John Reniewicki erases Steve Scott's 40-year-old Drake Relays 1,500 record

Take a bow and step aside, Steve Scott. Your 40-year Drake Stadium 1,500-meter record is history.

John Reniewicki fought off a last-lap challenge from fellow American to take the victory in a Drake Relays record time of 3 minutes, 36.44 seconds on a nearly ideal day for track and field Saturday. The former Arizona State runner led four runners across the finish line who all broke the former Sub-Four Track Club athlete's record of 3:38.27.

"Oh, wow," Reniewicki said when told he broke Scott's 1984 Relays record. "It certainly wasn't in my mind. I'm certainly happy with the record. But I wouldn't go so far as to comparing myself to someone like Steve Scott."

Reniewicki is emerging as a threat to make the American team for this summer's Paris Olympics after a strong week where he finished second to Ciattei at Tuesday's USA 1 Mile Championship in downtown Des Moines. Ciattei led wire to wire in that race Tuesday. This time, Reniewicki kept on the inside of lane 1 for the final lap and matched every one of Ciattei's moves.

"I could see him on the videoboard (on the backstretch). I knew he would be coming," the 28-year-old Reniewicki said. "He's extremely strong, coming in extremely fit. I'm sure he wanted that double."

Scott rarely strayed from the 1,500 or mile during his illustrious career, which included a silver medal in the 1,500 at the IAAF World Championships in 1983. Reniewicki, an Under Armour Mission Run athlete based in Baltimore, had a circuitous career path to the 1,500. He began his college career running in the 10,000 and 5,000 before eventually finding his sweet spot. He never ran faster than 4:07 for the mile as a Sun Devil.

Reniewicki said tough, tactical races like Saturday's World Athletics Continental Tour 1,500 will help sharpen his racing acumen leading into the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, in June.

"Getting in reps like this is so important for development," Reniewicki said. "That's important in a year like this. The top three (at Trials) are the only positions that matter."

Ciatti (3:36.57), Abe Alvarado (3:37.56) and Kenya's Justine Kipkoech (3:37.78) also eclipsed Scott's record.

WACT Women's 3,000 Steeplechase

Start. Stop. Start.

Annie Rodenfels and others competing in the featured pro event Friday night were hustled to the starting line by Relays officials in a furious attempt to get this race in before bad weather, specifically thunderstorms, set in. Rodenfels was amped to race. Her heart sank when she saw a lightning bolt in the sky.

Officials postponed the race. And it was eventually rescheduled to Saturday morning.

A little more than 12 hours later, Rodenfels returned to Drake Stadium to capture the 7 1/2-lap victory in a new Drake Relays record 9:31.03. Rodenfels fed off big crowdto pull away from fellow American Angelina Ellis on the sixth lap to win by 4.59 seconds.

"It was a little crazy," the Boston Athletic Association High Performance Team member said. "I was hoping we'd run last night. If everyone else is freaking out about it, I'm fine with that. I'm good under pressure. I thought it would help me."

Rodenfels ran 15:08 B.A.A. 5K on the roads of Boston just two weeks ago and felt ready to gain the World Athletics standard for the Paris Olympics of 9:23. She said subpar technique over the barriers and sapped energy contributed to her missing her target time.

"I felt sluggish today. Just (using) all the adrenaline for hours yesterday. I'm sitting there for two hours (Friday) thinking I'm still going to race and trying to stay in the zone. My body felt a lot better yesterday."

WACT men's 800

Nebraska-Kearney senior Wes Ferguson denied Iowa State fans a thrill when the 2023 university/college champion held off Cyclone junior Darius Kipyego by .19 of a second. Kipyego made a run at Ferguson and owned a slight lead with about 50 meters to go. Ferguson had a final gear, however, and won in 1:46.08.

"I thought I had it," Kipyego, who is from Warwick, Rhode Island, said. "I knew he would close well. It was that last 30 meters. I want to make them (fans) happy and run well. We'll get them next year."

Senior teammate Finley McLear was fourth in 1:46.81 in a race heavy with Iowa collegians. Drake senior and 2023 NCAA indoor mile runner-up Isaac Basten took fifth in 1:46.89. Basten's former teammate, Under Armour athlete Adam Fogg, was seventh in 1:47.47. Iowa State student Jason Gomez took eighth in 1:48.93.

WACT women's 100 hurdles

Former Des Moines Roosevelt prep and 2008 Olympian Lolo Jones was the headliner coming in, with her return to Des Moines and entrance into the Drake Relays Athletes Hall of Fame taking much of the billing this week.

Veteran British athlete Cindy Sember put all of the attention on Lolo aside and focused on her business, taking the victory in 12.59 seconds. The former Michigan athlete, healthy now after battling knee issues last year, won by .09 of a second over Jamaica's Demisha Roswell.

"I go to big races knowing I'm the underdog and I'm not the most known athlete, but that's OK," Sember said. "And just really getting that mindset that I've trained for this and I'm ready to execute. That's all I focus on."

Jones, 41, finished fifth in 13.10 seconds.

WACT men's pole vault

American record holder KC Lightfoot made 19-2 on his third attempt at that height to take the Drake victory. He missed at three attempts at 19-8 1/4

The Puma athlete cleared 19-4 1/4 at a special indoor pole vault competition at Jordan Creek Mall in West Des Moines on Monday. On Saturday, Lightfoot said conditions were good enough, which hasn't always been the case at Drake.

"It doesn't matter if I jump here one time or 20 times, it's tricky sometimes," Lightfoot said. "Sometimes you get a bad headwind and it doesn't line up. Glad it lined up enough for me today."

WACT men's shot put

Payton Otterdahl can finally say at family reunions that he's a Drake Relays champion. The 2021 Tokyo Olympics shot putter topped a nine-man field with a series of consistent throws of 22.06 meters, 22.12 and 22.14 on his third through fifth attempts to claim victory.

Otterdahl's girlfriend, University of Nebraska throws coach Maddy Nilles, owns multiple Drake white flags while competing at North Dakota State. Both of his brothers also been victorious at the Drake Relays.

"Every family gathering it's, 'Where's you Drake flag,' " said Otterdahl, who competed at North Dakota State. "Finally."

WACT men's 400 hurdles

American Aldrich Bailey won from the worst of lanes, lane 8 on the rail, and held off 2022 World Athletics Championships bronze medalist Trevor Bassitt by .11 of a second to claim the win in 48.82 seconds.

Bailey, a U.S. Army athlete, did some soul-searching after running a ran 47.43 open 400 meters at the Michael Johnson Invitational in Waco, Texas, last weekend.

"Last week was rough," he said. "I was thinking mentally I needed a rest. We altered some things in training and in one week I saw the difference. I can build from this."

WACT women's 400 hurdles

Former Texas A&M All-American Deshae Wise closed well from the 10th hurdle on, separating from Lauren Hoffman to claim victory in 55.52 seconds. It's her fastest time since a career-best 55.15 set in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in June of last year.

"It was the exact strategy I came in wanting to execute," Wise, who is based in Houston, said.

Wise is a former 100 hurdler who is making a successful transition to the longer, tougher 400.

"Having that patience on the backstretch and not trying to get too excited," Wise said of her strategy. "Focusing on myself. I'm happy I'm getting the hang of it."

WACT women's 1,500

Former NCAA champion Anna Camp Bennett of adidas dodged some chaos on the final corner to overtake Tuesday's USA 1 Mile Championship winner, Rachel McArthur, to take the victory in 4:07.82. McArthur was another .57 of a second back in second place.

The chaos started on the third turn when Stephanie Brokaw jumped into the lead, causing a jam-up with McArthur. McArthur stepped on the rail and lost momentum. Camp Bennett then swept outside in lane 2 as Brokaw faded.

"I'm glad nobody fell," Camp Bennett said. "We will have to deal with that at U.S. Olympic Trials. I know those heats will be messy and wild. So I'm almost grateful for the opportunity to run in something a little messy."

Former Northern Iowa star and current assistant track coach Alexina (Wilson) Teubel finished sixth in 4:10.95.

WACT women's 800

Canadian Aurora Rynda charged from behind in the final 20 meters and dove at the finish line to overtake Bradley's Julia Nielsen to produce a thriling victory. The former Big Ten Conference champion at the University of Michigan ran 2:00.97 to edge Nielsen by .02 of a second.

"I had quite a bit of room to make up," Rynda said. "I feel like I have a good close. I really tried to focus on getting there as fast as I could. It's a huge confidence boost."

Former Iowa Big Ten champion Mallory (King) Lindaman finished fifth in 2:03.27.

WACT women's shot put

Ole Miss senior Jalani Davis made her first throw, 18.23 meters, or 59 9 3/4 inches, stand up for the victory. Davis won by almost a foot over Nebraska's Alexina Johansson. Davis said she was buoyed by the big Drake Stadium rowd surrounding her.

"When the shot put is in the middle of the field, I really appreciate that. The crowd's cheering for you, they're watching. I love that. It's perfect."

WACT men's 110 hurdles

Nebraska senior and Lincoln native Darius Luff put together the complete race to run 13.25 seconds and defeat a seven-man field. American Cameron Murray was second in 13.34. Luff moved up from his second place at Drake a year ago while knocking .23 of a second off his time.

"Every race so far this season I've executed a certain point of the race and fell below where I wanted to be in other parts," Luff said. "I knew as soon as I got the pieces together, a time like that was going to come out. Today just happened to be the right day."

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: John Reniewicki erases Steve Scott's 40-year-old Drake Relays 1,500 record