Nebraska standout and German athlete, competing unattached, triumphs with 8,053 points in first outdoor meet of the year following third-place finish in heptathlon at NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships; Keller triumphs in women’s heptathlon with 5,846 points, with Basten and Plummer prevailing in 3,000 steeplechase races 

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Photos by Lily Dozier and Ava Kitzi

DES MOINES, Iowa – Till Steinforth had some difficult choices to make entering the outdoor season and this was even before the Nebraska standout and German competitor prepared for first decathlon of the year at the 114th Drake Relays Presented by Xtream and Powered by Mediacom.

Steinforth, the reigning Big Ten champion and NCAA Division 1 All-American in both the decathlon and indoor heptathlon, had to put his collegiate eligibility for the Cornhuskers on hold this spring, in order to focus on a demanding academic schedule being an architecture major, in addition to focusing on long-term goals of competing this summer at the European Championships and hopefully the Paris Olympics.

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Despite not competing since his third-place finish in the heptathlon March 8-9 at the NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships in Boston, Steinforth won seven events and achieved a lifetime-best 193-7 (59.01m) in the javelin throw Thursday to prevail in the university/college decathlon with 8,053 points.

Steinforth just missed his personal-best 8,064 points from last year’s Big Ten championship meet in Indiana, but did become the first athlete since American competitor Kip Janvrin in 1998 to surpass the 8,000-point barrier at the Drake Relays.

Jakob Tordsen, a graduate of Concordia-St. Paul in Minnesota and 2022 Drake Relays decathlon champion, placed second with 7,347 points.

Lexie Keller, a Colorado State graduate and All-American for the Rams, completed her second heptathlon in less than a month, securing the victory with 5,846 points, just off her lifetime-best 5,858 points from April 5-6 in Miami, Fla.

Keller cleared a personal-best 5-9.25 (1.76m) in the high jump Wednesday, then capped her competition with a 2:15.60 effort in the 800 meters.

Jordan Gray of MultiStars was second overall behind Keller entering the 800, but did not start the final event.

Haley Rizek of Tracksmith elevated to second with 5,367 points.

Mattison Plummer of Illinois State, a two-time Drake Relays champion in 2019 and 2021 on the 4x800-meter relay competing for Southeast Polk High in Iowa, achieved her first career individual victory on the Blue Oval with a lifetime-best 10:12.83 in the university/college 3,000 steeplechase.

Plummer had run 10:19.46 to finish fourth at last year’s Missouri Valley Conference Championships.

Emma Hoins of Northern Iowa placed second Thursday in a personal-best 10:19.19.

Alec Basten, a former Drake All-American who took third Tuesday in the USATF 1 Mile Championships as part of the annual Grand Blue Mile in Des Moines, shifted his focus to barriers and water jumps Thursday, with the Under Armour Mission Run Baltimore Distance competitor emerging victorious in the men’s university/college 3,000 steeplechase in 8:45.51.

Christopher Collet, the NCAA Division 3 record holder from Wartburg, was second in 8:48.24, with Purdue’s Caleb Williams taking third at 8:49.99 and Reece Smith of Northwest Missouri finishing fourth in 8:52.51 on the eve of his college graduation.

Bethany Hasz, a former All-American at Minnesota now representing Boston Athletic Association, prevailed in the women’s university/college 5,000 in 15:34.19, followed by Hansons-Brooks ODP teammates Amy Davis (15:3709) and Anne-Marie Blaney (15:39.46).

Rosina Machu of Gonzaga was the top collegiate athlete in the field, finishing fourth in 15:41.46.

Fiona Smith, a senior at College of Saint Benedict, elevated to No. 4 all-time in the outdoor 5,000 in NCAA Division 3, earning eighth overall in 15:53.27. Smith is the Division 3 indoor record holder at 15:50.48.

Air Force Academy teammates Luke Combs (13:54.76) and Eli Bennett (13:56.41) took the top two spots in the men’s university/college 5,000, with Drake competitor Brogan Giffin taking third in 13:59.49.

Dana Feyen of Iowa State opened her outdoor season by becoming the first athlete in Cyclones’ history to triumph in the women’s university/college 10,000 at Drake Relays, clocking 33:51.54.

Jason Polydoris also made history for Purdue, becoming the first competitor for the Boilermakers to capture a Drake Relays championship in the men’s university/college 10,000, producing a lifetime-best 29:46.03.

Oklahoma Baptist won its first women’s college 4x800-meter relay in Des Moines since 2012, with Zoee Weaver, Shayna Hendrix, Kaylen King and Mekenzie Connell clocking 9:01.56, equal to the No. 5 outdoor performance in Division 2 history.

Oklahoma Baptist also captured its fifth all-time women’s 4x800 championship at Drake Relays, matching Augustana of South Dakota for most titles in the event in meet history.

Kansas Wesleyan prevailed in the men’s college 4x800 in 7:35.29, with the NAIA All-American lineup of Ty Davidson, Julian Avila, Wyatt Johnson and Carter Huyser earning the program’s first Drake Relays title in the relay and elevating into the top 25 marks in NAIA history.