The University of Alabama men’s track and field team improved its national ranking by ten spots with a strong performance at the 101st annual Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, April 24-26.

The Tide entered the weekend ranked 37th nationally. However, with a pair of top finishes and several strong performances, the Tide catapulted itself to 27th in the nation.

“I’m really proud of the guys,” head coach Harvey Glance said. “They’ve done a great job being consistent and staying healthy all season long. This weekend, we saw what we were made of.”

The two individuals who grabbed top spots were sophomore Moses Kiptoo and junior Fred Samoei. Kiptoo claimed the top spot in the 8k race and Samoei earned top billing in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:49.73.

Also on Saturday, the 4×400 relay team posted the 19th fastest time in the world this year. The squad, made up of freshmen Fabian Norgrove and Kemar Norgrove, Kirani James and senior Matt Watson, posted a time of 3:06.52 to finish third overall for the event.

“We had individuals step up and do what they’re capable of doing,” Glance said. “When we put it all together we could make some noise, and that’s exactly what we did.”

Along with those impressive performances, the Tide performed well on both Friday and Saturday.

On Friday, the 4×100-meter relay team made up of James, Watson, freshman Brandon Spradley and senior Ray Jadusingh sprinted to a time of 40.04, which is a season best.

Under the “relay under the lights” portion of the meet, junior Andrew Kirwa finished third in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 9:00.93, setting a personal best. In the 4×800 meter relay, sophomore Aaron Stockstell and juniors Samoei, Joel Rop and Julius Bor finished eighth with a final time of 7:24.27.

In the 100-meter dash, Jadusingh ran a time of 10.54, which was the third fastest of the day. He also earned a second place finish on Saturday with a time of 10.50.

Saturday also saw numerous solid performances, starting with the high jump, as sophomore Tyler Campbell finished eighth with a leap of 6-10 3/4. Norgrove placed 18th in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 53.14 and Rop placed ninth in the 1500-meter run at 3:51.17.

Even though the Tide posted impressive times at the Drake Relays, they were still performing under less than ideal conditions, as the temperature dipped under 60 degrees and was accompanied with excessive rain and wind.

Glance said this weekend gave him a chance to see the true character and emotion his team has inside them.

“Over the weekend, I was proud of the guys and how they stayed focused,” he said. “They persevered through delayed schedules, wind and rain.

“The team showed me their fight and character, and more importantly, they showed spirit. When they put on that uniform, they represent the University of Alabama.”

The Tide will now prepare for its final regular season meet of the season on May 1, in Oxford, Miss., at the Mississippi Open.