Roller siblings star during track season

The IU men’s and women’s track and field teams came from behind to win both 4x400m relays Saturday, relying on its talented young male and female anchors to win their respective races.

They also happen to be siblings.

Sophomore Brie Roller and graduate student Lance Roller are middle distance runners on the Hoosier track team. Lance joined his younger sister at IU this year after completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Virginia.

“I was planning on going to grad school in the first place,” Lance said. “I knew it was a great program, and everything just fell into place.”

Brie said she campaigned for her brother to come to IU ever since she realized it was a possibility.

“I’m still excited,” Brie said. “Lance and I have been running track together since I was 7 and he was 10, so we’ve always been in it together. It’s fun to share my college experience with him.”

Since the two run similar events, they help each other out when training.

“It’s a little bit of big-brother syndrome,” Lance said. “I try to give her hints and stuff without annoying her too much.”

Those hints seem to be working. In her last two meets, Brie has won three of her four events, including the 500m on Saturday at the Hoosier Open.

Lance has been no slouch either. In the 600m Saturday, he smashed the meet record by 2.34 seconds.

But something about relays brings out the best of this family.

“I love the big meets,” Brie said. “When there’s competition, you don’t want to lose, especially in a relay when you don’t want to let your team down. It’s just confidence and guts.”

Brie has added a lot of confidence and guts since her freshman year. In one year, she’s gone from relatively unknown to an essential member of the women’s team.

“Helmer’s been kicking my butt since the fall, and it definitely showed up in that 600m,” Lance said.

It’s safe to say the Rollers have both had great starts to the season so far. Regardless of how they finish, it will be quite an experience for the two of them.

Brie said the best parts of having her brother at IU with her are sharing experiences and having someone to talk to, she said.

“Being so far from home, having someone to relate to as an athlete and family member is great,” she said.

“And free carpooling,” Lance said.

To Brie and Lance, it’s the little things that mean the most.