Runners split up for two separate meets at home, in Ohio

The IU men’s and women’s track teams will be sending athletes to two meets this weekend, with the Hoosier Hills taking place on the Bloomington campus and the SPIRE NCAA DI meet happening in Geneva, Ohio.

After the team had its first away meet last weekend at the Meyo Invitational at the University of Notre Dame, IU Coach Ron Helmer said he wants to keep those athletes traveling to Ohio focused during the second consecutive away meet.

“You want to feel like you accomplished something other than having taken a trip,” Helmer said. “You know if you’ve performed well relative to what you’ve done in the past.”

After racking up 20 personal records at the Meyo Invitational, the athletes will seek to accomplish a similar, or better, mark this weekend.

“We want people to compete, and when you focus on competing, those personal records take care of themselves,” Helmer said.

One of the athletes seeking to continue the trend is senior Olu Olamigoke, who soared to a personal record of 15.72 meters in the triple jump last weekend.

“If someone pops off a big jump, I want to let that fire me up,” Olamigoke said. “At the same (time), I want to be relaxed until I step out on the runway, and then I let it out.”

Senior distance runner De’Sean Turner, who passed Jim Spivey for third in school history in the 800 meters last weekend, will be running in the distance medley relay this weekend.

Turner said his preparation and mindset do not change for the distance medley relay.

“Usually, it’s the same mindset I carry going into any event,” Turner said. “It’s a little different this upcoming weekend because I’m not sure if we’ll have great competition.”

Joining Turner in the relay will be junior distance runner Andrew Bayer, this week’s Big Ten Conference Track Athlete of the Week.

On the women’s side, junior pole vaulter Kelsie Ahbe said she is more than confident in her abilities following a leg injury that kept her out of the season’s first meets.
Ahbe set the school record in the pole vault last week, launching herself over the bar at 4.21 meters.

“It’s all about being confident in yourself,” Ahbe said. “I definitely think there’s more to come from me. I’m really excited about the rest of the season.”

Despite having separate meets this weekend, Helmer said he hasn’t changed preparation techniques.

“There’s a purpose to everything we do,” Helmer said. “There’s a reason we’re sending people to Ohio, and there’s a reason people are staying here. It’s just a matter of trying to get the most out of each athlete in their individual events.”