Track stars get ready for Outdoor Championships

Almost two weeks after 12 Hoosiers were named All-Americans, the IU track and field team will have a chance to defend that honor.

IU will compete at the 2011 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships from June 23-26 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

This year, the event will feature athletes who represented IU at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.

Senior Devin Pipkin and junior Kind Butler will compete for a qualification in the 100-meter run event. Pipkin and Butler are part of the IU quartet that broke the school record, earned All-American honors and finished seventh in the 4x100 meter relay at the NCAA nationals.

The women’s shot put will feature senior Faith Sherrill, who finished fourth at both the indoor and outdoor 2011 NCAA nationals.

The men’s 3,000 meter steeplechase will have juniors Andrew Poore and De’Sean Turner, who finished third and sixth, respectively, at the NCAA national championship.
Poore also qualified for the 5,000 meter run and the 10,000 meter run.

Senior Sarah Pease will defend her chances in the women’s 3,000 meter steeplechase. Pease finished ninth in the event at the national championship.

Both senior Vera Neuenswander and sophomore Kelsie Ahbe, who took fourth and sixth, respectively, at the NCAA nationals in the pole vault, will jump for a world championships qualification.

The top three of each event earn a ticket for the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea from Aug. 27 to Sept. 4.

The 2011 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships will be broadcast on ESPN 2 and NBC.