In many Iowa high school sports, people sometimes wonder how the small schools could do against the bigger ones, but rarely do they find out because most sports are split into classes based on school size. Track & field competes in four classes for the postseason, but there is one event where individuals and relays from schools of all sizes get the opportunity to compete side by side. The Drake Relays is that meet and the 110th running is later this month. High school athletes have until April 18 at 11:59 p.m. to have their performances entered for consideration.

Greene County High School high jumper Carter Morton is an automatic Drake Relays qualifier, having cleared the bar at 6′ 7″ on March 16. The automatic qualifying standard for that event is 6′ 6″. Morton, a junior, has been out of action ever since with what’s been described as a hip flexor muscle injury. The Relays determines what high school events they offer and how many qualifiers are in each event. All field events have 24 qualifiers. Sophomore discus thrower Brooklyn Olson sits in eighth place going into this week based on information posted on www.quikstatsiowa.com. She threw the disc 122′ 9″ in the March 26 outdoor opener.

Drake expanded the number of 4 x 100 meter relays accepted from high schools to 96 this year, up from 80 in the past. The Greene County quartet of Tyler Teeples, John Rosado, Brent Riley, Colby Kafer, are 59th heading into this week with a clocking of 46.36 in their only outdoor meet. Kafer also has a chance to qualify in the long jump, but he’ll need to add some distance to do so as he sits in a tie for 27th place at 20′ 9″.

The Rams go to Panora tomorrow for the Kip Janvrin Panorama Coed Relays at 4:30 p.m.