COLUMBIA, MO. -- Running in the first 400-meter hurdle race of her career, junior Ari Curtis (Fort Collins, Colo.) set a school record to highlight action for the Drake women's track and field team Saturday at the Tom Botts Invitational.

Curtis, running out of lane one, posted a winning time of 1:00.00 to better the previous mark of 1:00.59 set by Julie Head in 2000.

"That was pretty sweet," beamed Drake head track and field coach Natasha Kaiser-Brown. "Ali ran the race as if she had done it all her life. You would have never known it was her first time.

"She commanded the race at 150 meters and by 250 meters was pulling away from the entire field. It was an absolutely amazing performance."

Drake junior Tyse Samani (Kansas City, Mo.) won the high jump, soaring five feet five inches, while junior teammate Michelle Mitchell (Brookfield, Wis.) was third at 5-3.

Curtis also ran the second leg on Drake's 4x100 relay which was third in 48.48 and capped the meet by running the first leg on the 4x400 relay which was fourth in 3:53.14.

Drake had three athletes finish second in their respective events.

Freshman Marissa Smith (Ajax, Ontario, Canada) was second in the 100 hurdles in 14.52, while freshman Emily James (Clive, Iowa) was eighth in 15.17. Senior Deidra Dirth (Apple Valley, Minn.) was second in the discus in 150-6, while senior Nicole Braunsdorf (St. Francis, Wis.) was second in the 1,500 in 4:37.96.

Junior Cambria Pardner (Aurora, Colo.) was third in the triple jump at 36-11.75 and fifth in the 100 in 12:56.  Junior Casey McDermott (Newton, Iowa) was fourth in the 1,500 in 4:42.39.

Junior Beth Hamling (Council Bluffs, Iowa) had a busy day. Besides running the first leg on Drake's 4x100 relay, she was fourth in the 400 in 57.19 and 200 in 25.29. She then anchored Drake in the 4x400 relay.

Senior Tara Scieszinski (Albia, Iowa) was fifth in the 3,000 running a personal best of 10:21.93.

Junior Molly Scott (Kansas City, Mo.) tied for fifth in the pole vault at 11-1.75, while junior Johanna Sprang (New Brighton, Minn.) tied for eighth at 11-1.75. Freshman Briana Isom-Brummer (St. Louis, Mo.) was sixth in the 400 hurdles (1:05.50) followed by freshman Sarah Yeager (Ottumwa, Iowa) who was seventh in 1:06.74