Flood wins again on Drake's blue oval

DES MOINES - Washington elite distance runner Katie Flood naturally needed just a split second to answer.

Where did her 1,500-meter run triumph Saturday in the NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships rank among her countless victories at Drake Stadium?

"This would have to be the best," said the West Des Moines Dowling graduate, who powered to gold in 4:13.79.

Flood, a sophomore, became the first native Iowan to amble to the top of the podium in this meet since Lisa Koll (Iowa State/Fort Dodge) achieved a sweep of the 5,000 and 10,000 in 2010.

Flood was boxed in deep early but bolted to the lead in the final 300 meters.

"My coach told me not to lead the race until 300 meters and that's if I felt great," said Flood, the first Husky woman with two NCAA titles in the same year. "At 300 meters I didn't feel great, but the other girls obviously did and they started to go, so it was a now-or-never moment."

Florida's 1,600-meter men's relay anchor shared that desperate, yet empowering sentiment. When he took the baton for the final leg, he knew gold in that event would propel the Gators to their first outdoor title.

"We knew it was going to come down to the four-by-four and that just got everybody hyped," said Tony McQuay, who helped his foursome finish in 3:00.02. "We all came together as a family, as one unit, and we showed it all right there."

Florida, which competed without injured star Jeff Demps, edged Louisiana State, 50-48, in the men's team standings.

McQuay, a junior, stressed how young the Gators are. His coach, Mike Holloway, smiled when reminded of his team's youthful composition.

"I actually figured out on the plane that we had no seniors," he said. "Obviously, if we stay healthy, there's a bright future."

LSU didn't leave Des Moines without a gleaming bright spot. The Lady Tigers won the women's title in dominating fashion, scoring 76 points to second-place Oregon's 62.

"I came out trying to help my team score as many points as possible and I defended my title," said LSU star Kimberlyn Duncan, who repeated as 200 champion in 22.86. "I'm very happy."

Indiana distance runner Andrew Bayer emerged from the most tense race - the 1,500 - with a smile, too. He beat Brigham Young's Miles Batty by one-hundredth of a second as both tumbled across the finish line.

"I'm super excited," said Bayer, who ran 3:43.82.

Flood exuded the same relief-fueled energy. The six-time Drake Relays champion finished 20th in last year's championships.

"I wanted it," she said. "I've wanted it for a while. In my head, I knew it was possible."