Men's Track and Field Represented at the Drake Relays

DES MOINES, Iowa - Doane men's track and field turned in a strong showing against a deep field of NCAA Division I, II, and NAIA competition, highlighted by solid relay performances and several top-25 individual finishes.

In the 400 meters, senior Joaquin Gutierrez led the Tigers with a time of 49.84 seconds, placing 22nd in a race that featured multiple sub-47 second performances from Division I athletes . Gutierrez also contributed to Doane's 4x400-meter relay team, which clocked a time of 3:18.89 in the preliminaries alongside Orion Ulmer, Connor Bradley, and Caleb Mulder .

The Tigers found success in the distance relays as well, with the 4x1600-meter relay team of Michael Grigsby, Jayden Wall, Luke Bonifas, and Porter Bickley finishing ninth overall in 17:11.5 against a competitive field .

In the field events, Doane athletes posted several notable marks. Brian Cech recorded a leap of 6.42 meters (21-0.75) in the long jump to place 22nd, while Callan McKinney turned in a strong effort in the triple jump with a mark of 14.09 meters (46-2.75), finishing eighth overall . Cech also competed in the triple jump, posting a mark of 13.77 meters.

In the throws, senior Cale Bessler highlighted the Tigers' efforts with a throw of 16.15 meters (53-0) in the shot put, placing 13th in a field loaded with Division I talent . Christopher Brown added a mark of 49.30 meters in the discus.

Overall, Doane demonstrated its ability to compete across multiple event areas against high-level competition, with key contributions in relays, jumps, and throws as the team continues to build momentum heading deeper into the outdoor season.

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