The first events of the 2015 Drake Relays took place Thursday afternoon in Des Moines.

Five KCII area track athletes took part in the events, including Washington senior Tommy Peterson and Mid-Prairie sophomore Levi Duwa in the shot put, Mid-Prairie freshman Anna Hostetler and Pekin junior Gwynne Wright in the 3000 meter run and Winfield-Mount Union senior Lou Krieger-Coen in the discuss.

For the first time this spring, Peterson was not the top thrower in the shot put competition. His farthest throw of the afternoon was recorded at 50 feet 7.5 inches, the shortest distance he has thrown all season. Peterson finished in 17th place among the 24 person shot put field.

Duwa posted his best performance of the season thus far, setting his personal record with a throw of 52 feet 6 inches. The throw was two and a three quarter inches farther than his Drake qualifying throw, and helped him to an eighth place finish in the competition.

In the lone running event on the girls’ side Thursday, Hostetler was among the 21 person field competing in the 3000 meter run. She finished in 10:51.82, good for 20th place at the relays.

Wright was among the top ten to cross the finish line in the 3000 meter run. Wright documented a time of 10:15.09, the seventh best in the competition. She was 47 seconds off the pace of first place finisher Stephanie Jenks of Linn Marr.

Finaly, Krieger-Coen  posted her personal best in the discuss throw at Drake, recording a toss of 128 feet 5 inches. It is four inches farther than her meet qualifying throw. The throw was the eighth best in the competition.

Today’s events at the Drake Relays are scheduled to start at 8 a.m.