IU to compete in Sea Ray Relays

Having a 101-degree fever and competing in the heat of the south is not something easy to do. Sophomore high jumper Jared Nuxoll faced these conditions two weeks ago at the Alabama Relays and was disappointed with his sixth place finish. \nNuxoll’s jump in Alabama was only 2 meters, a 10-centimeter setback compared to his best jump during the indoor season. \n“I was very disappointed,” he said. \nThis weekend the sophomore will compete with the men’s and women’s track and field team at the Sea Ray Relays in Knoxville, Tenn. \nJumping for almost 10 years, Nuxoll said it can be a little frustrating to improve so slowly and by so little each year. \n“It’s a long journey,” Nuxoll said of his jumping career. \nIn the two weeks since the Alabama Relays, Nuxoll said he is feeling better and is confident he will do well this weekend. \nSophomore hurdler Kayla Smith is another Hoosier who is hoping to improve on her finish at the Alabama Relays.\nIn her first meet of the outdoor season, after competing unattached from the Hoosiers during the indoor season, Smith recorded a career-best in the 400 hurdles with a time of 1:02.61.\n“I think I was more confident with the training I have put in,” she said. \nThe performance represented an improvement of .57 seconds from her time of 1:03.18 she ran at the Big Ten Championships last year. The time is also just 1.79 seconds off her regional qualifying mark in the event, which she is confident she can achieve. \nIU coach Ron Helmer, who works with Smith and the rest of the team, said he can see his team’s “training is starting to pay off.” \nJunior Martin Stephen agrees with his coach and said he is excited to race this weekend in Tennessee. Stephen will compete on Friday in the 800-meter run and then Saturday as part of the team’s 4X400-meter relay. \nStephen was part of the 4-by-400 meter relay team that crossed the finish line first in 3:12.32 at the Alabama Relays. Having put in a solid base of training, the sprinter feels confident about where he is. \n“I feel really good right now,” he said. \nThe regional qualifying standard in the 4-by-4 is within reach, with the team needing to shave just 2.32 seconds off their last performance.\nHelmer emphasized that the meet this weekend is about more than setting regional qualifying marks. It’s also about training harder.\n“We need to get work done,” he said. “Races are some of the best workouts we can do.”