Gophers Win Drake Relays 4 x 800, DMR

The University of Minnesota relay squad of Nick Hutton, Harun Abda, David Pachuta, and Travis Burkstrand returned from Des Moines, Iowa this weekend with a pair of Drake Relays titles and a new school record.

On Friday, the quartet won the Drake 4 x 800m Relay with 7:19.02, defeating runners-up Arkansas by more than six seconds.  On Saturday, the squad out-ran the Razorbacks again, winning the Distance Medley Relay in 9:36.21

The DMR performance erased the school record in the event that has stood since the Carter Administration, and one that Gopher Head Coach Steve Plasencia carried a baton for in 1977.

“These four guys have done an outstanding job this weekend,” Plasencia said. “Their time in the DMR was a really fast time and to have a group of guys with two relays at the Drake Relays isn’t easy. I am very proud of them.”

Catch up on all the Gopher action from the weekend HERE (men) and HERE (women).

Complete Drake Relays results can be found HERE.