One week ago, the Jayhawks held their version of a “distance carnival” at the Kansas Relays. Today, members of the distance group of the Kansas Track and Field team will travel to another one, this time in Des Moines, Iowa, to compete at the Drake Relays.

“I think that it’s a great opportunity. The weather has always cooperated well there, and so we’re looking forward for them to go out and have a great experience and good times,” coach Stanley Redwine said.

The Drake Relays will mainly feature the 5,000- and 10,000-meter run events. The relays kick off with the 10,000-meter run event, which includes senior Brock Ternes, juniors Danny Van Orsdel and Isaiah Shirlen and sophomore Nick Caprario.

Van Orsdel said training for the 25-lap event was a lot of work, but it was going well for him.

“It’s a lot of longer stuff, so getting some longer workouts in, some longer runs and doing that 5K at the Relays was a tuneup for the 10K,” Van Orsdel said.

In the women’s 5,000-meter run will feature sophomores Amanda Miller and Kara Windisch. Both runners had success last Thursday at the Kansas Relays in the distance events. Windisch grabbed a victory in the 3,000-meter run while Miller won the 5,000-meter run event.

Miller said she wanted to crack 17 minutes in the 5,000-meter event. After last week at the Kansas Relays, she knows what it takes.

“It was good to get out and know the pace,” Miller said. “Just get a feel for it, so it was a good little test.”

The competition in the 5,000-meter will feature schools from across the country, including some Big 12 schools like Baylor and Texas.

“The competition is a lot better, which is good, so hopefully I can just stick on to a pack and finish in a good time because there’s only a few girls that run like in a 17 (minute) range.” Miller said.

In the men’s side, junior Bret Imgrund and freshman Donny Wasinger will represent the Jayhawks in the 5,000-meter event.

The two have been working together to get Kansas some top place finishes, including last week’s 5,000-meter run at the Relays where both finished in the top three; Wasinger took second and Imgrund took third.

“Donny and I are just doing our own thing. We don’t concern ourselves with who else is in the pack because you can’t rely on other people,” Imgrund said. “You don’t know what kind of day they are going to have so you just got to do your own thing and work together.”

The Drake Relays distance events will begin with the women’s 10,000-meter run at 3 p.m.

— — Edited by Carly Halvorson