CHICAGO – Fresh off a weekend that saw three school records fall, the UIC men's and women's track and field programs are heading to Iowa for another high-profile split-squad weekend. The Flames will highlight their relay depth at the world-famous Drake Relays in Des Moines, while a portion of the women's roster travels to Indianola for the Kip Janvrin Open.

With the outdoor season hitting its stride, these meets serve as a crucial opportunity for the Flames to continue their climb up the national leader boards and refine their performances before the championship stretch begins.

LAST TIME OUT

The Flames reached new heights last weekend, delivering a historic performance across three prestigious meets. The squads combined for three new school records, six all-time top-10 performances, and 10 new personal bests.

• The Records: Daniel Chavez stole the show at the Bryan Clay Invitational, shattering the school record in the 10,000m with a time of 28:56.51, currently ranking #50 on the NCAA Outdoor National List. At the Mt. SAC Relays, Theodore Cunningham established a new program mark in the 1500m Elite Invite (3:50.55), while Emanuel Murphy set a new UIC freshman record in the 400m (48.79) at the Gibson Invite.

• Top-10 Moves: In the 800m, Praise Oyebanji (2:09.99) and Korima Gonzalez (2:10.11) moved into the #4 and #5 spots on the UIC all-time list, respectively. Zachary Close also climbed to #4 all-time in the 10,000m (30:33.40).

• Field Highlights: Freshman Carissa Uy continued her stellar season, securing a runner-up finish in the long jump (5.64m) in Terre Haute.

MEET INFORMATION

Drake Relays

• Location: Des Moines, IA (Drake Stadium)

• Dates: Friday, April 24 – Saturday, April 25

• Live Results: PT Timing

• Friday Start: Field: 10:00 AM CT | Track: 8:35 AM CT

• Saturday Start: Field: 10:00 AM CT | Track: 8:10 AM CT

Kip Janvrin Open

• Location: Indianola, IA (Buxton Stadium - Simpson College)

• Dates: Friday, April 24

FLAMES TO WATCH (DRAKE RELAYS)

The Drake Relays are world-renowned for their relay events, and UIC is bringing a heavy-hitting lineup to compete on the "Blue Oval":

Men

• 4 x Mile Relay: Alexander Das, Aiden Massaro, Brady Kataoka, Theo Cunningham

• 4 x 100m Relay: Marco Agcaoili, Amare Harris, Gabriel Fiedorow, Shmouel Sackman

Women

• 4 x Mile Relay: Korima Gonzalez, Indigo Sterud, Emma Dubie, Praise Oyebanji

• 4 x 400m Relay: Jorie Irving, Chinenye Ifeajekwu, Praise Oyebanji, Korima Gonzalez

FLAMES FACTS

The 4xMile relay will be a major focal point this weekend, featuring several athletes who have recently etched their names into the UIC record books. Fresh off his school record in the 1500m, Theodore Cunningham joins the men's relay looking to maintain his record-breaking momentum. On the women's side, Praise Oyebanji and Korima Gonzalez will pull double duty, competing in both the 4xMile and the 4x400m relays just days after recording two of the fastest 800m times in program history.

FOLLOW THE FLAMES

For more information on UIC track and field, visit UICFlames.com or follow the Flames on social media through X (@UIC_XCTF or @UIC_Flames) and Instagram (@UIC_XCTF or @uicflames).