After a successful weekend in Bloomington at the IU Relays, the IU women’s track and field team will look to build on that success in South Bend, Indiana, while competing at the Meyo Invitational in the University of Notre Dame’s Loftus Sports Center.
Top results from the previous weekend included those of junior Maddy Pollard, senior Jenna Jungels and sophomore Hope Purcell.
Pollard threw for a mark of 17.57 meters in the women’s shot put, which is the second- best mark nationally, and was named Big Ten Women's Field Athlete of the Week for her performance.
Jungles won her second straight meet in the long jump while Purcell was able to win the pentathlon.
IU will be looking to capitalize on the momentum gained at the IU Relays with a successful showing in South Bend.
“We hope that every week we grow, every week we have reasons to be excited,” IU head coach Ron Helmer said Wednesday.
Nationally ranked participating teams include fellow Big Ten schools No. 25 Wisconsin, No. 19 Iowa and No. 13 Minnesota. The Hoosiers will enter the invitational unranked nationally but with a ranking of No. 2 in the Great Lakes region behind Ohio State, which will also be participating in the invitational.
Other participants from the Big Ten will include Rutgers, Michigan, Michigan State and rival Purdue, allowing IU to test its capabilities against a wide range of in-conference competition.
Helmer said IU will be able to see multiple Big Ten schools for the first time this season.
Notable competition present at the meet will include Notre Dame junior Rachel Tanczos, who holds the second -best mark nationally in the weight throw at 22.51 meters and Ohio State junior Adelaide Aquilla, who holds the fifth-best mark nationally in the shot put with 17.35 meters.
The Hoosiers will be prepared to face Aquilla, as Pollard and senior Khayla Dawson hold the respective second and third-best marks nationally in the shot put.
Participants at the invitational will also have the benefit of competing in Loftus Sports Center, which is home to the nation's largest NCAA legal indoor track. Helmer said the facility produces good marks and is like running outdoors because the track is oversized.
The meet will begin at 4 p.m. Friday and will continue at 9:45 a.m. Saturday.
