Track and field competes in Meyo Invitiational

The IU men’s and women’s track and field teams traveled to South Bend this weekend to compete in their first away meet of the season, the Meyo Invitational.

IU won two events over the course of the meet as graduate student Scott Houston won the men’s pole vault and junior Darius King took the men’s high jump.

“It was a good meet for us,” IU Coach Ron Helmer said. “Our top athletes showed us they’re still good, and we also have those emerging athletes showing up every weekend.”

Houston finished the meet with a personal record of 5.40-meters, or 17-feet-8.5-inches, in pole vault, good for the highest mark anyone has scored in the Big Ten this year.

Helmer said he is particularly impressed with the amount of character Houston has shown this season.

“This is the first personal record he’s gotten in four years,” Helmer said. “So that’s displaying a huge amount of discipline to stay with something like that.

“He’s got to take another step forward, and I think he will, but regardless, we now have potential national meet points in another event thanks to Scott.”

The other big headliner for the Hoosiers this weekend was sophomore sprinter Nick Stoner.

Stoner, also a wide receiver on the IU football team, finished fourth out of over 50 athletes in the 60-meter dash. Stoner broke his previous personal record in each of his three 60-meter races — two qualifying races and one finals heat — finishing in the finals with a time of 6.82 seconds.

This was only the second meet of the season for Stoner as he transitions from football workouts to the track. Helmer said he has already proven himself to be one of the most physically gifted athletes on the team.

“He’s still working on some of the technical aspects of his sprinting,” Helmer said. “He’s an outstanding athlete, but he’s still developing, and it will be great to see him run once he develops those skills.”

Stoner, however, said he tries to take a minimalistic approach to the way he runs a race.

“Track is pretty simple to me,” Stoner said. “You line up, hit the blocks and run as fast as you can. It’s just about who’s ready to compete.”

On the women’s side, senior Emma Kimoto tied for second in the high jump, clearing the 1.73-meter, or 5-foot-8-inch, mark. That ties her career best and gives her a share of fourth best in the Big Ten. Senior Erica Ridderman led the way on Saturday, finishing second in the women’s open 3000-meter run with a time of 9:54.42.

Another notable performance was senior Andy Bayer’s run in the Meyo Mile. Bayer finished third with a time of 4:00.20 in a field of several of the best distance runners in the country, said Helmer.

Helmer said he was pleased with Bayer’s performance, but he still feels Bayer has yet to compete at 100 percent this season.

The Hoosiers return home for the Hoosier Hills meet Feb. 8 and 9. It will be the last meet for the team before the Big Ten Indoor Championships.

Helmer said he isn’t worrying about the approaching indoor championship season.
“We have to remember that it’s still early February,” Helmer said. “As much as we’d like to be sharp like it’s the end of our season, there is still time.”