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Explosive Drake Relays Elite Field Set for Thursday Night ThrowdownPublished by
Drake Relays Drake Athletic Communications Explosive Elite Field Set for Thursday Night ThrowdownThursday evening slate highlighted by elite fields in hammer, javelin, and seated throwsDES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake Relays presented by Xtream powered by Mediacom has announced the elite field for this year's men's and women's javelin, hammer, and seated throws. Fans of the Relays will get to see these star-studded lineups packed into one session, as Thursday Night Throwdown makes its debut at this year's Relays. "Relays fans are in for a unique viewing experience on Thursday evening," Franklin P. Johnson Director of the Drake Relays Blake Boldon said. "These throwing events require a special combination of power and grace, and the elite athletes in these fields will surely demonstrate that at the highest level. It's Des Moines' chance to see the intersection of ancient warfare and the same footwork precision that be found in classical ballet." One of the top standouts in a loaded field for the elite men's hammer throw is Rudy Winkler, the event's No. 1 all-time American. Slated third in the current global rankings, Winkler returns to Drake Stadium as the defending champion, besting last year's field by more than two meters with a distance of 76.70m. The four-time United States national champion holds the American record with a throw of 82.71m, which he hit in his winning mark at the 2021 Olympics Trials. Vying with Winkler for this year's title is fellow American Daniel Haugh. Ranked seventh in the world, Haugh's personal best of 80.18m/263'-1" earned him a top-five all-time finish in U.S. history. The 2019 Kennesaw State national champion took second at the 2021 Olympic Trials and sixth at the 2023 World Championships. Mexico's Diego Del Real and Canada's Adam Keenan will enter Drake Stadium as two of the event's top international challengers. Del Real, the Mexico national record holder and 10-time national champion, is on the cusp breaking into the top-10 world rankings. Keenan is ranked No. 16 in the world and is a five-time Canadian national champion. Two collegiate student-athletes will join some of the world's best on Thursday evening. Drake's own Anthony Barmes levels up to the elite division after placing third at the Relays in the university grouping last year. A national champion in his native New Zealand, Barmes is also a two-time Missouri Valley Conference champion. Joining Barmes is Tarik Robinson-O'Hagan. At only 20 years old, Robinson-O'Hagan is a four-time All-American at Ole Miss and has already claimed three first place finishes this spring. Three Chilean elite athletes, one competitor on the women's side and two on the men's, will also let it rip at Drake Stadium. Mariana Garcia holds claim to Chile's national record at 69.70m/228'-8". Humberto Mansilla, ranked No. 22 in the world and Chile's national recordholder, and tenth-globally ranked Gabriel Kehr will also represent the Chilen men's team. "It's truly an honor to partner with the Chilean Athletics Federation to bring these elite throwers to test themselves against some of the world's best in Des Moines," Boldon said. "This addition of these world-class athletes adds to the excitement for this year's Thursday Night Throwdown." Annette Echikunwoke, who currently boasts a top-ten global ranking, will compete in the women's hammer throw. Echikunwoke holds the African hammer record and was the Nigerian national champion in 2021 before becoming eligible to represent the United States. In her first year of eligibility, Echikunwoke qualified to represent the USA at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Ore., where she was a finalist. Her personal best distance of 75.49m/241'-0" leads this year's field. Americans and world-ranked professionals Janea Stewart (No. 13), Alyssa Wilson (No. 21), and Erin Reese (No. 24) are poised to challenge for this year's title. Stewart is the top-placing returner from last year's field, earning a bronze medal in 2023. Stamatia Scarvelis of Greece also makes the trip back to Des Moines after placing fifth in last year's event. A pair of Ole Miss teammates and collegiate standouts will test their talents in the professional class. Jalani Davis is a two-time NCAA champion in the weight throw (2023, 2024) and is one of only seven student-athletes in collegiate history to win multiple championships in that event. Alongside Davis will be Jasmine Mitchell who is also in her senior season for the Rebels. Mitchell set her personal best in a victory at the LSU Invitational last year with a throw of 69.58m/228'-3". Renowned American Paralympians Beth Grauer and Justin Phongsavanh lead the debut of the Relays' first-ever seated throwing events. Grauer brought home silver at the 2023 Parapan American Games. Phongsavanh holds the world record in the F54 javelin with a heave of 33.29m/109'-2" set in 2019. The Ankeny native Centennial High School graduate returns to his home state after winning the 2024 U.S. Paralympics Track & Field National Championships in March. The return of men's javelin will serve as the finale for Thursday Night Throws. Curtis Thompson, who holds the third-best all-time mark in U.S. history at 87.70m/287'-9", leads this year's competitive field. Currently ranked No. 11 in the world, Thompson has held a world standing as high as fourth. The three-time national champion won both the USATF Championships and Pan American Games in 2023. Michael Shuey also headlines the men's javelin field. Shuey's personal best of 85.67m/281'-1" slates him fifth in the United States all-time ranks. The 2020 Olympian was a two-time Big Ten champion in his collegiate career at Penn State. Jordan Davis of Southern Connecticut State University enters the field after an incredible breakthrough performance just two weeks ago. In March, Davis won the Texas Relays with a personal best throw of 83.77m/264'-1", nearly 11 meters further than his previous personal record. That distance shot Davis up the all-time ranks, landing him fifth in collegiate history and tenth in U.S. history. Iowa Hawkeye Mike Stein joins Davis as a collegian in this division. At just 20 years old, the Milford, Iowa native set the school record in the event this year with a distance of 79.26m/260'-0". Stein also earned a fourth-place finish at the 2023 Big Ten Indoor Championships. The leadoff elite event for Thursday Night Throws will be the women's javelin. Eleven-time Canadian national champion Elizabeth Gleadle holds the field's top personal best mark of 64.83m/212'-8". Gleadle has represented her country three times as an Olympian, making the finals at the 2012 Games. Arianna Ince also aims to be in the mix for this year's title. Her personal best of 64.38m/211'-3" puts her at No. 4 on the U.S. all-time list. She is ranked No. 28 in the world and was the runner-up at the Texas Relays in March. This will not be Ince's first competition in Drake Stadium, having won the U.S. National Championship at Drake in 2019. 2022's event-winner Maddie Harris returns to Des Moines in this year's field. Harris set her personal record of 60.73m/199'-3" in her victory at the USATF Championships last July. Single session tickets are now available, and the Saturday session is heading toward a 57th-consecutive sellout. 2024 Drake Relays tickets are available here. Seated Shot Put Beth Grauer F34 (United States)
Seated Javelin Justin Phongsavanh F54 (United States)
Men's Elite Hammer Throw Anthony Barmes (Drake)
Women's Elite Hammer Throw Jalani Davis (Ole Miss)
Men's Elite Javelin Throw Ethan Dabbs (United States)
Women's Elite Javelin Throw Sarah Blake (Mississippi State)
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