Wisconsin heads to Penn and Drake Relays

Thursday, April 23

Philadelphia, PA

Wisconsin Badgers

Penn Relays

Photo by: AJ Harrison

Wisconsin heads to Penn and Drake Relays

April 21, 2026 | Women's Track & Field

Badgers make final road trip of regular season

By: Kate McGrann

MADISON, Wisc. - The Wisconsin women's track and field team will split for a pair of meets this weekend. The runners head east to Philadelphia for the Penn Relays, hosted by the University of Pennsylvania, while the throwers travel to Iowa for the Drake Relays, hosted by Drake University.

The Penn Relays begin Thursday, April 23 at 5:10 p.m. CT. Live results and meet information can be found here.

The Drake Relays open Friday at 11:00 a.m. CT. Meet information is available here.

1. HEATING UP: The Badgers are coming off a strong weekend in Long Beach, where they recorded 10 top‑10 program marks across two meets. On Thursday, Luciana Aizpurua ran a personal best of 11.60 in the 100 meters, climbing to No. 4 in school history. In the 200 meters, senior Sydney Robinson earned the No. 10 spot with a time of 24.16. In the circle, Hadley Lucas threw 53 feet, ¼ inch (16.26m), moving to No. 8 all‑time. The 4x100 relay of Aizpurua, Catalina Sanchious, Rachel Robinson and Sydney Robinson clocked 45.61, securing the No. 4 mark in program history. Two days later, the quartet improved that time to 45.59. Elissa Perkins delivered a standout triple jump performance, landing at 41‑10 ¾ (12.77m) to move to No. 5 all‑time. Zonica Lindeque closed out the weekend's top‑ten marks with a personal best of 174‑7 (53.23m) in the discus, rising to No. 6 in school history.

2. MAKING NOISE: Wisconsin found success at last year's Penn Relays, posting two top‑10 program marks. The distance medley relay of Emma Kelly, Emma Kruse, Mya Bunke and Leane Willemse finished eighth in 11:16.40, the tenth fastest DMR in school history. The following day, Willemse, Bunke, Kelly and Kylie Finger added another top‑ten mark in the 4x1500 relay. With three of the five athletes who contributed to those relays returning, the Badgers look to build on that momentum in Philadelphia.

3. RELAY PRESSURE: The 4x1500 relay has produced a top‑10 program mark at the Penn Relays in each of the past four seasons. Last year, the quartet of Willemse, Bunke, Kelly and Finger ran 17:26.98, finishing fifth overall and earning the No. 3 mark in school history. In 2024, Wisconsin set the school record in the event, finishing fourth in 17:14.75 with a lineup of Willemse, Heiligenthal, Rayle and Mooney. The 2023 squad posted 17:27.25, good for No. 4 all‑time, and in 2022 the Badgers added the No. 5 mark at 17:34.43. Wisconsin will aim to extend the streak to five straight years with a top‑10 4x1500 performance.

4. LOCKED IN FOR PHILLY: Kylie Finger will compete in her first 1500 meter of the outdoor season this weekend. She ran her personal best of 4:19.95 at last year's Penn Relays and has already hit her stride this season, running a lifetime best of 15:38.23 in the 5000 meters at the Stanford Invitational, moving to No. 5 all‑time.

5. UP NEXT: The Badgers will compete and host the final meet of the season before post-season begins next Friday, May 1st at the McClimon Soccer/ Track Complex. The meet is scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m. CT. The tentative meet schedule can be found here.