Utah’s track and field team was all over the country this past weekend. The Utes competed in two events during the past three days, with some of the team heading to Des Moines, Iowa to take part in the Drake Relays, while others stayed behind to compete in the Robinson Invitational, hosted by BYU.
Both events had less than ideal weather situations, but the Utes were able to battle through the conditions and turn in solid performances in both events. Utah finished in No. 12 overall in the Drake Relays, while the Robinson Invitational saw the Utes get multiple top finishes, including a win in the hammer throw.
For Sarah Grimm, Utah’s star in the hammer throw, first place finishes are nothing new. Grimm won the hammer toss at the Robinson Invitational, giving her her third first-place finish of the year. Grimm threw a toss of 198 feet 8.25 inches for the victory, while Utes senior Josefin Berg placed second in the event with a mark of 189 feet 3.25 inches.
“The weather wasn’t good all day, but Sarah Grimm still managed a good throw,” said assistant coach Tapio Kuusela. “I think she is capable of throwing the school record by the time we have our home meet at the beginning of May. She has improved as a competitor and gained some consistency.”
Other top five finishes at the Robinson Invitational for the Utes included Laryssa Simpson, with a second place finish in the pole vault with a mark of 11 feet 7.75 inches. Mandi Witherspoon finished No. 3 in the high jump with a jump of 5 feet 1 inch and Lauren Endersen earned Utah a high finish on the track, taking third place in the 1,500 meter run with a time of 4 minutes 47.6 seconds.
The rainy weather conditions at Provo ended up canceling several of the scheduled events.
Utah ran into some bad luck at the Drake Relays, with sporadic weather in Iowa. The first day was hot and windy, conditions that the track team hasn’t trained in much this season, but the final day was cold and rainy. The Utes also had a few slip-ups during a couple of the races throughout the event.
During the first day of the event, Utah finished No. 16 overall in the distance medley group in part to a couple of rough legs. Freshman Lucy Yates tired down the stretch during her leg because of a rushed start. Yates finished her leg with a time of 2 minutes 20 seconds, and the foursome of Yates and seniors Janett Ern, Haley McAllister-Birkeland and Chelsea DiGrazia got an overall time of 11 minutes 57.05 seconds.
“I think the distance medley group ran three legs well, but Lucy (Yates) had a rough leg,” said head coach Kyle Kepler. “From one standpoint, you love the effort and not being afraid, but there is a fine line there. There were over 8,000 people watching, and I think she got caught up in the moment. I’m not upset at the effort, but she didn’t run her race. We’ve learned a lesson and we’ll move forward.”
Bad luck struck again on the final day in the 400-meter hurdles when Chelsey Kaplar, after leading her heat through nine hurdles, hit the 10th hurdle, causing her to finish fourth in the heat with a time of 61.80 seconds. Kaplar would finish No. 14 overall, while Chelsea Shapard, who also competed in the event, turned in a regional qualifying time of 60.13 seconds, finishing No. 5 overall.
Other top performances at the Drake Relays included McAllister-Birkeland’s win in the long jump on the first day, as well as an eighth-place finish in the 1,500-meter run by DiGrazia with a time of 4 minutes 33.06 seconds.
Utah’s next event will be Friday at Fayetteville Arkansas for the Arkansas Twilight.