Liberty University
Raleigh Relays
Drew Lowers 1,500 Program Record to 3:41.87 at Raleigh Relays
3/24/2022 7:50:35 PM | Track and Field
Less than six weeks after breaking the Liberty indoor mile record, Ryan Drew opened his outdoor season with a new program record in the “metric mile.” He clocked a 1,500 time of 3:41.87 at the Raleigh Relays, Thursday afternoon at Paul Derr Track, taking down his own standard of 3:43.05 from 2021.
A redshirt senior from Virginia Beach, Va., Drew stayed at the back of the pack for the first half of the race before making his move. He clocked 1:55.61 for the last 800 and 57.04 for the final 400 to place fourth in his heat and 11th out of 200 competitors in the event overall.
Drew, who had previously set the program record of 3:43.05 at the Liberty Twilight Qualifier on May 5, 2021, ranks No. 10 nationally during the early stages of the 2022 outdoor season. Thursday’s effort will almost certainly qualify him to the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round meet at the end of May in Bloomington, Ind.
The ASUN all-time record holder for the men’s outdoor 5K (13:53.30), Drew was not far off the ASUN standard for 1,500 meters on Thursday. Lipscomb’s Shane Streich set the conference record of 3:41.26 last season.
Colin Schultz, who owned the Liberty 1,500 record before Drew eclipsed it last May, finished as the Raleigh Relays men’s 1,500 runner-up on Thursday. The 2018 Liberty graduate’s time of 3:40.23 set a new personal best and a new Liberty alumni record.
Up Next
Liberty athletes will compete in four different events on Friday, including the Texas Relays, Raleigh Relays, Bobcat Invitational and Dr. Jack M. Toms Alumni Invitational.
