight action for the Drake women's track and field team which opened the indoor season competing at the Iowa State Holiday Classic Dec. 13. Samani soared five feet 7 inches, while LaFlora was clocked in 1 minute 27.59 seconds.

Freshman Sarah Yeager (Ottumwa) was fifth in the 60 hurdles in 9.22, while placing eighth in the 300-meter dash in 41.91. Junior Beth Hamling (Council Bluffs, Iowa) was fifth in the 300-meter dash (41.27). Junior Ari Curtis (Fort Collins, Colo.) was sixth in the 60 hurdles (9.27). Senior Caitlin Able (Aurora, Colo.) was ninth in the 300 (41.93)

Yeager, Able, Hamling and Curtis led the 4x300-meter relay team to a third-place finish in 2:46.44. Drake's B team consisting of LaFloria, sophomore Cassie Toepfer (Eagan, Minn.), sophomore Paige Steffen (Bloomington, Ill.) and junior Kara McCartney (Elgin, Iowa) placed fifth in 2:51.87.

Junior Johanna Sprang (New Brighton, Minn.) tied for second in the pole vault at 10-8, while junior Molly Scott (Kansas City, Mo.) tied for fourth at 10-2.Junior Cambria Pardner (Aurora, Colo.) was fourth in the long jump, soaring 17-5.25. She also was fifth in the triple jump at 36-8.25