Simpson faces tough test at own Kip Janvrin Open

INDIANOLA, Iowa – The annual Kip Janvrin Open went off without a hitch as the Simpson men's and women's track & field teams faced stiff competition amidst a plethora of colleges and universities spanning all divisions.

No team scores were kept.

Brad Vogel did his thing with a pair of third-place performances in the 100 and 200-meter dashes. He cut the tape with times of 11.13 and 22.29 seconds, respectively.

"I thought I ran well today," Vogel said. "We were running into a head wind but I was satisfied with my times despite the conditions."

Vogel posted IIAC-leading times in the 100 (10.66) and 200 (21.85) just over a week ago.

Leading the Simpson men's relays was the 4x400-meter quartet of Brice Sheeder, Matt Pearson, Triston Twedt, and Leif Jeppson, placing fifth overall.

Lauren Martin posted the top individual finish on the women's side, running a personal-best time of 59.23 to place sixth in the 400-meter dash. She also joined Sarah Ney, Sarah Galbraith and Bayley Fleshner on the third-place 4x100-meter relay team (49.61).

The 4x400 relay team of Larissa Backhaus, Jessie Eyerly, Lindsey Borgomainerio and Jessica Lamb finished sixth (4:14.78).

Other highlights

• Isaac Frazier placed 7th in the men's high jump with a leap of 1.89 meters
• Trevor McKee placed 10th in the men's 400-meter hurdles with a personal-best of 56.46

Drake Relays highlights

The men's 4x800 relay team of seniors Jeppson, Anthony Burton and Joe Farrand, and sophomore Miles Kirts posted one of the top times in school history (7:51.08), placing 11th while defeating fellow IIAC foe, Wartburg, in the process.

The Most Valuable Track Performer at the 2013 Indoor Conference Championships for winning the 3,000 and 5,000, Farrand's appearance on the 4x800 team Friday was a rare one.

"It felt a lot difference than anything I'm used to, but it was fun to run with a great group of guys especially one of the top 800 runners in the IIAC, Leif Jeppson," Farrand said. "Running in front of a full house at Drake Stadium was more exciting than I imagined and one of the best running experiences in my time at Simpson."

The women's 4x100 relay team of Ney, Martin, Galbraith and Fleshner took 27th, crossing the line in 49.73.

Next Up

Simpson goes to the Mark Messersmith Invitational hosted by Northern Iowa on Friday, May 2.