Track and field set for lone home meet

After weekends spent on the road and weeks of back-and-forth travel, IU Track and Field will compete this Saturday in its first and only home meet of the outdoor season.

The team will play host to the Billy Hayes Invitational at Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex, a place that once felt mundane for redshirt sophomore Owen Skeete, but now feels like home.

“I actually kind of hated our track at first because we used to have meets here non-stop,” he said. “This is the first season we didn’t have a meet here until now, so it feels great to be on this track.”

No matter what event he competes in this Saturday, Skeete said he’s running for a regional qualifying mark.

Skeete is coming off a successful performance in the mile, where he anchored the 4-by-mile relay to a surprising eighth-place finish in the Penn Relay Championships last Saturday.

He carried the remaining quartet of freshman Jason Crist, junior Nolan Fife and freshman Matt Schwartzer across the line by running a personal-record relay split.

The time resulted in a total of 16 minutes and 27.55 seconds for the relay.

“We always have a doubter, or someone who speculates that we’re not going to place better than second-to-last,” Skeete said. “It feels good to get out there and prove some people wrong and show that our training does pay off.”

Freshman Amanda Behnke also beat expectations and ran her first ever 10,000 meter run at the Penn Relays. In her 10k debut, she captured the eighth-fastest time in program history in 34 minutes and 33.69 seconds.

Despite never wanting to run a 10k, Behnke said she was nonetheless excited when she lined up at the starting line at Franklin Field last Thursday.

That excitement may very well have been foresight, as Behnke now anticipates another 10k at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in her future.

“After being pretty successful in the 5k and 10k so far, I’ve been figuring out that I’m more of a distance runner,” she said. “I’ll run one at Big Tens and hopefully at regionals. It seems that’s what I’m best at.”

This weekend, Behnke said she will regain her strength as she watches her teammates discover newfound success on the track.

Competing as independents this Saturday, several redshirt athletes will have the opportunity to test their training.

IU Coach Ron Helmer said the meet will be a good indication of how much his young program has grown.

“During indoors, we get to see (redshirt athletes) compete a lot, but because of the outdoor schedule this season, we haven’t had that opportunity,” Delmer said. “We’ll get everybody lined up this weekend. It’ll be fun to see them run too.”

Redshirt athletes won’t be the only familiar faces competing at Billy Hayes Track this weekend. IU will welcome back several star-studded track and field alums as part of the American Track League series inaugural meet, which begins on Friday.

The professional circuit also includes Olympic silver medalist Lashine Demus, Olympic bronze medalist DeeDee Trotter and 2012 Summer Olympian and most recently 2014 Winter Olympian Lolo Jones.

The American Track meet will gather a total of four Olympic medals, eight World Championship and 16 USA Championship titles to compete at the Robert C. Haugh Complex.

Helmer said the meet will provide yet another chance for his athletes to take in top-notch competition.

“We see a lot of big-time track and field,” he said. “But certainly to be around the level of athlete and watch how they perform is always a great learning experience.”

A handful of IU athletes will also have the opportunity to race alongside world-class competition.

Junior Rorey Hunter will run in the 1500 meter race in addition to three or four Hoosiers who will compete in the steeple chase Friday evening.

“(Saucony Runner) Molly Beckwith always runs with us, and (All-American) Andy Bayer is back,” Behnke said. “Just knowing all the big-name athletes that are going to be here, it’s going to be really cool to see that happening.”