It was cold. It was windy. It was damp.

And for a few of the collegiate athletes who competed during Friday's afternoon session of the Drake Relays, the shift in weather was potentially hazardous.

"It's definitely about survival," said Katelin Rains, a pole vaulter for Minnesota State. "It took guts today."

Rains triumphed, clearing 12-7- the lowest winning height in the eight-year history of the women's university event.

Georgia's Chris Hill, meanwhile, thrived in the conditions, setting a meet record of 268-1 in the javelin.

"It started off pretty bad," he said. "The first couple throws in the prelims were into a little bit of a crosswind."

Mother Nature tested all the competitors.

When they arrived at Drake Stadium around 9 a.m., it was 63 degrees. By 1 p.m., the temperature had dipped to 44. There were also wind gusts of up to 36 mph.

"It was coming straight at us," she said. "It was difficult to get off the ground at all."

Rains was among eight vaulters who failed on three attempts at 13 feet. The junior from Spring Lake Park, Minn., was declared the winner because she had fewer misses on the day.