Karen Dennis to be Inducted into Drake Relays Coaches Hall of Fame

Drake Relays
Dates: Friday, April 25 & Saturday, April 26
Venue: Drake Stadium, 2719 Forest Ave, Des Moines, Iowa 50311
Event: Drake Relays | Meet Central | Results | Live Results | Live Stream
Rosters: Ohio State women | Ohio State men

Jim Freeman/Clark Wood Open
Dates: Friday, April 25 & Saturday, April 26
Venue: Cardinal Park Soccer and Track Stadium, 2125 S Floyd St, Louisville, Ky 40208
Event: Jim Freeman/Clark Wood Open | Meet Central | Live Results
Rosters: Ohio State women | Ohio State men

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State will compete in the highly touted Drake Relays for the first time since 2018 and send throwers down to the Jim Freeman/Clark Wood Open this weekend. Ohio State Hall of Fame coach and program director Karen Dennis will be inducted into the Drake Relays Coaches Hall of Fame in conjunction with the 115^th edition of the Drake Relays.

On Friday, April 25, collegiate events at the Drake Relays will begin with the women's and men's 4x100m relay preliminary rounds at 10:23 a.m. and 10:27 a.m. ET, respectively. The women's triple jump will be the first field event of the day, starting at 11:00 a.m. ET. On Saturday, the women's distance medley will kick off the day at 10:10 a.m. ET with the men's hammer throw taking place at 11:00 a.m. ET.

Throwing events for the Jim Freeman/Clark Wood Open (Louisville, Ky.) will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Friday with the women's hammer throw, and at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday with the women's javelin.

Karen Dennis solidified herself into greatness after coaching track and field for 20 years at Ohio State and 45 years overall at the collegiate level. She is being inducted into the Drake Relays Coaches Hall of Fame after leading the Buckeyes to 16 Drake Relays titles in a seven-year stretch. Dennis began in 2002 at Ohio State as a women's assistant coach before being promoted to the women's head coach in 2006. When the men's and women's track and field programs merged into one in 2014, Dennis was promoted as the director of the men's and women's track and field and cross country programs. Throughout her time as a Buckeye, Dennis captured 12 Big Ten Conference Championships, having nine with the women's team and three with the men's team. She led the women's team to three consecutive outdoor conference championships (2019, 2021 and 2022). Dennis also ended a 25-year drought of championships for the men's outdoor team, claiming the title in 2018. In 2022, her final season, she cemented her legacy by leading the Buckeyes to winning the men's and women's outdoor conference championship in the same season. Dennis has been enshrined in three other Hall of Fames, U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Coaches Hall of Fame (2018), Michigan State Sports Hall of Fame (2019) and Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame (2020) to name them.

Full Drake Relays Release on Coach Dennis' Hall of Fame Induction
Karen Dennis Retirement Release From Ohio State Athletics

LAST WEEK'S TOP PERFORMERS

Ohio State claimed four wins on top of 11 personal bests between the Tom Jones Invitational and the Virginia Challenge.
Amelia Figler (women's 800m, 2:07.86), Tanner Watson (men's discus throw, 57.31m/188'0"), DJ Fillmore (men's long jump, 7.64m/25'0.75") and Katie Castelli (women's 3000m steeplechase, 10:32.50) all claimed champion in their respective events.
Figler's time set a new PR, beating out her previous best of 2:08.73.
Edidiong Udo set a new men's 400m personal record of 45.19 seconds and entered the Buckeye record book as the fourth-fastest individual in the outdoor event.
The other nine personal records include:
- Zamesha Myle (women's triple jump, 12.75m/41'10")
- Morgan Hallett (women's discus throw, 50.33m/165'1")
- Braxton Brann (men's 110m hurdles, 13.91 seconds)
- Michaela McCall (women's 400m, 52.70 seconds)
- Mason Louis (men's 400m, 47.12 seconds)
- Sophie Bidwell (women's hammer throw, 54.60m/179'1")
- Braden Wakey (men's javelin, 53.15m/174'4")
- Nick Biega (men's 200m, 20.77 seconds)
- Keegan Freyhof (men's 5000m, 14:41.36)

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