The IU track and field teams hosted the Billy Hayes Invitational on Friday, finishing out their outdoor regular season. The Hoosiers won 12 total events while also posting 14 personal records and seven season-best records.
On the men’s side, freshman Rikkoi Brathwaite excelled in the sprints, winning both the 100-meter and 200-meter events. Since he was running unattached, neither counted toward the total team score. He posted a personal record time of 21.21 seconds in the 200-meter dash.
Brathwaite wasn’t the only unattached IU runner that impressed. Freshman Reese Jordan won the 3,000-meter run with a time of 8:32.56, and junior Adam Wallace finished second in the 800-meter open race with a time of 1:54.66.
IU also flourished in the relay races. The Hoosiers won both the men's 4x100 and 4x400 relays.
Juniors Treyton Harris and Derek Grimmer, sophomore William Session and freshman Isaiah Ware ran the 4x100 in 40.45 seconds. In the 4x400, the team of Harris, senior Daniel Kuhn, sophomore Cooper Williams and freshman Zubin Muncherji dominated with a time of 3:09.68, four seconds faster than the second-place finisher.
In the field, junior David Schall was the only winner for IU after winning the discus with a season-best throw of 51.75 meters. Meanwhile freshman Jyles Etienne, sophomore Adam Coulon and senior Andrew Miller finished second in the high jump, pole vault and hammer throw respectively.
On the women’s side, the Hoosiers managed five wins behind a number of impressive performances, both on the track and in the field.
In the sprints, junior Jaela Gay was IU’s top finisher with a second-place performance in the 100-meter dash. She posted a time of 11.97 seconds, while senior Maya Caudle finished third with a time of 12.22.
In the middle distance, Brenna Calder secured a Hoosier victory after running a time of 2:08.95 in the 800-meter open race. Sophomore Joely Pinkston performed even better in the 800-meter fast race, winning the event with a personal best time of 2:07.30.
Freshman Hannah Stoffel also ran a personal best time in the 1500-meter fast race. Her time of 4:23.67 was good enough to win the event.
In the relays, the squad of senior Kendell Wiles, juniors Riley Egbula and Jeyland Valentin, and freshman Natalie Price won the 4x400 in 3:35.96. Price, senior Brittany Thomas, sophomore Megan Grabowski and freshman Zykeria Williams finished second in the 4x100 with a time of 45.63 seconds.
In the field, sophomore Khayla Dawson continued her success-filled season with another victory in the shot put. Her throw of 16.77 meters took first place in the event, while junior Nycia Ford’s throw of 63.03 meters was good enough for second in the hammer throw and third best all-time outdoor finish in program history.
It was a nine-foot improvement on her personal record.
Junior Aaliyah Armstead also won the long jump with a jump of 6.01 meters, and sophomore Jenna Jungels finished second at 5.99 meters.
IU’s next meet will be next weekend when it hosts the Outdoor Big Ten Championships on Friday, May 11, through Sunday, May 13, at the E.C. (Billy) Hayes track at the Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex.
Murphy Wheeler
