IU women’s track and field has a busy weekend ahead with three separate competitions. The team will send its groups to separate meets.
At this point in the season, IU head coach Ron Helmer said the team’s focus shifts from work and improvement to qualifying marks with the Big Ten and NCAA Indoor Championships rapidly approaching.
“Everybody in the country is chasing marks, chasing competition.” Helmer said.
The middle distance and distance groups will head to Ames, Iowa, to compete in the Iowa State Classic against schools such as No. 13 Minnesota and No. 17 Iowa.
The Iowa State Classic begins at noon Friday and will continue at noon Saturday.
Senior Joely Pinkston, who is coming off a third-place finish at the Meyo Invitational that led all collegiate competition this past weekend, will face notable competition in Louisiana State University sophomore Katy-Ann McDonald in the 800-meter.
McDonald, a member of the 2019 SEC All-Freshman team, is No. 9 all-time for LSU in the 800-meter with a time of 2:05.11.
The team’s jumpers — consisting of high, long and triple jumps along with pole vaulters — will travel to Fayetteville, Arkansas, for the University of Arkansas’ Tyson Invitational and will compete against ranked schools such as No. 2 Arkansas, No. 4 University of Georgia and No. 6 LSU.
IU senior Leah Moran will face stiff competition in the triple jump from Georgia freshman Jasmine Moore, who jumped for a nationally-leading mark of 13.9 meters in the same facility earlier this year at the Razorback Team Invitational.
The Tyson Invitational begins at 1 p.m. Friday and continues at 11:30 a.m Saturday.
“There’s a reason we go to Arkansas with the jumpers, because the jumps are usually really good there,” IU head coach Ron Helmer said “Iowa State, the distances are usually really good there.”
The remainder of the team will stay in Bloomington at Gladstein Fieldhouse to compete against schools such as the University of Louisville, Southeast Missouri State University and Indiana State University. Hoosier Hills is IU’s final home meet of the indoor season and begins at 4 p.m. Friday.
“I’m a little nervous, because I think the coach is going to want me to go out by myself.” Freshman Elizabeth Stanhope said. “But, yeah, I’m excited for it.”
Stanhope will compete in the 600-meter alongside fellow freshman Beth Barnes.
