Area athletes continued to shine on the second and third days of the 2026 Drake Relays, with Ottumwa’s Delilah Subsin winning the girls discus, Van Buren County’s Lincoln Bainbridge placing in three events across two days, and Pekin’s Anna Hadley and Chloe Glosser each adding more hardware to an already impressive weekend.
Friday, April 24th — Day 2
Girls Discus
Subsin delivered arguably the most dramatic performance of the weekend for area athletes, winning the girls discus with a fourth-throw mark of 154-05 after a remarkable comeback through the competition. Subsin opened in 14th place after her first throw of 115-03, worked her way into third after her third throw of 142-11, then vaulted into first place with her fourth throw of 154-05 on her first attempt of the finals round. Her six throws were 115-03, 136-00, 142-11, 154-05, a foul, and 153-00.
When speaking with media after the event, Subsin reflected on bouncing back from some recent difficult outings. “Coming back after some rough meets, I feel really good finally bouncing back from that and hitting a couple over 150,” she said. She described the conditions on the day as manageable. “The wind was a little rough, but it wasn’t too bad. Good atmosphere,” she said. “I always like coming to Drake, so it’s really nice. Not rainy for once, so I really liked it.” Subsin also credited her competitive mindset for the comeback through the throws, noting that staying tenacious and chasing other competitors’ marks is simply how she approaches competition. “Being tenacious — I love competing,” she said.
Rachel Haack of Iowa City High placed second at 147-09. Anna Hadley of Pekin placed third at 147-07, a new season best. Her throws were 126-11, 140-01, 147-04, 147-07, 138-09, and 153-01. Kylee Hill of Burlington placed fourth at 140-09 and Hannah Braun of Iowa City High placed fifth at 138-09. The nearest Class 1A competitor to Hadley was Lauren Dvorak of Madrid, who placed 13th at 127-04, leaving Hadley well-positioned for a state title in the discus this spring.
When speaking with media, Hadley captured the spirit of what the weekend meant for small-school athletes competing on the biggest stage in Iowa track. “Pekin is such a small town, almost no one knows about it. We have great athletes only every once in a while, and me and Chloe have been able to drag our name out of the mud and bring us up into a light,” she said.
Boys 800-Meter Run
Bainbridge opened his Friday with a second-place finish in the 800-meter run, crossing the line in 1:52.25 — a personal record — just behind winner Brennen Hoyer of Cedar Falls at 1:51.94. Ike Smith of Ankeny placed third in 1:52.48. The nearest Class 1A competitor was Collin Harder of AHSTW, who placed 12th in 1:55.88.
Boys 400-Meter Dash
Later that afternoon, Bainbridge added a fifth-place finish in the 400-meter dash in 48.32. The event was dominated by larger-class athletes, with Kaiden Kunze of Norwalk winning in 47.60, Marcus Tomlyanovich of Cedar Falls second in 47.76, Drew Bennis of Cedar Rapids Prairie third in 47.77, and Kolby Hodnefield of Clear Lake fourth in 48.14. The next closest Class 1A competitor was Braydon Anderson of English Valleys, who placed 13th in 49.73 — more than a second behind Bainbridge.
Girls 400-Meter Dash
Tierney Carter of Oskaloosa placed 13th in the girls 400-meter dash in a season-best time of 57.70. The event was won by Kloe Nissen of Cedar Falls in 55.00.
Boys 4×100-Meter Relay — First Round
Two area teams competed in the first round of the boys 4×100-meter relay. Pekin’s squad of Aliyas Brock, Alijah Brock, Riley Smith, and Nolan Glick ran a personal and school record time of 43.55, finishing 45th overall. Fairfield’s team of Dayson Workman, Voss Richardson, Ethan Bisgard, and Spencer McCready ran 44.25, finishing 79th overall.
Girls Elite Mile
Glosser rounded out an outstanding two-day stretch at Drake with a fifth-place finish in the girls elite mile, crossing in 4:57.09 — an impressive result in a race that draws top runners from Iowa and neighboring states across all classifications. Her splits were 1:16.76 through the first 400 meters, 2:32.73 at 800, 3:46.48 at 1,200, and 4:57.09 at the finish. The race featured some of the best distance runners in the region, and Glosser — competing as a Class 1A athlete from a small school near Packwood — held her own against the field from start to finish.
The event was won by Charlee Gall of Cedar Falls — the same athlete who won the girls 3,000-meter run earlier in the weekend — in 4:50.45, continuing what has been a dominant Drake Relays for the Cedar Falls sophomore. Makenna Madetzke of Ankeny placed second in 4:53.25, Evelyn Moeller of Mount Vernon — who also placed second in Thursday’s 3,000-meter run — placed third in 4:53.94, and Avery Arens of Crofton placed fourth in 4:54.84. The top four finishers were separated by just under five seconds, making Glosser’s fifth-place finish in 4:57.09 all the more impressive given the caliber of the field. When speaking with media, Glosser reflected on the weekend alongside Hadley. “We both have just shown what hard work and dedication can turn out to be. We’re the dynamic duo, as we always say,” she said.
Saturday, April 25th — Day 3
Boys 400-Meter Hurdles
Bainbridge capped a remarkable three-event weekend with an eighth-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles in 53.27 — a personal best. The performance was particularly impressive given that Bainbridge had only taken up the event approximately two weeks prior, after his father and Van Buren County coach Mike Bainbridge suggested he try the event at the WACO meet on April 13th, where he ran a then-personal best of 53.63 before breaking it at Drake.
When speaking with media, Bainbridge acknowledged he is still learning the event but was pleased with his showing. “I did clip a hurdle on that last corner and it kind of threw my rhythm off. But I knew I just had to keep fighting,” he said. The eighth-place finish gave Bainbridge top-10 finishes in all three of his Drake Relays events. When speaking with media, he said the accomplishment was especially meaningful after failing to qualify for the Drake Relays in each of his first three seasons. “Not getting it the first three years, it kind of upset me. Coming to three different events is something that I didn’t expect. It’s something that made me super proud,” he said.
The event was won by Jayden Jeter of Waukee in 52.25, with Gage Tucker of Bettendorf second in 52.60, TJ Douglas of Ames third in 52.66, JJ McDermott of Bettendorf fourth in 52.85, Owen Von Ahsen of Benton fifth in 52.91, Wil Pauli of Cedar Falls sixth in 53.07, and Alex Burger of Southeast Valley seventh in 53.17. The next Class 1A competitor behind Bainbridge was Tate Marco of Sibley-Ocheyedan, who placed 11th in 53.59.
Looking Ahead
With the Drake Relays complete, area athletes turn their attention to the state qualifying meets on Thursday, May 14th and the Iowa State Track and Field Championships at Drake Stadium on May 21st through 23rd. Glosser enters the postseason as a strong favorite in both Class 1A distance events after her dominant weekend showing, with her 3,000-meter time of 9:39.33 already bettering last year’s state championship mark. Hadley, a three-time state champion, enters her senior year with her sights set on sweeping both throwing events. Subsin and Bainbridge will also carry significant momentum into the postseason after their standout performances at Drake.
