Track team shines in Indiana Relays

On most Friday nights at 11:49 p.m., the Gladstein Fieldhouse is dark and deserted. But this weekend, the fieldhouse lights shined bright and screams could be heard throughout. \nUnder the lights, IU’s track and field teams opened day one of two of the Indiana Relays. The Hoosiers were not alone – they were joined by more than 40 teams and 700 athletes. \nNearly five hours earlier, the Fieldhouse shook as Team Indiana Elite runner Jordan Fife attempted the unthinkable – breaking the four-minute mile. Fife, who is coached by former IU assistant coach Robert Chapman, ran a 4:02 at last weekend’s Gladstein Invitational. \nThe Harry Gladstein Fieldhouse Friday night felt almost like Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., at the time of distance legend Steve Prefontaine. Prefontaine, who tragically had his life cut short by an automobile accident at the age of 24, held 14 American Track and Field records at the time of his passing. The crowd at Hayward Field famously chanted “Pre! Pre! Pre!”\nFriday the crowd chanted “Go Jordan, go,” encouraging him to do something thought to be impossible 55 years ago. Although Fife missed the mark by .14 seconds, he pushed his body hard and competed with intensity, something many athletes came together to do this weekend. \nOne of those athletes, IU junior sprinter John Gunnell, pushed to an eighth-place finish in the 400-meter dash preliminaries on Friday to qualify for the finals the following day. Going into the finals with confidence, Gunnell got off to a bad start and finished in last place. \n“Another runner beat me to the break,” Gunnell said. “I was really upset after the race.” \nAfter having some time to clear his head and cool off, Gunnell came back ready for the 4x400-meter relay. He still didn’t feel very well, but something inside him went off when he saw his team slipping and loosing ground on the leaders.\n“I put my own feelings aside and tried to get us back into it,” he said. \nGunnell did just that as he handed off to IU sophomore sprinter Dan Palmer with a slight lead. Palmer continued the race, but could not widen the lead in the field. Palmer handed it off to the team’s last runner, IU senior sprinter Ryan Smith. Smith ran the whole way with the competition breathing down his neck, crossing the finish line first with a season-best time of 3:15.02. In the following heat, however, Missouri bested the Hoosiers by 2.19 seconds.\nJunior Caitlin Lauer achieved another season and career best on the day. Lauer was helped in the mile by not one, but two of her coaches – \nIU assistant coaches Monica Hargrove and Rebecca Walter. \n“To be able to run with them was really fun,” Lauer said. “That got me going.” \nEven though Walter crossed the finish line first in 4:49.50, Lauer bettered her previous time by nearly 12 seconds, finishing second with a time of 4:50.33. \nThe track team had several winners on the day including IU junior Evan Bardach. Bardach won the 800-meter run in a career-best time of 1:53.33. He said it’s been a good season so far, especially after coming off a stress fracture that limited him last year.\n“It was nice to go out and get a victory,” Bardach said. “It was a real confidence booster.” \nIU’s throwers also had an impressive weekend, collecting four career bests: sophomores Faith Sherrill and Patrick Dalton, junior Tiffany Howard and senior Paul Fearnow.\nIU coach Ron Helmer was pleased with the way his team competed. \n“I thought we had some really nice efforts this weekend,” he said. \nThe Hoosiers return to action next weekend when they travel to South Bend for the Mayo Invite.