April 30, 2011

DES MOINES, Iowa - SIUE senior Ben Bishop placed 18th in the hammer throw at the 102nd Drake Relays Saturday afternoon from Drake Stadium.

Bishop's throw of 191 feet, 7 inches was well below his school record toss from last weekend, but still a solid performance from the senior.

"It was definitely fun and a good experience competing at such a prestigious event," Bishop said. "I didn't get the performance I wanted, but I will regroup and bounce back from this for next weekend."

Freshman Justin Welch from the University of Georgia won the event with a throw of 225-2.

"It was a great atmosphere and something that we can build on in years to come," said SIUE Head Coach Kareem Jackson.

The Cougar track and field team will compete for the final time this season at the Billy Hayes Invitational held in Bloomington, Ind.

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