IU freshman runner Kyle Mau was named Indoor Freshman of the Year this week by the Big Ten conference.
Mau's standout season began in 2016 with a first-place finish in the 3,000-meter run at the Hoosier Open. The freshman then kicked off the new year just as hot by securing two victories each in the head-to-head dual meets against Tennessee and Purdue.
Mau finished first in both the mile and the 3,000-meter run in the Tennessee dual. He also claimed the top mile spot in the dual against rival Purdue before helping the 4x800-meter relay team take first with the fastest mark in the country at the time.
Mau’s season continued with a personal record in the 3,000-meter run at the Gladstein Invitational at the end of January. After a week off, he competed in the Meyo Invitational and won the “Meyo Mile” with a time of 4:00.37.
After taking another week off to rest his legs, Mau traveled to South Bend, Indiana, to help the Hoosiers qualify a distance medley team for the Big Ten meet. The DMR team finished first with a time of 9:28.14, the second fastest time in school history.
At the conference meet, Mau helped the DMR team secure the Big Ten Championship and also finished third in the mile with a time of 4:03.39.
Mau capped off his indoor campaign by becoming an All-American in the DMR after a fifth-place finish at the NCAA National Championships.
Austin Ghirardelli
