The Simpson College men’s and women’s track and field teams had a busy weekend competing simultaneously at the Drake Relays and Kip Janvrin Open last weekend.

The hype surrounding the historical Drake Relays is iconic for a reason. Athletes from all levels and capabilities travel to Des Moines, Iowa, to compete at Drake Stadium. From middle school, high school and wheelchair race athletes to college, professional and Olympic-level athletes, it is no surprise that tens of thousands of people flock to Drake University every year.

Since 1910, one of the oldest and most respected outdoor track and field meets in the world has been held annually. Drake Stadium is well-known for its bright blue track, appropriately earning the nickname “the Blue Oval.” Happening alongside the Relays weekend is Simpson’s very own Kip Janvrin Open.

Named after the 1988 Simpson College graduate and 2000 Olympian Kip Janvrin, the meet sees over 1,000 participants from over 50 colleges and universities, clubs and other organizations around the nation. Storm runners, throwers and jumpers got the chance to be a part of the crazy weekend in central Iowa.

There were so many standout Storm performers between both meets. Included in the 13 top-10 placements clinched by the Storm at Kip Janvrin were first-year Olivia Merrill’s fourth place finish in shot put with a throw of 12.67m, the men’s 4×400 relay team who placed second with a time of 4:11.07 minutes, senior Isaiah Strong’s fourth place high jump of 1.86m and senior Aaliyah Johnson’s second place triple jump of 10.97m.

On the Storm women’s side at Drake, senior Maddie Hays ended up in 20th place in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:03.48 minutes, and the 4×100 relay team placed 24th with a time of 49.08 seconds.

Senior Teghan Booth had the highest finish for any Simpson athlete at the Drake Relays, ending up in 12th place in the 10,000m race with a time of 36:23.26 minutes.

“It was kind of a full circle moment getting to have one of my last races be at Drake since I competed at the relays and on the blue oval multiple times in high school,” Booth said.

For the Simpson men, the 4×100 relay team placed 21st with a time of 42.51 seconds, the 4×400 relay team placed 24th with a time of 3:21.58 minutes and junior Kendrick Achebe placed 12th in the 100m sprint, barely missing the finals.

Senior Brenden Godbout had a 19th overall finish in the 400m hurdles race with a time of 54.96 seconds.

“Getting to run on the same track as some of the best athletes in the world was unforgettable, and I was just grateful to be a part of it,” Godbout said.

As the end of the 2025 outdoor season is coming up quickly, these spring athletes are feeling the bittersweetness of the warmer weather, meaning the end of the year is near.

“Being a senior is a little different, knowing this is kind of the last chance you’ll have to do a lot of these things. Whether it’s at practice, at a meet, or just with my teammates on campus, I’m trying to enjoy every moment as much as possible,” Godbout explained.

Though the season is wrapping up, the Storm still have a few more chances to run. The last regular season meet is the Wartburg Triangular in Waverly on May 2, closely followed by the American Rivers Conference Outdoor Championships the following weekend, May 8-10. This year, Simpson is set to host the meet.

“I would like to see my teammates and I perform well at home for conference and walk away with some hardware!” Godbout said.

After one last hurrah at home, the Storm will travel to Rock Island, IL, for the Augustana Last Chance to try to improve their qualifying marks for the NCAA Division III National Championships.

“For the last stretch of the season, one of my main goals is to qualify for Nationals in Ohio at the end of May. It would be a great end to the season,” Godbout said.

Booth shared similar sentiments going into the last couple of weeks of her senior season as well.

“Yeah, one of my goals is to first win a conference title, then definitely qualify for nationals!” Booth said.

The NCAA Outdoor Championships will be held at Spire Academy in Geneva, Ohio, on May 21-24.