The IU women’s track and field team waited all season for the Big Ten Championships, and with the conference title meet set for this weekend, IU Coach Ron Helmer said his team will not shy away from competition.
The team will head to Geneva, Ohio, to compete at the SPIRE Institute on Friday and Saturday. It is IU’s fifth consecutive year competing at the Big Ten Championships. IU has already faced a handful of Big Ten opponents this season, like Michigan and Purdue, but this weekend the Hoosiers will see several other Big Ten teams for the first time.
Helmer said he is not worried about how any of his squad’s opponents are going to perform.
“We aren’t going to worry about the other teams, we have to take care of ourselves,” Helmer said. “We have to make sure that the people we have there are getting the most out of themselves and contributing the most points they can.”
Helmer went on to say the Big Ten Championship is extremely important to the team, but he isn’t too concerned about placing in a top spot. Simply making it to the conference meet and improving on past performances is an achievement in and of itself, Helmer said.
“It’s not all or nothing when you are trying to develop and grow your team, Helmer said. “Winning is not the only thing that matters.”
IU sent four athletes to the Alex Wilson Invitational in South Bend, Indiana, last weekend to compete in the distance medley relay in an effort to boost the team’s best time of the season. Other than that, however, the rest of the Hoosiers had the week off. Helmer said the rest means there should be no excuse not to perform well.
“They are full of energy and in a really good place to compete, everyone should be competing at their best this weekend,” Helmer said. “Everybody we have will be at a place where they have a chance to do something that they have never done before.”
The team must prepare for new challenges after the conference title meet is finished, such as the NCAA Championships and the beginning of the outdoor season in the coming weeks.
“The national meet is what we are looking forward to for some, such as for Katherine Receveur, and for the distance medley team,” Helmer said. “Other than that most of the athletes are already in training mode for the outdoor season so that’s what they are looking forward to for now.”
