Wisconsin Badgers
Drake Relays
Badgers ease into competition at Drake Relays
April 23, 2010 | Women's Track & Field
April 23, 2010
Live Results | Blog | Photo Gallery 
DES MOINES, Iowa -- The opening day of competition for the Wisconsin women’s track and field team had the Badgers easing into things with just three events on the schedule.
There was nothing easy about the competition itself for sophomore Monika Jakutyte, who battled her way into a tie for fifth place in the women’s high jump.
Despite persistent rain showers and gusty winds, Jakutyte cleared 5 feet, 7 inches. Junior Kate Flood battled the same conditions and placed 14th after clearing 5-5.
On the track, the Badgers clocked the fastest 4x400-meter relay time by a UW quartet since 1992 on Saturday afternoon, with the foursome of Jameice DeCoster, Jenna Severson, Brittney Harper and Egle Staisiuniate clocking a time of 3:44.53 in the event’s preliminaries session.
The mark was good for 14th-fastest overall in the prelims, but it ranks as the sixth-fastest mark all-time at UW.
That means four of the 10 best marks in Badgers history have come in the past two years -- including three in the last 30 days.
The foursome of Harper, Severson, Staisiunaite and Amanda Donath went 3:45.11 at the Florida State Relays in March. Also, Harper, Donath, DeCoster and Staisiunaite clocked a 3:45.33 at the Florida Relays on April 3.
Also Friday, UW’s 4x100-meter relay team of Jordan Helgren, DeCoster, Brittney Harper and Alexis Beecham ran their preliminary heat in 47.77. They did not advance to the event final.
The Badgers return to action for the final day of the Drake Relays on Saturday morning, with the women's 4x100-meter shuttle hurdle relay on tap at 8:20 a.m. The men's shuttle hurdle relay -- in which the Badgers are defending champs -- follows at 8:43 a.m.
