April 22, 2009
WACO, Texas -
Complete Release in PDF Format 
BAYLOR TRACK SET FOR DRAKE RELAYS
The Baylor men's and women's track and field teams hit the road this weekend as the Bears travel to Des Moines, Iowa for the 100th Drake Relays. Baylor is coming off a record-setting performance at the Michael Johnson Classic last weekend. The Bears recorded two nation-leading marks and three Hart-Patterson Track and Field Complex records were broken. Live results for the Michael Johnson Classic, as well as a complete meet recap, can be found online at www.BaylorBears.com.
LAST TIME AT THE DRAKE RELAYS
The Baylor men's and women's track and field teams made history for the second-straight year at the Drake Relays, winning seven relays titles on the weekend. Last year, the Baylor men's team won all four sprint relays (4x100-, 4x200-, 4x400-meter relays and the sprint medley), becoming the first school to accomplish the feat since Illinois in 1944. This season, Baylor competed in eight relays, coming away with seven relay titles. The seven combined relay titles set a new Drake Relays record, topping the previous record of five relay titles set by Illinois in 1943. The Baylor women's team won four relay titles, breaking the single-meet record for a women's team. Nebraska won three relay titles in 1992 and Alabama won three titles in 1993. The Lady Bears also became the most decorated women's team in Drake Relays history, with 18 relay titles all-time. Lincoln held the previous lead with 17 relay championships. With temperatures much higher than Friday afternoon's, the Baylor women's team opened the day with a record breaking performance in the 4x1,600-meter relay. The Lady Bears clocked a time of 19:05.80 which broke the school record by nearly a full minute. Baylor's school record time of 20:03.94 was set two years ago at the Drake Relays. The time also broke the Drake Relays and Drake Stadium record of 19:07.75 set last year by Minnesota. Baylor's time is the collegiate leader this year, and ranks as the top time in the United States in 2008. The men's and women's teams came away with its second relay sweep in as many days, claiming both 4x100-meter relays in the afternoon session. Both teams entered the finals with the fastest preliminary times, and held to form with the victories. The Baylor men made it a green and gold sweep of the sprint relay, clocking a time of 40.11 for the win. The Baylor men's 4x400-meter relay won its 26th-straight race, clocking 3:04.13 to win by more than three seconds. The relay title is the fourth-straight for Baylor at the Drake Relays. The Bears have claimed 18 of the last 24 4x400-meter relays at Drake Relays, and have won 19 mile relay titles all-time.
LAST TIME OUT
Three stadium records were broken and Baylor's Trey Harts and Chris Gowell clocked collegiate-leading times at the Michael Johnson Classic on Saturday at the Hart-Patterson Track and Field Complex. Harts, the 2009 NCAA indoor champion in the 200 meters, clocked a time of 20.29 to win the invitational 200 meters. The time ranks as the second-fastest in Baylor history, trailing only Michael Johnson's time of 19.85 set in 1990. Harts' time also set a new Hart-Patterson Track and Field Complex record, breaking Johnson's time of 20.41 set in 1987. Gowell, a mid-term transfer from Wales, recorded a time of 1:47.42 to win the men's 800 meters. The time ranks as the seventh-fastest in school history, but just three-tenths off the second best time ever at Baylor. Erin Bedell clocked 4:16.03 in the 1,500 meters, the second-fastest time in the nation this year. The time also ranks as the second-fastest in school history, behind Lauren Hagan's time of 4:15.01 set at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Bedell's time also marked a new complex record, edging the former record of 4:16.27 set by Oklahoma's Kelley Cathy in 1982. Another stadium record was broken as the G.G. Elite Track Club set a new facility record of 38.59 in the men's 4x100-meter relay. The former record of 39.11 was set by TCU in 1989. Baylor clocked a time of 39.26 to finish second overall. The time ranks as the eighth-fastest time in Baylor history and the second-fastest time in the past 29 years at Baylor.
