Evan Correll, a Waukee native, after finishing third in the Men's wheelchair division in the NYC Half Marathon last month: Photo: Rich Schultz/Getty Images
Drake Relays hosts the first-ever National Collegiate Wheelchair 100-Meter Championships races Saturday.
Why it matters: The event is part of a new, national Adaptive Student Athlete Program (ASAP) that expands access to top-tier competitions for athletes with disabilities.
- Waukee native Evan Correll — the most decorated wheelchair athlete in Iowa history — is one of the competitors in this week's inaugural championships.
Details: ASAP is part of a multi-year grant from the Guardian Life Insurance Company of America and the University of Michigan Adaptive Sports and Fitness program.
- The focus is para track and field, wheelchair tennis and wheelchair basketball, with collaboration from groups like the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.
Of note: Paralympic events have been part of the relays since 2015.
- Holding the inaugural national championship "is an exciting next page" in the event's history, Drake Relays director Blake Boldon said in a statement.
If you go: The championship races are Saturday.
- The women's event begins at 2:54pm with the men's at 2:59pm.
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