Mile posts: Items on Ashlyn Keeney and Iowa State relays, Loras relays, Brooke Mullins, Edwin Kurgat, Alli Bookin-Nosbisch, Adam Fogg

Ashlyn Keeney made quite the triumphant return to the Blue Oval at Drake Stadium last weekend.

The Iowa State University true freshman from North Liberty ran on two winning university relays at the Drake Relays to highlight her best weekend as a Cyclone and lead off this edition of the WEEKEND UPDATE of the best performances by Iowa-based collegiate and postcollegiate distance runners and triathletes.

Keeney ran the second leg of the winning 4x1600-meter relay at the 113th Drake Relays early Friday morning. The quartet of junior Madelynn Hill, Keeney, junior Janette Schraft and graduate student Cailie Logue ran 19:04.56 to dust the field in the nearly 4-mile race and end a 10-year winless drought in the event. The Cyclones also shattered the program record of 19:13.62 from 2014. Arkansas State was a distance second in 19:26.09. Schraft is a former Glenwood High prep who set a school record in the 3,000 steeplechase at the Bryan Clay Invitational two weeks ago.

On Saturday, Keeney ran the anchor 1,600 leg on a winning Iowa State women's university distance medley relay. The quartet of freshman Makayla Clark (1,200), junior Bria Barnes (400), freshman Kinsey Christianson (800) and Ashlyn Keeney grabbed Iowa State's first victory in the event since 2010 and seventh-best effort in program history after running 11:21.50. Keeney ran a 4:48.60 anchor to finish the job set up by excellent legs from her teammates. Christianson ran a 2:09.43 split.

Utah was almost eight seconds back in second. An Illinois State anchored by former Southeast Polk prep Mattison Plummer was third in 11:34.91, a time that ranks sixth in program history.

The last time Keeney had appeared on the Blue Oval was the Iowa State high school track and field championships. Keeney's best finish that weekend competing for Class 4A Liberty High School was a seventh in the 800 meters. Keeney also was 10th in the 3,000 final and ran on a 12th-place 4x800 relay. The emerging Keeney ran the No. 10 time in Cyclone history for 1,500 meters at the Bryan Clay Invitational two weeks ago.

NCAA Division III all-time records keep coming for the Loras College track and field program. Two Duhawks men's mid-distance relays, not record-setting Kassie Parker, reset the best times ever for the nonscholarship division.

At a busy and mostly sun-splashed Drake Relays, the Duhawks reset their own 4x800-meter relay record by a whopping six seconds on Thursday. The quartet of Wyatt Kelly, Ryan Harvey, Carter Oberfoell and Mike Jasa ran a collective 7:22.17 to cruise past Wisconsin-Parkside by more than 15 seconds to establish the new mark. Three of the four members are Iowa natives. Kelly led off with a 1:52.29 leg from a standing start. Kelly is a former Hudson prep and senior. Harvey, a sophomore, ran 1:51.28 to further extend the lead. Former Dubuque Wahlert prep and senior Oberfoell gave a 1:50.45 effort and Jasa, the reigning Division III indoor and outdoor 800 champion, closed the deal in the rarely run 4x800 with a 1:48.16 anchor. Jasa is a senior and former Cedar Rapids Prairie prep.

Two days later, the Duhawks were at it again in the men's college distance medley, topping rival Wartburg College to chop eight seconds off the previous Division III record set by North Central College in 2000 and establish the new mark of 9:45.73. Freshman Matthew Marcum was added to the relay to run the second leg, the 400. The other relay members were Kelly (1,200), Oberfoell (800) and Harvey (1,600).

Both Loras relays earned NCAA Division III National Athlete of the Week honors by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association on Tuesday. According to the USTFCCCA, it is the first time the athlete of the week honor has been won by a relay team.

Wartburg's 9:49.59 effort was impressive as well, with sophomore Jack Kinzer, sophomore Ian Neyens, junior Wyatt Schmidt and junior Christopher Collet grabbing the second-fastest time in Division III history and a school record. Kinzer ran for North Liberty, Neyens ran for Urbandale and Schmidt is a former Northeast of Preston athlete. Iowa Western's all-international team of Jacinto Gaspar, Jayden Brown, Steve Hines and Mohammed Kowa ran a strong 9:58.50 time for fourth place. Dordt University senior Thaniel Schroeder, freshman Levi Schelhaas, senior Peyton Miller and senior Trey Engen established a new school record by four seconds after running 10:03.05 for fifth place. Schelhaas is a former Pella Christian prep. Miller is from Wellman. Engen is a former Algona prep.

Several more highlights came during the Drake Relays' Distance Carnival on Thursday evening. Drake junior Brooke Mullins became the first Bulldog female to claim a Relays championship on her home track since Gina DeWitt (800) in 1995. The native Australian ran a school-record 10:13.94 to top Illinois State's Plummer by 6.2 seconds in the university/college 3,000 steeplechase. Wartburg junior Aubrie Fisher claimed fourth in 10:22.07 while Northern Iowa sophomore Emma Hoins ran the No. 2 time in Northern Iowa history, a 10:30.59, to claim sixth. Fisher is a former AGWSR (Ackley) prep while Hoins is a former Waverly-Shell Rock prep and Hawkeye Community College transfer.

The list of top Iowans also included former Cedar Falls prep and Northwest Missouri State senior Caroline Cunningham (eighth, 10:31.87), Central College sophomore Megan Johnson (14th, 10:45.32) and South Dakota fourth-year junior Helen Gould (15th, 10:45.44). Johnson's time is second best in Dutch history. She is a former Aplington-Parkersburg prep. Gould ran a season-best time. Ellie Meyer, a former Iowa Falls-Alden athlete, was 20th for Wartburg in 10:53.58. Meyer is a sophomore. Iowa junior Brooke McKee, a former Johnston prep, ran 10:54.40 for 21st.

Former Iowa State NCAA champion Edwin Kurgat was the heavy favorite to win the men's seeded 5,000 and he delivered. Kurgat ran 13:34.11 to cruise to victory by more than 17 seconds over South Dakota State's Joseph Minor-Williams. Iowa State freshman Rodgers Kiplimo came through in fourth in 13:55.95. Fifth-year South Dakota senior Merga Gemeda took down his own school record by over 11 seconds in running 14:00.86 for eighth place. Gemeda, the school record holder in the 10,000, is a former Sioux City North prep. Gemeda had run 14:11.50 at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Taking 11th was Iowa State senior Chad Johnson in 14:03.11, with Drake sophomore Enzo Marie, a native of France, in 16th in 14:10.44. Iowa State sophomore Timothy Sindt, a former Ankeny High prep, took 22nd in 14:20.98. Drake senior Nate Osterstock, a transfer from Southern Utah, ran 14:22.68 for 24th. He was one spot and .06 of a second ahead of former Dallas Center-Grimes prep and Drake student Aidan Ramsey, who was running unattached.

Will return to the Drake Relays in a bit, but Iowa State fielded a relay at the Penn Relays on Saturday for the 4x800 Championship of America event in hopes of setting an all-time collegiate record. None of the teams pulled it off, as Ole Miss captured the victory in 7:12.37, which is the fifth-best time in NCAA history. Penn State was runner-up in 7:12.96 with the Cyclone quartet of Peter Smith, Darius Kipyego, Ezekiel Rop and Jason Gomez third in 7:13.94. That time is just off the Cyclones' school record of 7:12.57, which is now sixth best in NCAA history. Smith ran a 1:48.95 opener, with Kipyego owning a 1:47.10 effort. Rop ran 1:47.91 before handing off to Gomez, who clocked a 1:50.00. This quartet ran the 16th-best time in collegiate history.

At the Desert Heat Classic, Iowa juniors and twin sisters Alli Bookin-Nosbisch and Grace Bookin-Nosbisch ran the No. 2 and No. 4 800 times in Hawkeye history. Alli ran a winning effort of 2:04.37 while Grace was runner-up in 2:05.49. Both are former Ottumwa High standouts. Teammate Jaiden Itsen was 10th in 2:11.13.

In the men's 800, Iowa State senior Cebastian Gentil earned a qualifying mark for the NCAA West Prelims with a runner-up finish in 1:48.39. He trailed winner Colin Sahlman of Northern Arizona by 1.40 seconds. Finishing third was Iowa junior and former Muscatine High standout Tyler Olson in a season-best 1:48.72. Teammate Spencer Gudgel was fourth in a new best of 1:49.29. True freshman Ryan Schreiner was fifth in 1:49.58.

At the Kip Janvrin Open at Bill Buxton Stadium in Indianola, two Northern Iowa runners from Iowa ran top times in school history. Former Southeast Polk prep Drake Hanson was a college winner for the first time, running a 1:48.19 in the 800 to grab the third-best time in program history. Sophomore Chase Noche was third in 1:48.69, which is now No. 8 in Panther history. Knoche is a former Calamus-Wheatland prep. Grand View University senior Carter Huyser, a former Oskaloosa prep, ran a school record 1:50.06 for seventh. Huyser's time is third best in the NAIA. Wartburg's Carter Cruise ran a 1:51.42 time that ranks fourth in school history. The former Monticello prep was ninth. Grand View's Isaiah Wittrock, a former Pekin prep, took 10th in 1:52.96.

Returning to the Drake Relays, where two Iowa State men's distance relays couldn't quite duplicate the women's feats. The 4x1600 and university distance medley relays were edged at the finish both times by Air Force. The Falcons topped an Iowa State unit of Kelvin Bungei, Gable Sieperda, Emanuel Galdino and Titus Winders by .38 of a second Friday. Air Force ran 16:23.31. Bungei is a former Iowa Central Community College standout. Sieperda was a Central Lyon-GLR star.

On Saturday, Air Force ran 9:48.39 in the DMR to hold off the Cyclones by 1.16 seconds. Emanuel Galdino (1,200), Gus Langford (400), Tyler Carreon (800) and Titus Winders (1,600) ran on the relay. An Iowa relay with sophomore and former Pleasant Valley star Max Murphy ran 9:59.14 for fifth. A South Dakota relay with former North Union prep and junior Dylan Blake (800) and Gemeda on the 1,600 anchor was seventh in 10:04.61. That time is No. 6 in program history.

Also Saturday, former Drake All-American Adam Fogg captured third in the men's 1,500 invitational. The UA/Mission Run Baltimore runner and runner from England was clocked in 3:40.87 during a wet race. Kurgat returned to place fifth in 3:45.57. Nehemia Too, an Iowa State student redshirting and running for the Suds Squad named for head coach Jeremy Sudbury, ran 3:47.04 for sixth. The winner was Adidas' Paul Ryan in 3:40.23.

In the women's 1,500, Northern Iowa assistant track coach and former Panther star Alexina (Wilson) Teubel ran to a sixth-place finish to repeat her finish from Tuesday's USA 1 Mile Championship. Teubel ran 4:13.24 on the track. Nikki Hiltz, the winner Tuesday, was the champion again in 4:09.02.

Jasa couldn't grab a second white Relays flag in the men's 800 in the rain Saturday, running a 1:49.78 to trail only Nebraska-Kearney junior Wes Ferguson by .45 of a second. His teammate Oberfoell was eighth in 1:52.87.

Iowa school record holder Mallory (King) Lindaman grabbed a third-place finish in the featured women's 800 invitational. The former Davenport Assumption prep and current Tracksmith athlete ran 2:06.35. The winner was UA/Mission Run Baltimore's Susan Ejore in 2:03.84.

The women's college 800 two races later featured a battle between former Sioux City Heelan teammates Amber Aesoph and Madison Yochum. Aesoph, an Iowa junior, ran a new personal best of 2:08.93 to place third. Jochum, a South Dakota fourth-year junior, was fourth in 2:10.03. That time is sixth in program history. Claire Sievern of Xaiver (Ohio) was the winner in 2:07.93.

On Friday, an Arkansas squad with former Carlisle star Ainsley Erzen grabbed the iconic white Relays winner's flags by taking the women's 4x800 title. That squad ran 8:41.74 to win by more than 14 seconds. Erzen is an Arkansas freshman.

Returning to Thursday's Distance Carnival, where Northwest Missouri junior Reece Smith ran to an 8:38.68 time in the 3,000 steeplechase to take third overall. Smith is a former Garner-Hayfield-Ventura prep and the reigning NCAA Division II steeplechase champion. Wartburg's Collet, another reigning NCAA steeplechase champion, ran the seventh-best time in Division III history to place eighth in 8:47.57. Collet broke his own school record for the event. Iowa State's Bungei was ninth in 8:49.31, which nearly cracked the Cyclones' top-10 list. Wisconsin-La Crosse sophomore Adam Loenser, a former Clear Lake prep standout, was 12th in 8:57.37. He was just .09 ahead of Iowa State sophomore Quinton Orr, a former Humboldt prep and high school conference rival. Central College sophomore Caleb Silver's 14th-place time of 8:57.55 was just .16 of a second off Mark Fairley's school record from 2018. Silver is a former BCLUW of Conrad prep. Iowa junior Jack Pendergast missed landing on the school's all-time top 10 list by .4 of a second after running 9:04.89 for 25th place. Pendergast is a former Cedar Rapids Prairie athlete. Wartburg sophomore Connor Lancial, an ex-Council Bluffs Lewis Central runner, was 27th in 9:05.37.

Iowa State junior Hill chopped a whopping 45 seconds off her previous best for 5,000 meters to place 11th in the seeded 5,000 in 16:13.42. Hill's time is 11th in school history.

In the unseeded 5,000, Central College sophomore Caroline McMartin ran to a runner-up finish in 17:07.48 effort. McMartin is a former Pella High star. Dordt senior Jessica Kampman ran a new school record of 17:29.17 to place 14th. She was one spot ahead of Iowa junior Abby Ryon, who ran 17:29.83. Ryon is a former Mount Pleasant prep.

In the unseeded men's 5,000, Dordt senior Joe Anderson broke a 41-year-old school record by placing 12th out of 38 athletes. The former Central Lyon-GLR prep moved up 22 positions over the final seven laps to run 14:21.59. The old record was 14:30 set by Jerrold Wynia in 1982. Iowa senior Konnor Sommer, a former Pleasant Valley prep, was 20th in 14:28.16. Crossing the line next was Iowa Central sophomore Zander Cobb in 14:33.51. Cobb edged Iowa freshman Hayden Kuhn for that spot by .05 of a second. Kuhn is a former Linn-Mar prep.

Iowa State student James Olivier ran a new personal-best 1:48.45 to take the victory over Dordt University junior Payton Mauldin in the men's 800 Thursday. Olivier had run 1:49.63 at the Clay invite two weeks ago. Mauldin ran 1:49.07 to top several NCAA Division I athletes to break the school record of 1:49.59 set by Matthew Van Eps in 2021. Mauldin moved up seven spots on the final lap to take the top time in the NAIA this season. He is a former Central Lyon-GLR prep. Iowa State junior Tyler Carreon was sixth by running 1:49.72 and going under 1:50 for the first time. Wartburg's Schmidt was 11th in 1:51.07, a time that is the best ever run by a Knight at this meet. Northern Iowa's Hanson was 13th in 1:51.30 and Knoche 15th in 1:51.42.

In the women's 800 Thursday, Iowa State's Clark took runner-up honors in 2:08.33. Clark was just .21 behind Bradley's Trixie Wraith. Drake sophomore Emilie Meyer grabbed third in 2:08.66. The Cyclones' Christianson was fourth in 2:08.78.

Iowa junior Nick Trattner finished third overall in a career-best 3:47.96 in the 1,500 Thursday. Simpson College junior Spencer Moon came within a second of his own school record after running 3:48.39 for fifth. Moon is a former South Central Calhoun athlete. Former Valley prep Morey Smith of St. Thomas ran 3:48.80. Smith is a junior. Central College senior Adam Sylvia took down Jon Lindaman's 2000 school record by .37 of a second by running 3:50.37. for 12th. The winner was Augustana University's Colten Brand in 3:46.18.

The 10,000 races concluded the action Thursday and Drake freshman Carmen Krawczynski Gonzalez ran to a 35:38.69 effort to place third in the women's race. Iowa senior and former Linn-Mar prep Madeline Block ran 35:45.92 for fourth. Northern Iowa sophomore Kate Crawford's time of 35:52.65 moved the former Guthrie Center prep into No. 2 in school history. Crawford was fifth. The winner was Ohio's Theresa Hagey in 34:53.10.

In the men's 10,000, Wartburg senior Morgan Shirley-Fairbairn was the top Iowa collegian in 10th in 30:41.37. Iowa sophomore Aidan King ran 30:57.68 for 13th. Dordt graduate student Davis Tebben ran the second-fastest time in program history, a 30:57.88, for 14th. Tebben earned the 'A' standard for NAIA nationals.

On Friday, Iowa's Murphy started his weekend by nearly grabbing a victory in the men's 1,500. Murphy's 3:44.83 time was beaten only by the 3:43.18 time by Bradley's Jack Crull. Drake freshman Juan Trasobares was fourth in 3:45.67. Iowa Western's Kowa ran 3:52.03 for 12th.

Drake's Mullins returned to the Blue Oval a day after her steeplechase victory to take sixth in the women's 1,500. Mullins ran 4:25.73. Iowa's Aesoph ran 4:39.54 for 12th. The winner was Bradley's Tiana LoStracco in 4:18.92

Former Iowa Central great Adva Cohen was seventh in the 3,000 invitational steeplechase Friday night. The UA Dark Sky Distance athlete based in Flagstaff, Ariz., ran 9:49.50 in a race won by American Madie Boreman in 9:36.86.

Dordt's sprint medley relay finished third in 3:22.97 behind anchor Mauldin. Loras, with Oberfoell on the 800 anchor, ran 3:26.76 for fifth. The winning time was 3:21.47 by Minnesota State.

Loras' sprint medley relay anchored by freshman Elly Burds in the 800 ran a school record 4:02.64 for fourth place. Burds is a former Western Dubuque prep.

Wartburg junior Lexi Brown ran the third-best time in program history to finish 16th in the women's 1,500 Friday. Brown, a former New London athlete, ran 4:31.28. Drake junior Barbara Vrhovac ran 4:34.36 for 23rd. The winner was unattached athlete Alison Pray in 4:19.40.

Cornell College topped Dordt in the men's Iowa college distance medley on Saturday. The quartet of sophomore Fisher Isaacson, freshman Jaxin McGuire, sophomore Isaak Hutchings and freshman Thomas Coble ran 10:20.47 to edge the Defenders by exactly one second. Dordt's relay consisted of freshman Sam May, Miller, junior Cole Zevenbergen and senior Peter Shippy. May is a former MOC-FV (Floyd Valley) prep. Zevenbergen went to Western Christian (Hull). Shippy is a former Sioux Center prep.

Loras' college distance medley came up just short of crossing the line first. The group of graduate student Ellie Osterberger, sophomore Harmony Creasy, Burds and graduate student Kassie Parker ran a new school record 11:44.22. Osterberger is a former Dubuque Wahlert prep. Creasy went to Pleasant Valley. Parker is an ex-Clayton Ridge (Guttenberg) star. Augustana University won in 11:42.58.

Northern Iowa's sprint medley featuring former Monticello prep Paige Holub on the 800 anchor finished runner-up in the university sprint medley. The Panthers ran 4:01.13. Utah won in 3:58.41.

Former Dowling Catholic prep Kelsey Schweizer moved up in distance and excelled, finishing fifth in the 1,500 invitational at the Rock Chalk Classic in Lawrence, Kan., on Saturday. The Missouri junior ran a personal-best 4:31.82 to place second among the Tigers runners. Kansas' Lona Latema was the winner in 4:23.25.

Illinois State was at the Clark Wood Invitational hosted by Louisville and former Valley prep Lauren Schulze took runner-up honors in the 5,000. The Redbirds freshman ran 17:33.17.

Back to the Janvrin Invite in Indianola, Wartburg's Lance Sobaski ran 9:01.50 in the 3,000 steeplechase to take runner-up honors. The former Washington High prep ran the No. 2 time in program history, trailing only Collet. Teammate Jacob Green captured the win in the 5,000 in 14:29.95, a time that now ranks seventh in program history.

Runablaze Iowa's Josh Evens, a former Linn-Mar great, ran 3:52.12 for runner-up honors in the 1,500. Will Lohr, a South Dakota State student and former Sioux City North prep running unattached, was timed in 3:52.69 for third. Creighton's Jake Ziebarth won in 3:51.34.

Moving to the roads, where Runablaze Iowa's Pasca Myers of Ames finished as the women's runner-up at the Illinois Race Weekend half marathon in Champaign. The recent Drake Relays Road Race 10K winner made it to Memorial Stadium on the campus of the University of Illinois in 1:18:37. Myers trailed only the time of 1:16:13 established by Jane Bareikis of Crestwood, Ill.

Running Wild Elite's Devin Allbaugh of Bettendorf finished third overall. The men's team coordinator and former Pleasant Valley prep star ran a new personal-best 1:06:07 to set a team record. Teammate Elliott Klauer of Bettendorf ran a new best of 1:12:20 for the 13.1-mile distance while placing eighth overall. Klauer also ia a former Pleasant Valley prep and attended Iowa State. Finishing 16 seconds back of him was teammate Dalton Rice in ninth place. Rice is a former Clinton High and Clinton Community College athlete.

MISSING A TOP DISTANCE RUNNER OR TRIATHLETE?: Let me know at bergeson@registermedia.com.

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This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Mile posts: Items on Ashlyn Keeney and Iowa State relays, Loras relays, Brooke Mullins, Edwin Kurgat, Alli Bookin-Nosbisch, Adam Fogg