IU track and field heads to Penn Relays

Philadelphia, a city steeped in track and field tradition, is the destination this Thursday through Saturday for IU track and field.

The team is set to compete at the 120th running of the historic Penn Relays, the highest-attended track and field meet in the United States.

With attendance topping more than 110,000 for three consecutive years, the stands will be packed with fans, cheers and electricity — super-charging the atmosphere surrounding Franklin Field.

The scene could not be more fitting for the Hoosiers, as the men’s 4x800 meter relay strives to rewrite history this Saturday in front of an estimated crowd of 48,000.

“They really get into it, which makes it an exciting environment,” senior Robby Nierman said. “It gives you a lot of extra energy when you’re out there running.”

Nierman will lead off the 4x800 relay, where he and All-Americans Tre’tez Kinnaird, Rorey Hunter and Jordan Gornall will chase the school record of seven minutes and 17.8 seconds, set at the Penn Relays in 1987.

The trio of All-Americans has been on a roll as of late, headlined by Kinnaird’s sub one minute and 48 second time in the 800 — the first Hoosier to clock under 1:48.00 in the event since Keith Allen in 1988.

Hunter’s success has been in his consistency, winning an event in every meet he has run this outdoor season.

He earned top marks in the mile last week, setting the sixth-fastest time in program history at four minutes and .97 seconds. “Rorey and Tre’tez are probably the hottest runners we have right now,” IU Coach Ron Helmer said. “Since I’ve been here, we haven’t run a quality 4x8, and I think they will this weekend. It’s what great athletes do.”

Kinnaird, Hunter and Gornall will also participate in the men’s distance medley relay.
The national qualifying team — including senior Derrick Morgan — will reunite on the track for the first time since placing third at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Freshman Nakel McClinton is on her way to making a national campaign.
After achieving the second-best mark in the women’s hammer throw last weekend, she’ll compete at the Penn Relay Carnival in hopes of achieving another personal best.

“I’ve watched this meet on TV before, and to actually go there is going to be surreal,” she said. “I’m very excited just to be there and compete, and give it all I’ve got.”

Other top competitors for the Hoosiers include seniors Kelsie Ahbe and Kyla Buckley.
Ahbe holds the fifth-best vault in the NCAA at 4.32 meters, while Buckley holds fifth-best shot-put throw at 17.08 meters.

The Hoosiers will compete in a field of more than 22,000 athletes, ranging from high school, all the way to the professional level. Ahbe, Buckley, McClinton and the relays will all seek spots on IU’s decorated list of 13 Penn Relays champions, including Olympic bronze medalist Derek Drouin last year.

Helmer said the popularity and prestige of the Penn Relays can work in both helpful and harmful ways of showcasing a program’s talent.

“It’s a mixed bag,” he said. “If you perform well, then you showcase your program in front of 50 or 60,000 people. If you don’t run well, then you also show people you’re not as good as what they’re looking for. I love the challenge of it.”