A Virginia pipeline

The Alaskan Pipeline pumps oil into the lower 48 states.

However, IU coach Ron Helmer has created a different type of pipeline to Virginia when it comes to recruiting top talent.

Helmer has many connections to Virginia, as he coached high school track and field there for 12 years. He lived there for 21 years while coaching at nearby Georgetown.

He also continues to run a camp in the state every summer, which attracts about 500 athletes.

Helmer said the connection is beneficial when it comes to recruiting.

“My roots are pretty deep there,” he said. “People know me and trust me, so it has been fairly easy to get Virginia kids interested in looking at IU.”

Freshmen Kim Blaylock and Kaylan Comer, as well as junior Kristen Crawford, all hail from Virginia.

Of the three, Crawford has had the biggest contribution on the season, scoring nine points for IU at the Big Ten Championship by finishing fourth in shotput and fifth in weight throw.

She said Helmer’s relationship with Virginia was one of her reasons for coming to IU.

“I knew Coach Helmer was the head coach here, and he recruited me in high school,” Crawford said. “I also thought it would be a great opportunity to come here and throw at a big school.”

The men’s track and field team includes sophomore Cedric Hudson and freshmen Olu Olamigoke and Rex Parker, who are also from Virginia.

Olamigoke has made an immediate impact for the Hoosiers in his first year, finishing third in the triple jump and sixth in the long jump at the Big Ten Championships.
He said his long relationship with Helmer lured him to come to Indiana.

“Coach Helmer coached with my high school coach,” Olamigoke said. “I already had a connection with him before I even thought I was going to be running in college.”

Helmer said while his Virginian roots are helpful, IU is an easy place to sell to all athletes for many reasons.

“The cool thing is we have had success selling IU academics and the environment in Bloomington,” he said. “Indiana has great value and it’s a great education, and the facilities and the support staff are outstanding.”