In-state rivals team up for Border Battle

In-state rivals IU and Purdue will find themselves in an unlikely position Saturday at the Louisville track and field Border Battle meet.  

The two teams will unite under one banner to represent the Hoosier State in its annual clash with Southern neighbor, Kentucky.

For IU track and field, the meet is an exercise in camaraderie.

“I’m not a hater of Purdue,” senior Arianne Raby said. “I’m friends with some of their runners. They’re good girls, so I think it will be fun.”

This meet’s twist comes at the hands of the University of Kentucky, which opted out of the Battle this year.

The Wildcats’ exit left a spot wide open for the Boilermakers, whose scores — along with the Hoosiers’ — will be tallied against the Cardinals’ and the Fighting Irish.

“I don’t have a problem with Purdue,” freshman Tre’tez Kinnaird said. “They’re our rival, so hopefully there’s no tension between us.”

The weekend calls for a change in loyalties — something Kinnaird has been prepping for long before the IU-Purdue announcement.

As a former high school Kentucky State Champion and a Louisville native, Kinnaird will return home for the first time as a runner for the cream and crimson.

He’ll have a few honorary IU fans fueling his performance at Cardinal Park.

“Family and friends will be there to watch, so hopefully I can put on a show for them,” Kinnaird said. “Every time they come, I always do my best, and it’s always ended up being a really good race or PR.”

Following a third-place finish at the Indoor Nationals in the distance medley relay, Kinnaird had a two-week training block he said helped him to get in hard, beneficial workouts.

In his home opener at the Crimson Tide Invitational last weekend, he finished the 800-meter run in one minute and 49.74 seconds — securing himself a qualification berth for the NCAA first round.

“I’m really happy to get the regional qualifying mark out of the way so I don’t have to stress about it throughout the year,” he said. “Now I can turn my attention to the relay, running with the team, and trying to make a name for ourselves.”

Senior Kyla Buckley made yet another name for herself this week, earning Big Ten Field Athlete of the Week honors for her record-setting shot put throw at the Crimson Tide meet.

This Saturday, she’ll compete alongside fellow senior Raby, who is not without titles of her own.

During the first meet of the 2013-14 season, Raby set the school record in the 1,000 meter before falling to an injury that consumed the majority of her indoor season.

Last weekend, she returned to competition in a big way, winning the women’s 1,500-meter race in Tuscaloosa.

Now, Raby said she has high aspirations for closing out her final year with the Hoosiers, starting with the Border Battle.

“I’m slowly getting my legs back,” she said. “I’m hoping to get my regional standard out of the way this weekend and get that weight off my shoulders. Then I can move on from there towards my end-of-the-season goals.”