45 straight, We need Lightning, Back to Iowa

(Chris)

The 101st edition of the Drake Relays is in the books and, for the 45th consecutive year, the final day was sold out. Lolo Jones ran a fast 100m hurdle race, but her season-best time of12.68 wasn't good enough to beat her friend. Damu Cherry broke Lolo's record in the event. Afterwards, in the post-race press conference, Lolo told Cherry that she wasn't going to let her come back, next season (tongue in cheek of course). We'll get to see Lolo race, again, in late June. That's when Drake hosts the USA Track & Field Championships.

Katie Flood's Drake Relays career might be over, but she'll be back for the state meet in a few weeks. Flood set two more records on Saturday, including the 1,500m, where she bested her previous relays record by 5 seconds.

To be honest, when I came to Des Moines three years ago, I wasn't a big fan of the relays. It seems as if I enjoy them a little more with each passing year. 2010 was the best yet. I was there, on Wednesday, when there were ten's of people in the stands for the beginning of the Heptathlon. It's really neat to see the stadium fill up, and the excitement build, with each passing day.

I returned to the sports office just in time to watch Usain Bolt in the Penn Relays on ESPN2. Drake pulls in its fair share of top-notch talent, but there isn't a track and field athlete in the world that compares to this freak of speed. 54-thousand fans watched Bolt run the anchor leg of a 4x100m relay. Jamaica won and, needless to say, it was a Penn Relays record. If Drake can, somehow, come up with the funds to get Bolt to our Relays...that would sure be something to watch.

For the first time since joining the AFL, the Barnstormers are a winner. Iowa beat Oklahoma City, on Saturday night, 68-60. The 'Stormers are now 1-2 on the year. That's the good news. The bad news is, the crowd of 8,312 was a bit lacking. It had some to do with the Drake Relays, and more to do with the fact that it started at 8:10pm. I know it's Saturday night, but the thing didn't end until 11:00. You could argue that the NFL Network actually hurt the team, Saturday. After all, I think you need to be an employee of the NFL to actually get the NFL Network.

One-fourth of Iowa's starters from a year ago are now in the NFL. In all, six Hawkeyes heard their names called. I'm just glad its over so ESPN can start running promos for next years draft. I didn't watch of a lick of it.

Speaking of not watching, I still haven't seen a single inning of Cubs baseball, this year. I see they're 3-1 since moving Big 'Z' to the bullpen. Problem solved!

The most common headline on Cubs.com over the last two seasons...? Take a guess. If you said "Samardzija to Iowa", you're correct. Here's to hoping the 87th time is a charm, Jeff.

Creighton basketball coach Dana Altman is heading to Oregon. He is expected to be introduced as the new head Duck on Monday. His return flight from Eugene to Omaha is scheduled for Tuesday morning at 6:00am.