Open prepares team for Big Tens

IU hosted the Hoosier Hills Open this past weekend as a tune-up for next weekend's Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championship.\nDanielle Curruthers posted a new American collegiate record and the fourth best time in the world in the 60m hurdles last weekend at Penn State. At the Hoosier Hills Open, Curruthers set a personal record and proved her speed by winning the 60m dash with a time of 7.34. Curruthers is now tied for seventh in the nation with Muna Lee of TCU and Elva Goldbourne of Auburn.\nThe Hoosier women dominated the 800m race. Sophomore Audrey Giesler and freshmen Mindy Peterson and Ashley Groth claimed the top three spots with a leading time of 2:13.\nLiving up to her outstanding performance last weekend at the USTAC Collegiate Cup, freshman Carolyn Schopf matched her personal record of 1.65m to place third in the high jump.\nFreshman Emily Tharpe placed third in the pole vault. Sophomores Emily Tipton and Abigail Paul each achieved personal bests in the pole vault.\nWinning by nine seconds and racing their fastest time of the 2002 season, the IU 4x400m relay team closed the meet with a time of 3:49.55.\nThe focus now for the track and field team is the Big Ten Conference meet hosted by Penn State this coming weekend. The ladies are working towards a victory and hope to come home satisfied. \n"When we head into the Big Tens, we are competing as a team and a lot of people are going to run a lot of events," said Coach Randy Heisler. "We're going for the win. If we qualify for the NCAA's in the process, that's great if they can do that, but our focus is on the team"