Hoosiers compete in Austin

The day before IU freshman Ari Nelson departed for the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in Austin, Texas, she had one goal in mind.

She wanted to jump 20 feet in the long jump
competition.

“I’m just trying to PR,” she said Tuesday. “(My goal) is 20 feet. Hopefully I can do that with the competition that’s going to be there.”

Nelson, the only freshman competing for IU track and field Friday, didn’t let youth stop her from capitalizing at her first elite meet.

Leaping a career-best 20.25 feet — 6.16 meters — she captured the seventh-best mark in program history and the ninth-best mark in the NCAA.

The distance also secured her a first-place finish at the Texas Relays.

“It’s difficult, first of all, to get a freshman into one of these meets,” Associate Head Coach Jeff Huntoon said. “Ari’s performances throughout the indoor season have really spoke for themselves. So she took advantage of an absolutely beautiful day and gave herself an opportunity to come away with a victory.”

Sophomore Sophie Gutermuth joined Nelson in rewriting the IU record books.

She cleared 4.30 meters, placing third in the women’s pole vault competition Friday.

The vault, a career best for Gutermuth, is second-best in school history.

Her performance was closely followed by senior Kelsie Ahbe, who finished fifth with a season-best vault of 4.15 meters.

Senior Kyla Buckley’s performance, on the other hand, was a struggle. 

She fouled all three of her throws, failing to defend her title in the women’s shot-put.

Huntoon said the last foul was a questionable call, but that it will only act as fuel for Buckley as the Big Ten Indoor Champion strives for a qualifying berth at outdoor nationals.

“To her credit, it was her first outdoor meet,” he said. “With the weather being as it is, she really hasn’t had the opportunity to get the reps we need. But we have no doubt that she’ll be back and ready to go here these next couple meets.”

Rounding up the Hoosier’s Texas Relays roster were sophomores Sarah Maxson, Drew Volz, Stephen Keller and Dylan Anderson.

Maxson improved upon her winning mark from a year ago, jumping 1.75 meters and placing fifth in the women’s high-jump.

In the men’s pole vault, Volz cleared 5.20 meters for the second time this season, tying his personal best for the second consecutive meet.

Keller and Anderson finished 12th and 13th respectively in the men’s
decathlon.

Their final point totals of 6954 and 6881 were good for seventh and eighth all-time in program history. 

“We know this for a fact: the harder you try, the worse it gets,” Huntoon said. “Sarah and Kelsie really wanted to go ahead and put in some big numbers, which is exciting to see as a coach. They may have been a bit disappointed in the overall results, but the group as a whole was upbeat as to what their direction is moving forward.”