High jump leads to high accomplishments

The high jump bar wasn’t too high for the Hoosiers to be successful this weekend.
Both Ashley Rhoades and Derek Drouin provisionally qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships in February with jumps of 1.79 and 2.15 meters, respectively.

For Rhoades, it was the second-best jump in IU history. Rhodes said afterward she was doing what she had to do to win. 

“Everything was clicking coming in, and I knew what I had to do,” she said. “I stayed focused and did what I know how to do.”    

Overall the Hoosiers won 10 events at the Indiana Invitational, which they hosted.
Vera Neuenswander and Tiffany Howard also recorded provisional qualifications, Neuenswander in the pole vault and Howard in the shot put.

IU returns to action next weekend when it hosts its third consecutive home meet with the Gladstein Invitational.

IU coach Ron Helmer said longer breaks between events at the invitational should offset what promises to be a higher-quality field.

“The meet should be more competitive, but we will be more rested since there is more time in between each race,” Helmer said.