BERLIN, GERMANY - Drake Relays alumni enjoyed their best day yet at the World Outdoor Track and Field Championships Wednesday by claiming a silver and bronze medal, while eight performers advanced a step closer toward earning medals.
Canada's Priscilla Lopes-Schliep, who won a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympics, captured the silver medal in the women's 100-meter hurdles final in 12.54.
Lopes-Schliep, who won a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympics, was second and third in the 2004 and 2003 Drake Relays invitational 100 hurdles, respectively.
Bernard Lagat, a two-time Drake Relays champion in the invitational mile (2002, 2004) came storming back from behind in the men's 1,500-meter final to win the bronze medal Wednesday evening.
All six athletes from Team USA who competed in the Wednesday's qualifying round of the women's discus and men's high jump participated in the 2009 Drake Relays.
With 80 meters remaining Lagat was in fifth place on the rail and blocked in with no place to go, when all of a sudden he jumped out to lane three and kicked it into gear. Lagat's famous kick served him well as the two-time Olympic medalist made up ground on the field and managed to take over third place by the time he crossed the finish line in 3:36.20.
"That was the hardest box ever," said Lagat, who won the 1,500 and 5,000 at the 2007 World Outdoor Championships. "This is a box that was happening a little too close to the finish. Normally, when it happens, with 300 meters to go, you can make your way out of it. This one happened at the wrong place, with 150 meters to go. I couldn't do anything."
Lagat became the first American man to win two medals in the 1,500 at the World Outdoor Championships.
Drake Relays Athletes Hall of Famers Steve Scott and Jim Spivey won the silver medal and bronze medal at the 1983 and 1987 World Outdoor Championships, respectively.
Leonel Manzano, who won the 1,500 at the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Championship at Drake Stadium, finished 12th in the men's 1,500 final in 3:40.05.
Perdita Felicien, the outstanding women's performer of the 2002 and 2003 Drake Relays, got caught up in a hurdles tangle, finishing eighth in the finals in women's 100 hurdles in 15.53. The five-time Drake Relays champ won the 100 hurdles at the 2003 World Outdoor Championships.
Wariner, Payne, Felix Advance In Qualifying Round 2004 Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion Jeremy Wariner won heat one in semifinal round of the men's 400-meter dash in 44.69.
Wariner ran his first 400 of the 2009 outdoor campaign at the Drake Relays, winning the invitational in 45.06.
2006 Drake Relays champion David Payne advanced into the second round of the men's 110 hurdles after clocking a 13.54 mark in the preliminary heat.
Payne won a silver medal in the 110 hurdles at the 2008 Olympics and earned a bronze medal in the 2007 World Championship.
Two-time world champion and two-time Olympic silver medalist Allyson Felix put it on cruise control with 60 meters remaining in the third of six opening round heats in the women's 200 meters.
Felix, who was third in the 2006 Drake Relays invitational 100, sailed through to the next round with an easy win in 22.88 seconds.
"I felt good," said Felix. "I wanted to come out and focus on the start and control the race from there. I want a personal best. I'd love to defend my title here in this stadium."
Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie of the Bahamas, a 2005 inductee into the Drake Relays Athletes Hall of Fame, was second in heat four in the women's 200 in 22.71 to also advance. Drake Relays Women's Discus Trio Reigning Olympic champion Stephanie Brown Trafton, who was second at the 2009 Drake Relays, threw 200 feet 10 inches to advance out of the qualifying round in the women's discus.
Three-time Olympian Aretha Hill Thurmond took the 12th and final qualifying spot on her third throw with a mark of 200-5. Hill was fourth at the 2009 Drake Relays.
Becky Breisch, who was third at the 2009 Drake Relays, finished 22nd in qualifying with a best mark of 191-11 but did not advance into the finals.
Drake Relays Men's High Jump Alumni 2008 World Indoor bronze medalist Andra Manson and two-time U.S. Outdoor runner-up Keith Moffatt each qualified for the final in the men's high jump in very different fashions.
A 2008 Olympian and the current world leader, Manson needed three attempts at 7-4.25 and 7-5.25 before clearing the automatic qualifier 7-6.5 on his second attempt.
Moffatt, on the other hand, had first-attempt clearances at every height until he had three misses at 7-6.5.
Manson was third at the 2009 Drake Relays, while Moffat tied for fourth.
2004 Olympian Tora Harris, who was sixth at the 2009 Drake Relays, finished 21st in qualifying with Trevor Barry of the Bahamas, at 7-4.25. Barry also competed in the 2009 Drake Relays.
2008 Drake Stadium NCAA Champ Ashton Eaton, who won the 2008 NCAA decathlon title at Drake Stadium, stood in fifth place after the first day of the decathlon with 4,355 points.
Eaton, who was second at the 2009 U.S. Outdoor Championship, set a personal best in the long jump at 25-9.25.
