WHAT'S AHEAD: Drake distance runners Nicole Braunsdorf (St. Francis, Wis.), Jeff Grassmeyer (Fremont, Neb.) and Casey McDermott (Newton, Iowa) will compete at the Stanford Invitational in Stanford, Calif., Friday night (March 26).

Braunsdorf and Grassmeyer will compete in the women's and men's 5,000 meter runs, respectively. McDermott will run in the women's 3,000 steeplechase.

Grassmeyer won the 5,000 as a sophomore at the 2007 MVC Outdoor meet, while placing fourth last year. He was seventh in the mile in 4:19.49 and finished 10th in the 5,000 in 14:51.97 at the 2010 MVC Indoor meet.
 
Braunsdorf, who competed in the 5,000 at the 2010 NCAA Midwest Regional, owns the school indoor mark in the mile (4:48.91) set in 2009. McDermott was a 2010 NCAA Regional qualifier in the 3,000 steeplechase after setting a school record of 10:44.48 en route to a seventh-place finish at the Drake Relays

Braunsdorf and McDermott had big days at the 2010 MVC Indoor meet. Braunsdorf was third in the 5,000 (17:35.06), fourth in the mile (4:56.82) and sixth in the 3,000 (10:03.47). McDermott was fourth in the 5,000 in 17:44.13, fifth in the mile (4:57.74) and fifth in the 3,000 (9:47.50).