DES MOINES, Iowa – Freshman Katarzyna Nowakowska gave the Utah track & field team a great start to its weekend at the 114th running of the Drake Relays, capturing the 1500m unseeded section for her first collegiate victory on the famed Blue Oval Thursday evening.
Kylie Hartnett and Maddie Reed opened the day for Utah running in the first heat of the 1500m run, finishing with marks of 4:35.38 and 4:38.94 respectively.
In the second heat, Nowakowska and Grace Moroney kept within striking distance of the lead pack with the Polish native sitting around sixth and Moroney at about 10th through the first 800m. The two would slowly move up at the 1100m checkmark with Nowakowska moving up to fourth behind a trio of Iowa State runners. She would make her move heading into the final turn with 200m to go before passing all three Cyclones heading into the final straightaway and never looked back to secure the win with a PR time of 4:20.05. Moroney also had a new personal best, running a time of 4:26.48 to claim seventh-overall.
Closing out the distance carnival on Thursday for Utah was Clara Mayfield – who posted a new personal best time in the 5000m race after crossing the finish line at 16:21.60.
Utah will have a busy Friday with competitors at three different meets between the Drake Relays, Robison Invitational and Payton Jordan Invitational. For a full rundown of where to find results tomorrow, click here.
For the latest news and information on the Utah cross country and track & field programs, fans can stay connected online at www.UtahUtes.com and on social media by following on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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