IU track and field sets four top-10 marks in South Bend

The IU track and field team earned two victories and set four top-10 program markers when it traveled during the weekend to the Meyo Invitational at South Bend.

Despite missing several top performers from the women’s throwers and the men’s distance groups, the Hoosiers saw several young athletes fill their shoes by setting personal and school records.

The biggest stand-out was freshman Tre’Trez Kinnaird. His first place finish in the 800-meter run was the only winning performance by an IU athlete Saturday. The women’s distance medley relay also finished first, thanks in part to the strong contributions of freshmen Bethany and Brittany Neeley.

Kinnaird’s one minute and 49.49 second 800-meter finish puts him at seventh all-time in program history, and third overall in the Big Ten. The women’s winning distance medley relay time of 11 minutes and 30.14 seconds is the fastest time in the Big Ten this season, and good for 10th best in school history.

“When we leave a lot of our top-level kids at home, as we did this weekend, you start putting people in positions maybe that they’re not quite ready for,” IU Coach Ron Helmer said. “But we have a lot of young kids that are trying hard.”

Several other Hoosiers had successful efforts in the absence of the team’s more experienced members, indluding Freshman Danielle Quinn. Her season-best triple jump of 12.13 meters at Notre Dame’s Loftus Center was sixth-best all-time in the IU record books.

Sophomore La Toya Williams closed out the quartet of program-best performances. She clocked in a season-best 60-meter dash at 7.63 seconds, good for eighth all-time.
For Helmer, it was no surprise to see his youth challenge some of the more experienced runners at the invitational. But, he said there were several positions where he’s still waiting for a break-out performance.

“When you’re being put in situations that you haven’t mastered yet, sometimes it’s going to go well, and sometimes it’s not going to go so well,” he said. “But that’s expected, that’s where we all need to exercise patience.”

The sixth-year coach said he hopes patience will be the catalyst for his team as they round out the last month of the indoor season. Though he said he misses top performers like senior thrower Kyla Buckley on weekends such as these, Helmer said it’s necessary for his newcomers to step into leadership positions, and for his veterans to take a much needed break.

In that regard, the Meyo Invitational is just another learning experience for Helmer and his team.

“When we spend a weekend where we don’t have a person who can challenge for a win in every event, it becomes a different environment,” he said. “But that’s why we’ve got to celebrate those bright spots that we do have, and continue to grow where we’re not quite ready yet.”

Follow reporter Tori Ziege on Twitter @ToriZiege.