Canadian hurdler ready for Drake

Canadian hurdler Perdita Felician has higher expectations for herself this season. The former University of Illinois standout runs at next week’s Drake Relays as one of the gold medal favorites in this year’s Olympic Games. Felician says she was shocked when she won the gold medal at the World Championships last summer in Paris. She added the world indoor title this winter.Felician was the first Canadian woman to win a world title in the hurdles and the accomplishment brought her instant fame in her home country. She lives and trains in Champaign which allows her to avoid the spotlight. She says she can just be herself and not worry about what’s going on around her. Plus, she says she can be near the facilities that the needs and her coach. Felician says her season is designed for the Olympics and says the calendar is moving quickly. She says she’s approaching this like an NCAA season. Felician says Drake is the perfect place to start the season.Drake Relays director Mark Kostek says next week’s event may have a record number of competitors. Entries were cut off earlier this week. He says they had 10,201 entries, the first time in his tenure they’ve had that many. He says they’re going to select the best possible field possible. Kostek says about 40-states will be represented and one school will make a first appearance. He says the University of Hawaii is bringing a team this year. He says this is becoming an All-American field.