Around Sports

Track and Field

Coover vaults qualifying mark 

The Hoosiers won a season-high 13 events at the Indiana Relays on Friday and Saturday.

The performance was highlighted by Jeff Coover, who won the pole vault with a mark of 5.37 meters. The vault was a season best for him and 6.5 inches better than the height needed to provisionally qualify for the NCAA Championships. It was also third-best in Division I this year and tied for fourth-best in IU history.

Coover said afterward he knew he had it in him to jump as high as he did.

“It was expected and anticipated,” Coover said, adding he had already performed well enough to qualify for the national championship.

Overall, IU had six athletes qualify provisionally for the national meet in March.
The Hoosiers return to action Friday and Saturday for their first road event when they head to South Bend for the Meyo Invitational. 

IU coach Ron Helmer said the team is looking to continue to compete as it has all year.
“Our goal is the same as it has been all season,” Helmer said. “Great athletes need to still compete well, and athletes on the fringe need to step up even more.”
– By Ari Shifron

Women’s Tennis

No. 30 Hoosiers stay undefeated with 2 wins

It was just a regular weekend for the women’s tennis team.

The No. 30 Hoosiers stayed undefeated after picking up a pair of wins against Maryland and Butler this weekend in a non-conference doubleheader.

IU began with a 6-1 win against Maryland. The Hoosiers had a hard time in singles after narrowly losing the doubles point.

“We struggled a little bit,” junior Lindsey Stuckey said. “We lost the doubles point, but I think it will give us more motivation to come out really strong in the singles and really fight for the win.”

Although IU won all six points at singles, the matches could have gone in Maryland’s favor.

Senior Alba Berdala and sophomores Katya Zapadalova and Charlotte Martin won in straight sets while freshman Megan Matter battled through a three-set win.

“My girl was pretty good,” Stuckey said. “She just happened to have the kind of game I like to play against. She gave me a lot of high balls I was able to tee off of. My serves were working well. I just had a good day today.”

In afternoon play, the Hoosiers dominated the Bulldogs, giving up only seven games to win the doubles point. Matter stayed undefeated at the No. 6 singles position, winning 6-0, 6-0.

“We could easily be 3-3 this season instead of 6-0,” IU coach Lin Loring said in an e-mail. “The difference has been our singles play in tight matches. We are 12-0 in tie-breakers. That’s an unbelievable stat for any team. We just keep finding a way to win the close matches.”
– By Stephanie Kuzydym

Wrestling

Grapplers nearly knock off Ohio State

In the span of just one week, the No. 19 IU wrestling team has had two meets come down to the final matches.

Both those matches, however, resulted in losses for the Hoosiers.

IU (13-4-1, 0-2-1)  came to the St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio, looking for an upset against No. 5 Ohio State (10-1, 1-0), and for a while it looked as if the Hoosiers would get it.

The Hoosiers led coming into the final match between Buckeye and No. 2-ranked Colt Sponseller and IU’s Paul Young in the 165-pound weight class. Young fell 7-2, pushing the Buckeyes ahead at the end for a final score of 18-16.

IU heavyweight Nate Everhart rolled over No. 17 Corey Morrison 15-8 in the 285-pound match.

Defending national champion Angel Escobedo (125 pounds) got back on track, defeating OSU’s Nikko Triggas 7-1 and tying the match 9-9. But IU lost their momentum, dropping the next three out of five.

A trip to Michigan didn’t boost their record. Competing against No. 18 Michigan (6-6-1, 1-0-1), the Hoosiers had a chance to redeem their weekend.

But after leading 15-9 early against the Wolverines, IU dropped the final three fights, losing 20-18. The Hoosiers have yet to win a conference match this season.
– By Frank Therber

Men’s Tennis

IU drops 2 matches at ITA Indoor Qualifier

A change of scenery didn’t produce different results for the men’s tennis team.
The No. 55 Hoosiers (4-4) dropped their fourth straight match at the ITA National Indoor Qualifiers this past weekend in Athens, Ga.

IU started off the weekend with a 1-6 loss against the No. 36 Washington Huskies.
The team was swept across the board in singles, winning only 27 games to Washington’s 72.

A redeeming point came in doubles action. Freshman Jeremy Langer and sophomore Santiago Gruter defeated the No. 1 doubles team, 8-5.

Senior Peter Antons and freshman Maxime Armengaud knocked off the No. 3 doubles team by the same score to clinch the second win needed for the doubles point.

The Hoosiers took on No. 51 South Carolina in a consolation match Saturday afternoon, but lost 4-3. Both Gruter and freshman Jonathan Schroeder lost in three sets.

Playing the match of the weekend, IU’s Lachlan Ferguson defeated No. 42 Diego Cubas. Ferguson beat Cubas in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4.
– By Stephanie Kuzydym