Hoosiers head south for Big Ten/SEC Challenge

It is time to go outdoors. The weather across the Midwest has been more than accommodating for such a transition.

The IU men’s and women’s track and field squads will take part in their first outdoor meet of the season when they travel to Starkville, Miss., this weekend for the Big Ten/SEC Challenge.

IU Coach Ron Helmer said he is jubilant about the pleasant surprise from the weather because it has allowed his athletes a chance to get in some quality outdoor practices at the Billy Hayes Track before this weekend’s meet.

“It is nice to get outside,” Helmer said. “It’s nice having the sunshine and warm weather. Our fieldhouse is great, but it is great to get outside and get going.”

One would assume that a track and field coach’s philosophy would change during the transition to the outdoor season, as certain events are added and some are taken away, but Helmer said there are not any significant changes to his approach.

There are a few tweaks, though.

“Once you get to outdoor season, racing starts to take priority over training,” Helmer said. “That training is still important, but you do start focusing on quality races, knowing that the end is in sight.

“You can delay resting, and you can delay sharpening only for so long. It’s kind of fun because you get to this time of year and you don’t have to go out and push people through long, difficult workouts.”

Sticking to the basics is a critical coaching point for Helmer, regardless of whether his athletes are indoors at Gladstein Fieldhouse or outdoors at Billy Hayes Track.

“In terms of our overall philosophy, we’re still running through the rings,” Helmer said. “We’re not just zeroing in on one event. We’re still going to enjoy racing.”

Sophomore high jumper Darius King echoed that sentiment Monday afternoon.

“I have to keep the same mentality that I had during the indoor season and bring it outdoors,” King said. “I have to keep listening to Coach Helmer, too. The transition to the outdoor season comes on really fast, so you really want to have a good start.”

King and his teammates will have a chance to do so against the nation’s premiere track and field athletes from the Southeastern Conference.

King, for one, said he is certainly looking forward to the challenge of competing.

“Being able to keep up with the best of the best and do better than them in some ways, it’s reassuring because it reminds us that we’re really good,” King said.

Helmer does not believe that his athletes will get caught up in competing against the country’s best athletes, such as University of Florida sprinter and football player Jeff Demps.

“It has happened to some people in the past,” Helmer said. “We’ll get into some real trouble if we start to focus on other people and don’t just take care of ourselves and take care of what we need to do.”