IU found success this weekend competing in Nashville, Tennessee, at the Vanderbilt Invitational, with multiple members of the team setting new career highs.
The team had many first place finishes from senior Adam Coulon, junior Cooper Williams and sophomore Jenna Barker.
Big Ten Track and Field Athletes of the Week Coulon and senior Khayla Dawson excelled in Nashville.
Coulon took first place in the men’s pole vault, reaching a mark of 5.6 meters. Coulon’s mark was 0.35 meters ahead of second-place finisher junior Peyton Weissmann of the University of Mississippi. He also surpassed his previous career high of 5.55 meters set during IU’s last competition against the University of Tennessee last weekend.
Dawson led all collegiate participants in the women’s shot put with a distance of 17.47 meters. Dawson finished second to Jessica Ramsey of Team USA, who reached a distance of 18.95 meters.
“I feel real good about it,” Dawson said. “Definitely a much better start than last year this time.”
Senior Willie Morrison made his season debut and finished second in the shot put with a distance of 19.17 meters.
Barker placed first in the women’s mile with a time of 4:48.49, which surpassed her previous personal best of 4:51.72 set during last weekend’s first place performance against Tennessee.
Williams took first place in the men’s 800-meter with a time of 1:47.84, making him the national leader for the event.
Other notable performances for the team include senior Jenna Jungels in the women’s long jump, sophomore Alexis Hill in the women’s weight throw and junior Jyles Etienne in the men’s high jump.
Jungels beat her personal best of 6.12 meters when she placed second in the women’s long jump with a mark of 6.17 meters.
Hill set a new personal record after placing third in the women’s weight throw with a distance of 20.90 meters, exceeding her previous career high of 20.29meters.
Etienne placed second in the men’s high jump with a mark of 2.16 meters.
“Our great athletes are one by one finding ways to be great,” Helmer said.
The Hoosiers will compete in Bloomington next weekend for the Gladstein Invitational.
