After dominating the Gladstein Invitational last weekend, the IU track and field team looks to keep the positives coming when they host the IU Relays Friday and Saturday.
This weekend, the Hoosiers will see their toughest competition so far this season, IU Head Coach Ron Helmer said.
“We’ve just been going and going and going, and it’s great to have a week where we back off a little bit,” Helmer said. “There’s gonna be some really high quality races, and if we have the chance to be in those kinds of races then we want to be able to be at our best.”
Helmer said fans should keep an eye on the women’s 5000-meter, men’s 3000-meter and men’s distance medley relay.
For the Hoosiers, senior Maggie Allen will compete in the 5000-meter. Helmer said he expects Allen and a few runners from Wisconsin to set a high pace for the race.
In the men’s 3000-meter, redshirt junior Kyle Mau and redshirt sophomore Ben Veatch will compete against Wisconsin junior Oliver Hoare — the NCAA champion in the 1500-meter last season.
For the men’s distance medley relay, Helmer says to expect national qualifying times from IU and the University of Mississippi.
Instead of the lineup changes that marked last weekend, the Hoosiers have their best athletes in their best events on the field side.
Additionally, the IU men's and women's track and field teams were ranked No. 1 in the Great Lakes region of the first National and Regional Rankings of the indoor track and field season this week. Nationally, the men were slotted at No. 14.
Though Helmer doesn’t think the team worries too much about the rankings, he still recognizes it’s a nice validation for how it has competed so far this season.
“It’s always good to have some positive things to talk about and I’m sure they take some pride in it,” said Helmer.
The meet gets underway at 5 p.m Friday inside Gladstein Fieldhouse.
