24 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(05/05/03 5:18am)
The IU women's track and field team used several strong field event performances to defeat Purdue 110-86 in West Lafayette on Saturday.\nLeading the way for the Hoosiers was senior Ira Kharun who broke the school and Purdue track records in the javelin. Based on national rankings posted April 28, her throw of 54.44 meters is the best throw in the country this season. \nDespite these accomplishments, Kharun said she is not satisfied.\n"I hoped (Saturday) that I was going to throw farther," she said. \nKharun said she has been especially motivated to do well lately because of the presence and extra coaching from her father, a javelin coach in Ukraine. Thanks to much help from her legal guardian, her father was able to come to Bloomington for over two months and will leave at the end of May. \n"My guardian has helped me all the way," \nshe said. \nLast season Kharun finished fourth at the outdoor NCAA Championships in the javelin. This year she has her sights set on winning a title. \n"I'm really happy right now, and I hope my goals will be accomplished by winning NCAAs and maybe going to the European Championships," she said. "My goal is to throw farther than I've ever thrown, and if I do that, I should be in good shape."\nSenior Kelley McKinney threw a personal best in the hammer throw to finish second, and teammate freshman Andrea Dalla Rosa won both the shot put and discus.\nIU had a 1-2 finish in the long jump with senior Rose Richmond winning and junior Jennifer Cobbina taking second. \nSenior All-American hurdler Danielle Carruthers qualified for the regionals in her third event, the 100-meter dash on Saturday. Carruthers had already qualified for both the 100m hurdles and the 4x100m relay. The relay, composed of Carruthers, Richmond, senior Rachelle Boone and sophomore Ara Towns, set a Purdue track record at the meet with their time of 44.65. Boone also went on to win the 200-meter dash. Other individual event winners include sophomore Mindy Peterson in the 1500m, junior Audrey Giesler in the 5000m and freshman Kelly Siefker in the 3000m steeplechase. \nSiefker, who has only run the event twice, posted a regional qualifying time in the steeplechase Saturday. \n"I'm happy that I qualified, but I still think I can do better," she said.
(05/02/03 5:45am)
After several weekends of intense competition at various invitationals across the country, the No. 13 IU women's track and field team will travel to Purdue Saturday to face the Boilermakers in its only dual meet of the season. The team is coming off many strong performances last weekend at both the Penn and Drake relays, as well as the Boilermaker Invitational. \nSophomore Emily Tharpe made progress in the pole vault at Purdue as she posted a personal best mark for her outdoor collegiate career. Freshman Andrea Dalla Rosa made a step in the right direction with her outdoor personal record throw in the shot put at the Penn Relays. Both athletes qualified for the regional meet. Also qualifying for regionals last weekend were junior Audrey Giesler in the steeplechase and freshman Lindsay Hattendorf in the 5,000-meter run. Giesler's time of 10:25.90 is currently ninth in the nation. \nSenior Kelley McKinney qualified for regionals as well in the hammer throw at the Drake Relays. \nCoach Randy Heisler said this weekend's meet will provide a "good situation" for the athletes to perform.\n"I'm looking forward to this weekend because of the competition," he said. \nDalla Rosa said her goal for the meet is simple.\n"I'm just looking to throw further than last week," she said. \nSenior Danielle Carruthers, who has qualified for regionals in both the 100-meter hurdles and the 4x100 relay, said her main concern for the weekend is to get competitive times in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. Carruthers has focused primarily on the hurdles and the relay thus far in the season and has not yet had an opportunity to compete in either of the open events. She will be counted on to score in the open events at the Big Ten Championships on May 16 and 17.\nCarruthers said so far she is impressed and encouraged by the progress the team is making, as 16 Hoosiers have qualified for regionals.\n"It seems like every time I ask someone how they did, they say they qualified for regionals," she said.
(04/25/03 5:52am)
The No. 12 women's track and field team is back in action Friday and Saturday as several of its top athletes will compete at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pa., or the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa. \nCoach Randy Heisler said this weekend is important to the team's progress as the best teams from across the country will be competing. \n"It's a big weekend for us all to have good performances," he said. "We can move up on lists, whether it's Big Ten lists, regionals or nationals."\nSenior Rachelle Boone said the level of competition at the Penn Relays will drive her to do well in the 100-meter dash as well as the 4x100 and 4x200 relays.\n"Everybody's there," she said. \n"Everybody" includes top-ranked schools like Louisiana State University and Miami. Last year at the meet, Boone's 4x200 relay team finished in second place and the 4x100 team finished third. \nSenior Rose Richmond, whose accomplishments include finishing second at the indoor national championships in the long jump, will concentrate her efforts on the 4x100. She said she anticipates a good performance from herself and her teammates in the event. \n"If we go out and run a good time, we can be in the top three again," she said. \nIn addition to Boone and Richmond, the 4x100 relay also includes senior Danielle Carruthers and sophomore Ara Towns. Carruthers was named last week's Big Ten Athlete of the Week for her 100-meter hurdle performance at the Mt. Sac Relays in Walnut, Calif. Her time is the second-fastest in the nation so far this season. \nLike Heisler and Boone, Richmond said the top-notch opponents at the Penn Relays will be beneficial to the team.\n"It will motivate everyone to step it up a notch because we know there's going to be stiff competition," she said. \nBoone said she is satisfied with the progress the team has made during the first few meets of the season. \n"Everyone's getting better and stepping up for their part," she said. \nHeisler said he is especially pleased with Boone, Carruthers and junior Lauren Chesnut for their efforts last weekend at Mt. Sac. Boone and Carruthers recorded season bests and Chesnut set a new school record in the triple jump. \nHeisler added that he expects his athletes to continue making positive steps forward during this weekend's meets.\n"If they're going to run fast, this is the time to do it," he said. "It's an opportunity to grow"
(04/16/03 5:16am)
When sophomore pole vaulter Emily Tharpe cleared the bar for the first time in high school, she was hooked.\n"Once you go over the bar once you just want to go higher," she said.\nBefore coming to IU, the Erie, Pa., native had a long list of accomplishments to her credit. She was the indoor state pole vault champion from her sophomore to senior year and the outdoor state champion as a senior. She was also the 2000 Nike Indoor National pole vault champion. \nThough this is only her second year on the team, Tharpe has already made valuable contributions. During her freshman season, she finished third at the indoor Big Ten Championships and set the outdoor school record. \nCoach Marshall Goss said he is convinced that Tharpe's best performances are yet to come. \n"She is starting to be the vaulter she should be and can be," he said. "She's starting to correct faults that will make her very good down the road."\nTharpe's drive for self-improvement will help her during the outdoor season, Coach Randy Heisler said.\n"She wants to jump higher," he said.\nGoss said that during the indoor season, Tharpe's progress became more consistent and that she is "at the point of a big breakthrough."\nAfter finishing third at this year's indoor Big Ten Championships, Tharpe said the biggest asset she has gained is added confidence. This confidence will prove beneficial as the season progresses because both Goss and Heisler have high expectations for her.\n"She can be right in the thick of the (Big Ten) championship run," Goss said.\nHeisler also said he expects Tharpe to contend for a conference title as well as make an appearance at the national level at the NCAA Championships.\nTharpe won her first competition on Saturday against Central Michigan and Indiana State. Because of bad weather, Tharpe was unable to compete in the first two meets of the season. Poor conditions have also limited Tharpe's training. Despite these setbacks, Tharpe qualified for the NCAA Regional meet in addition to winning her event this past weekend. Tharpe said she is happy with the solid start but knows that much work lies ahead. \n"If I want to get to the NCAAs, I'm going to have to work hard," she said. "I'm the only one holding myself back so I can do it"
(04/14/03 6:02am)
The IU women's track and field team outscored Indiana State and Central Michigan to win its first home meet of the season, and in the process nine Hoosiers posted NCAA regional qualifying marks. \nCoach Randy Heisler said he is impressed by the team's efforts. \n"Any time an athlete gets a personal best or a season best, you can't ask any more than that," he said. \nDuring the first two weeks of the season, seven Hoosiers had posted regional qualifying marks in individual or relay events. Seniors Rose Richmond, Danielle Carruthers and Rachelle Boone, junior Lauren Chesnut, sophomores Ara Towns and Mindy Peterson and freshman Andrea Dalla Rosa each went into Saturday's meet with qualifying performances. \nCarruthers, who had previously posted qualifying times as a member of the 4x100 meter relay, qualified in the 100m hurdles in her first competition in the event this season. \nCarruthers said that she is encouraged by her strong performance and glad to get the first race out of the way.\n"It was good to get some of the jitters out because it was the first race of the season," she said.\nSenior Irina Kharun added herself to the list of qualifiers this weekend. Her javelin throw is currently the second-best throw in the nation this season and the second-best in IU history. Also qualifying were seniors Tandra Foster in the long jump, Kelley McKinney in the hammer throw, sophomore Emily Tharpe in the pole vault and freshman Jean Shaffer in the high jump. \nPeterson, the winner of the 5,000-meter run, qualified in the event in addition to setting a personal record. She said she is convinced her distance teammates are headed in the right direction toward attaining several more qualifying times. \n"We know we're ready to run faster," she said.\nHeisler also said he expects the distance runners to step up their performances in the weeks to come. \n"I'm excited because I think the distance athletes are ready to run," he said.\nPeterson said that it was beneficial to have the entire team together at the meet. For the previous meets, the team had been divided among several invitationals across the nation.\n"It was nice to be all here together," she said. "It helps to have the team and to be at home"
(04/11/03 5:27am)
After several NCAA Regional qualifying performances at season-opening meets, the No. 9 women's track and field team plays host to its first outdoor meet this Saturday at noon against Central Michigan and Indiana State.\nThe team will be home after facing tough competition at the Florida Relays, Stanford Invitational and Purdue Invitational on March 28 and 29 and the Texas Relays on April 4 and 5. Saturday's meet will be the first in which sprinters will be able to compete in their individual events. \nSenior Danielle Carruthers said the sprinters have benefitted from competing against high-ranking opponents from LSU and Texas. \n"It helps to start out with hard meets," she said. "It's motivational."\nCarruthers is a member of the 4x100-meter relay team, along with sophomore Ara Towns and seniors Rachelle Boone and Rose Richmond, who posted regional qualifying times at both the Florida and Texas Relays. \nCarruthers said she expects many of her teammates to qualify for the NCAA Regional meet, which she added will "get them something to build off of."\nAs the first regular meet for the team this season, Carruthers said she is looking forward to Saturday because it won't be a pressure-filled meet.\nSophomore pole vaulter Emily Tharpe has been unable to compete thus far in the season because of cold weather, and said she is looking forward to competing on Saturday.\n"I expect for myself to have a solid meet," she said.\nTharpe said her goal for the weekend is to qualify for the regional meet. One challenge she must face is the adjustment to competing outdoors and being subject to the elements. \nTharpe said she expects the team as a whole to take advantage of being at home. \nCoach Randy Heisler said he is looking forward to the home meet this weekend, so long as inclement weather doesn't strike.\n"We only have two home meets, so I hope the weather is good," he said.
(04/04/03 5:43am)
The IU women's track and field team is looking to build on an encouraging first weekend of meets today and tomorrow at the Texas Relays. After competing last weekend at the Florida Relays, the Stanford Invitational and the Purdue Invitational, seven Hoosier women qualified for the NCAA Regionals. \nAt the Florida Relays, seniors Danielle Carruthers, Rachelle Boone and Rose Richmond and sophomore Ara Towns qualified for the 4x100 relay. Richmond also qualified in the long jump with her second best outdoor jump of her career, which was good for first place. Though she already has an impressive start, Richmond said she plans to improve this weekend. \n"I just want to jump further than in the first meet," she said. \nThis week, Richmond was one of three Big Ten Conference Athletes of the Week for her performances at the Florida Relays. She was the only female honoree and shared the honor with IU long jumper Aarik Wilson and Ohio State's Dan Taylor.\nAlso qualifying for the regional meet last weekend was freshman Andrea Dalla Rosa with her fourth place throw in the shot put in her first ever collegiate competitive outdoor throws. However, Dalla Rosa said that the impressive start doesn't satisfy her.\n"I have a lot of work to do between now and then," she said.\nJunior Lauren Chesnut also qualified for regionals at the Florida Relays in the triple jump.\nCoach Randy Heisler said that last weekend's meet went well for the Hoosiers.\n"I'm excited," Heisler said. "We've got probably the best team in the conference. The athletes are very positive."\nHeisler said that he is especially encouraged by the distance runners' performances last weekend at the Stanford Invitational. Sophomore Mindy Peterson led the way by posting a Regional qualifying time in the 1500-meter run. Freshman Kelly Siefker, junior Allyson Hammond and sophomore Larra Overton also solidified the distance team's progress by placing in the top three in the 1500-meter at the Purdue Invitational.\n"It adds a whole new dimension to the team," Heisler said of the distance runners' efforts. \nHeisler said that the goal for his team this weekend is obvious.\n"Perform better than ever," he said. \nHe said this meet will help the Hoosiers because of the high level of competition as eight of the top ten athletes in the country will be in every event.
(04/01/03 4:46am)
Rose Richmond isn't satisfied with second place. The senior finished as the national runner-up in the long jump, but remains reluctant to accept anything other than first place.\n"If she doesn't win she knows there's something she needs to do to win," assistant coach Wayne Pate said. \nRichmond, along with teammates and fellow seniors Danielle Carruthers and Rachelle Boone, traveled to the NCAA Indoor National Championships in mid-March. Carruthers finished second in the 60-meter hurdles, and Boone finished third in the 200 and ninth in the 60.\n"They did fantastic by anyone's standards but their own," Pate said of the trios national performances.\n"I'm not satisfied, but I'm happy," Richmond said of her second place finish. \nRichmond, who is the indoor Big Ten champion in the long jump, said she considers her solid indoor season to be a stepping stone as the outdoor season gets under way by boosting her confidence in her abilities.\nAfter the first outdoor meet of the season, Richmond is already in stride for a landmark season. Her jump of more than 21 feet at the Florida Relays last weekend was good for first place, qualified her for the NCAA Regional Championships and marked the second best outdoor jump in her career. \n"She's only going to get better," coach Randy Heisler said.\nPate said he is most encouraged to see Richmond do so well while in the midst of intense start-of-the-season training which consists of heavy lifting and more running than usual.\n"It's really nice for her to have a good first meet under her belt," Pate said.\nRichmond said that she too was impressed by her performance despite having sore and tired muscles.\n"It's better than what I thought I'd do," she said.\nRichmond said that, because of the training, she would have been happy with jumping 20 feet. She jumped over one foot further than she expected.\nShe said her goal for the season is to beat her personal record set at last year's outdoor Big Ten Championships by jumping a high 22 feet "but 23 (feet) would be nice," she said.\nPate said he thinks this is a realistic goal for Richmond because she has continued to improve year after year.\n"I've never coached a person who has improved every year," he said. "She hasn't peaked yet."\nRichmond and her teammates will travel to Austin, Texas, this weekend for the Texas Relays.
(03/14/03 5:28am)
This weekend, the IU track and field team will send three of its top athletes to the NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., in hopes of bringing home titles in four events. Senior Rachelle Boone is competing in the 60- and 200-meter dashes, senior Danielle Carruthers is entered in the 60-meter dash and the 60-meter hurdles, and senior Rose Richmond is competing in the long jump. \nBoone currently owns the nation's second fastest time in the 60 and the fourth fastest time in the 200. She won titles in both events at the Big Ten Championships two weeks ago. Boone is a two-time runner-up in the 200 at NCAAs. \nBoone has not lost a race this year in either the 60 or 200, and coach Randy Heisler said he does not expect that to change this weekend.\n"She hasn't lost no matter where we've taken her," he said. "I wouldn't be surprised if after this weekend she still hasn't lost."\nCarruthers has the third fastest time in the hurdles and is seeded eighth in the dash. Last season she finished second in the hurdles. \nRichmond, who won a Big Ten title in the long jump two weeks ago, has the second best long jump nationally. This is the first season that Richmond has competed in the Indoor Championships, though she has traveled to three Outdoor Championships. Richmond said she is very excited and ready for this weekend.\nThough it was her goal to compete in the championships, she said she is not just settling for getting there.\n"Now that I've reached one goal, I have another," she said. And that goal is to win. \nCarruthers, who placed second in both the 60 dash and hurdles at Big Tens, also said she thinks she is ready for the competition this weekend. \n"I'm as ready as I'm going to be," she said. "I've worked hard and tried to stay positive."\nCarruthers added that she is placing a realistic amount of pressure on herself regarding her performance.\n"I want to run well," she said. "If that means first, then great. If not, I'd like to go out with the thought that I've done the best I could."\nHeisler said that there is a strong chance of IU capturing four indoor titles this weekend. \n"When you're as solid as they have been, anything can happen," he said. "I've never been as excited to go to this meet as I am right now"
(03/03/03 5:45am)
After two days of intense competition, the IU women's track and field team conceded defeat to a strong Michigan squad at the Big Ten Championships in the Gladstein Fieldhouse. The two teams battled for control of the meet both Saturday and Sunday, and the title was up for grabs until the last individual event, the 5000-meter run, in which the Wolverines proved their depth by scoring 13 points, making it impossible for the Hoosiers to come back with only the 4x400 relay left to be run. \nThough disappointing, coach Randy Heisler said the second place finish is "nothing to be ashamed of." Heisler said he knew going into the meet that the defending conference champs would be tough to beat, but he said he's proud that the team exceeded even his expectations of keeping the score close up until the final events. Michigan finished with 129.5 points and IU had 115. Penn State finished third with 87. \n"I wouldn't say we lost, they just had more points," he said. "(Our team) did everything they could have done. They gave everything they could. I am really, really proud of them."\nIU was behind Michigan by only a half-point because of several strong showings in the field events Saturday evening after day one of competition. Senior Rose Richmond led the Hoosier domination of the long jump as the team placed four jumpers within the top seven. Richmond's personal best jump of 6.48 meters took first place in addition to breaking the Fieldhouse record. Senior Tandra Foster, junior Jennifer Cobbina and freshman Michelle Smith took fourth, fifth and seventh, respectively, to total a 21 point contribution from the long jumpers.\nFreshman Andrea Dalla Rosa also had a personal best performance this weekend in the shot put, which was good for fourth place. \nHeisler said he was especially impressed with IU's performances in the 60-, 200- and 400-meter dashes as well as the 60-meter hurdles. Senior Rachelle Boone finished first in both the 60 and the 200, and senior Danielle Carruthers was close behind to finish second in the 60 and third in the 200. Sophomore Ara Towns rounded off the sweep of the 60 with her third place finish in the event, running a personal best time in the process. Carruthers also finished second in the hurdles. Another sprinting standout was junior Chioma Ndubisi who took first place in the 400-meter dash. \nBoone, who set a Big Ten record in the semifinals of the 60, said she's proud of the way the Hoosiers stepped up against such a strong Michigan team.\n"I'm glad everyone gave it all they could," Boone said. \nCarruthers said she too knew that Michigan's depth would be difficult to overcome. "I'm not disappointed at all," she said.
(02/28/03 6:19am)
Less than two months ago, senior long jumper Rose Richmond was forced to stay behind as her team left for the season's opening meet against Michigan. Richmond was sidelined with a hamstring injury just days before the meet. For the next three weeks, Richmond was only permitted to do minor conditioning as she received treatment twice a day for her injury. \n"It was the worst three weeks of my life," she said. \nSince her first competitive appearance Feb. 7 at the Indiana Invitational, Richmond has improved each week and is seeded second in the conference, out of first by only seven centimeters. She has accomplished this even though she has taken no more than three of six jumps in competition so far this season. Richmond, the outdoor long jump Big Ten champion, qualified provisionally for the NCAA Indoor Championships last weekend at the Hoosier Hills Open. \nVertical and horizontal jump coach Wayne Pate said, despite Richmond's injury, she is peaking just in time to make an impact at the Big Ten Championships this weekend, which will be hosted by IU. \n"There's no telling how far she'll jump this weekend," he said. "I just know she'll jump farther than she ever has."\nCoach Randy Heisler said the injury may actually have long term benefits for Richmond in that now she is "recovered, fresh and jumping farther." Richmond has won the long jump in two of the three meets she has she has competed in, and finished second in the other. \nHeisler said he's confident Richmond will compete well this weekend because of her talent and competitive nature.\n"She does what she needs to do and more times than not she comes out on top," he said. \nPate said he considers Richmond a dependable jumper.\n"Over the years she's been the most explosive jumper I've ever coached," he said. \nRichmond said fellow jumpers senior Tandra Foster and juniors Jennifer Cobbina and Lauren Chesnut have helped push her to success. \n"When I see them doing well, it makes me want to do well too," she said. "I love having them with me. It wouldn't be fun being by myself."\nRichmond said she hopes to continue her track career after graduating but must achieve a 22-foot jump outdoors in order to do so. Her farthest jump last year was 21'06.75, and she said reaching that goal is important to her because she isn't ready to give up a sport she has loved since age six.\n"I love the sport. It's hard to stay away from it," she said. "When it's time to give it up I don't know what I'm going to do."\nRichmond and her teammates will be in action this Saturday and Sunday as the Hoosiers host the Big Ten Championships.
(02/28/03 6:08am)
Many question marks exist as to what this weekend's Big Ten Championships will bring for the women's track and field team, but coach Randy Heisler is confident of one thing.\n"The seniors are going to show up," he said. "They win -- that's what they do."\nHeisler said the seniors, including sprinters Danielle Carruthers and Rachelle Boone, jumpers Rose Richmond and Tandra Foster and thrower Kelley McKinney, have "changed the (track) program."\nEach of the above seniors is ranked within the top eight for the conference meet, which will be hosted by the No. 8 Hoosiers this Saturday and Sunday in the Gladstein Fieldhouse. \nMcKinney, who is ranked fourth in the weight throw, said she believes that her performances in the indoor season so far, as well as progress during practices, have prepared her for a strong conference meet. \n"I really believe that I can win personally," she said. "I know our team can win if we do our best."\nMcKinney said the team discussed how much effort it will take to win this weekend.\n"We know we need to leave everything out on the track," she said. \nThe squad's biggest challenge will come from a strong Michigan team. \nLast season, Michigan won the conference championship by just one and a half points, and McKinney said the rivalry will push the team to victory because it is "out for revenge."\n"There's no way we're going to let them come here and beat us on our own track," she said.\nHeisler said that the Wolverines' depth will pose a problem in the distance events as well as the 4x400 relay and the distance medley. The Hoosiers have experienced a gap in these events this season and are still waiting for a few of the runners to step up. \n"On paper it doesn't look close," Heisler said, but he remains optimistic that having the meet at home, in front of a home crowd will "fill in the question marks."\nOne part of the team that has showed its strength in this season is the sprinters. Boone is seeded first in both the 60- and 200-meter dashes. She has already automatically qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships in both events, and holds the third best time in the nation in the 60. \nFellow sprinter Carruthers has had an impressive season as well. Carruthers is seeded second in the 60-meter hurdles and eighth in the 60-meter dash. She has qualified automatically for the NCAA Championships in the hurdles, and currently holds the fourth fastest time in the nation this season. \nRichmond, who missed the first three meets of the season due to injury, has proved that she is in stride for a landmark performance this weekend. Richmond has improved her jumps in each of the three meets she has competed in, finishing first in two of them. Last weekend at the Hoosier Hills Open she achieved a personal record distance in addition to reaching a provisionally qualifying distance. Richmond is seeded second in the event and Foster, the defending indoor champ, is seeded third. \nRichmond said that the team is ready for the challenges this weekend will bring. \n"I think everyone is in the right frame of mind and everyone wants to win," she said. "Hopefully we can prove it Saturday and Sunday."\nThe action starts 9 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday at the Gladstein Fieldhouse.
(02/24/03 6:00am)
With the Big Ten Championship meet just a week away, the IU women's track and field team showed that they're on the right track Saturday at the Hoosier Hills Open. \n"We can win (the Big Tens) but we need to step up across the board," coach Randy Heisler said. \nThough team scores weren't kept, IU showed its progress by producing several personal and season bests.\n"We had some really, really good performances," Heisler said. \nSophomore Ara Towns qualified provisionally for the NCAA Championships in the 60-meter dash, running a personal best time of 7.43. \nAlso achieving personal records were junior Allyson Hammond and first place finisher sophomore Julie Shields, both in the mile. \nSenior Rose Richmond, who sat out the first three meets of the season due to injury, won the long jump with an NCAA provisional distance. \n"That shows that she's getting back, getting better," Heisler said of Richmond's performance. \nSenior Tandra Foster and junior Jennifer Cobbina took second and third in the event, respectively, showing "solid efforts," Heisler said. \nSenior Danielle Carruthers ran a season best time in the 60-meter hurdles, improving upon the automatic qualifying time she ran in Illinois. Though Carruthers welcomes the improvement, she said she's not completely satisfied with her progress.\n"I would like to be going into Big Tens faster," she said. \nCarruthers said she is confident about the team's performance going into the conference championships, and is especially encouraged by the progress that the sprinters are making. \n"They were using the meet to pull themselves together," she said. \nHeisler said he had hoped the Hoosier throwers would step up against the competition of the University of Florida. The school brought eight throwers who finished first through eighth place in the weight throw and had four of the top six finishes in the shot put. \n"I was a little disappointed from the standpoint that this was the best competition yet this year," Heisler said. "They didn't do bad, but we need them to be getting better."\nFreshman Jessica Gall finished first in the 3000-meter, followed by juniors Becky Obrecht and Audrey Geisler who took second and third, respectively. \nGall said that a team pep talk, in which Heisler outlined exactly what the team needs to do to win the conference title, has helped to motivate her for Big Tens. \n"Everyone is working hard and we know what we have to do," she said. "I'm excited for next week."\nThe Hoosiers will host the Big Ten Championships next Saturday and Sunday in the Gladstein Fieldhouse.
(02/21/03 6:23am)
IU women's track and field coach Randy Heisler said he is looking for big performances from all of his athletes this Saturday as the team hosts the Hoosier Hills Open. \n"It would send us into the conference on a high note if we have a good performance," he said. \nThe No. 8 squad will remain at IU March 1 and 2 for the Big Ten Championships, and Heisler said being at home should help the team both this Saturday and next weekend. At the Indiana Invitational, the last home meet, the athletes achieved 31 season bests.\n"I'm hopeful of the same atmosphere (for this weekend)," Heisler said. "The team needs the whole team to step up this week, so next week we can be even better."\nSenior Danielle Carruthers said she acknowledges that, at this point in the season, the focus shifts from personal performance to team performance.\n"Now I have to put myself out there for the team," she said. \nSo far in the season, Carruthers has done her part for the team by being a major point-scorer in the 60-meter hurdles as well as the 60- and 200-meter dashes. Carruthers has also qualified automatically for the NCAA Indoor Championships for the 60-meter hurdles and provisionally for the 60-meter dash. \nHer teammate, senior Rachelle Boone, has also made significant contributions to the team as one of the leading sprinters in the country. Boone has qualified automatically for both the 60- and 200- meter dashes. Her time in the 60 is the fourth fastest in the nation, and her 200 time is the eighth best in the nation.\nHeisler emphasized the importance of the distance runners stepping up and filling the gap that has existed this season. \n"We need four or five of the distance girls to be in scoring position," Heisler said, specifically mentioning sophomore Mindy Peterson, juniors Audrey Geisler and Becky Obrecht and freshman Jessica Gall.\nSophomore Larra Overton, an 800-meter runner, said the distance runners are on the right track for stepping up to fill the gap. \n"Everyone individually has done well," she said. "It's just a matter of everyone coming out and performing well on the same day."\nOverton said running at home this weekend will prove beneficial in preparing for the conference meet.\n"It will be really nice to run on our track before Big Tens, especially because we are hosting it," she said. \nThe Hoosier Hills Open will begin at noon Saturday in the Gladstein Fieldhouse.
(02/20/03 6:24am)
Senior sprinter Danielle Carruthers has assembled an impressive resume in her four years of running for the IU track team. \nDuring last year's outdoor Big Ten Championships, Carruthers won the 100m hurdle title with a time of 12.68, making her the owner of the fastest time in the world. Carruthers was the runner-up at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 60-meter hurdles. She won the 60-meter dash at the Big Ten Championship meet and in the process set an IU and meet record. \nSo far this season, Carruthers hasn't shown signs of slowing down. \n"She's running just fine," said coach Randy Heisler, pointing out that she currently has the second fastest collegiate hurdling time in the United States. "But to her that's not fast enough." \nCarruthers said she isn't satisfied with her performances this year.\n"I haven't been running bad, but I haven't been running well," she said. \nHeisler said he admires Carruthers' "desire to always be better." He mentioned last year's outdoor Big Ten Championships, in which Carruthers proved she was the world's fastest hurdler at that time. Carruthers would not allow herself to enjoy the accomplishment, Heisler said.\n"She was trying to figure out ways to get faster," he said. \nHeisler emphasized that Carruthers' refusal to settle on even her best performances makes her an extraordinary competitor. \n"She's her worst critic," he said. "That's what makes her good and causes her to have anxiety when it comes to competition."\nSprint coach Ed Beathea said he appreciates Carruthers' desire to be critical of her own progress.\n"(Coaching her) is rewarding in a lot of ways because she's very self-motivated," he said. \nCarruthers' self-criticism helps her to keep her world-ranked performances in perspective, he said.\nCarruthers plans to continue her track career after graduating, she said. \nShe got a taste of a professional running career last summer when she was included in the Track World Cup as a member of the relay pool for the 4 x 100m relay. Carruthers said in the future she hopes to compete in the Olympics.\nUntil then Carruthers will continue to leave her mark on IU track. Carruthers said she is glad that she, along with fellow senior Rachelle Boone, who is undefeated this season in the 60-meter dash, have established a strong reputation for IU sprinters. \nThis season is special for Carruthers because it is her senior season, she said.\n"It's a season of trying to find out what I can do," she said. \nCarruthers and the women's track team will host the Hoosier Hills meet this Saturday in the Gladstein Fieldhouse.
(02/17/03 5:19am)
After 31 season best performances at the Indiana Invitational, IU women's track and field coach Randy Heisler said he was looking for more stellar performances from his athletes over the weekend at the Canon IV Classic in Plainfield, Ind.\nAlthough the Hoosiers weren't as solid across the board as they were last weekend, Heisler said his athletes benefited from the meet, which was held on an indoor track within a 12-acre warehouse.\n"It gave our athletes a chance to compete in an adverse situation," he said. "I think we all grew up a little bit."\nTo prepare his team for the facilities, Heisler took his team to Indianapolis to practice on Wednesday, and he said this helped to downgrade the shock of seeing the facilities for the first time. \n"I'm glad we went up last week," he said. "I'm glad we got it out of the way."\nOverall, Heisler said the team competed well for being in such a "tough situation."\n"They did a pretty good job," he said. \nHeisler said freshman Andrea Dalla Rosa's first place finish in the shot put was impressive. Dalla Rosa recorded the second best throw of her life. \nDalla Rosa said she's not completely satisfied with her performance.\n"I felt I could've done better," she said. \nHeisler said he was pleased with her efforts this weekend. \n"She stepped in and did what she needed to do," he said. \nSenior Kelley McKinney, who finished third in the weight throw Friday, said she's disappointed that she didn't achieve her goal of qualifying provisionally for the NCAA Indoor Championships this weekend. But, she added she is now looking toward next weekend's meet in hopes of achieving her goal before Big Ten Championships March 1-2. \n"I wanted to get that done before then," she said. \nOther notable field event performances came from seniors Rose Richmond and Tandra Foster, who finished second and third in the long jump, respectively. \nSenior Danielle Carruthers had another opportunity to compete against the defending 60-meter hurdle champion Perdita Felicien of Illinois. Carruthers, despite hitting the second hurdle, finished just one-hundredth of a second behind Felicien. Carruthers also finished third in the 200-meter dash. \nSenior Rachelle Boone turned in yet another first place finish in the 200, and remains unbeaten in the event this season.\nA few distance runners also stepped up the pace this weekend. Freshman Jessica Gall finished with a personal record in the 3000-meter run, which was good for fourth place. Sophomore Mindy Peterson and junior Audrey Geisler both ran season bests in the mile, placing fifth and eighth, respectively. \nGeisler said that the race was a positive step forward toward Big Tens, and the progress will be beneficial to them mentally.\n"It wasn't the time I was hoping for, but it was a good confidence boost," she said. "Times are finally starting to come down"
(02/14/03 5:32am)
IU women's track and field coach Randy Heisler put forth an extra effort Wednesday to ensure a solid performance from his team this Friday and Saturday as the team travels to Indianapolis for the Canon IV Classic. \nHeisler took his athletes to Indianapolis for practice on Wednesday to get the experience of running on the banked track as well as to give the field event athletes the opportunity to see the facilities that they will be competing in. Heisler said the banked track is one of the major reasons that he chose to have his team participate in the meet this weekend. The track will be especially beneficial to athletes running the 200- and 400-meter dashes. \n"I'm especially looking forward to the mile and the 200," Heisler said, but added that he's looking for big performances from everyone. \n"We've got to go up there and be better than we were last week," he said.\nLast weekend at the Indiana Invitational, the Hoosiers finished with 31 season bests, and Heisler said the team needs another similar weekend in order to be on the right track for a strong showing at the Big Ten Championships March 1-2.\n"We're taking 27 athletes this weekend, and I want half of them to get season bests," he said. \nHeisler said he expects seniors Rachelle Boone and Danielle Carruthers to improve on their already exceptional times this weekend. \nThis week, Boone was named the Big Ten women's track and field Athlete of the Week for her impressive performances last weekend in the 60- and 200-meter dashes. Boone ran an NCAA qualifying time of 7.26 in the 60-meter dash, and qualified provisionally for the 200. Boone currently owns the third fastest time in the nation in the 60 and the fifth best in the 200. \nFreshman thrower Andrea Dalla Rosa said seeing the less-than-stellar facilities ahead of time will help her this weekend.\n"It would have been a big surprise," she said. "Not knowing that I had to adjust would've thrown me off."\nDalla Rosa, who finished first place last weekend in the shot put with a throw that beat her personal record by two feet, said that the mental block she struggled with at the beginning of the season has dissipated but some anxiety still remains during competition. \n"Now I'm using (the anxiety) to help me," she said. \nSenior thrower Kelley McKinney, who also threw a personal best in the weight throw last weekend, said her goal is to qualify provisionally for the NCAA Championships. \n"My goal for the day is to throw 18.50 (meters)," she said.
(02/10/03 5:54am)
The IU women's track and field team proved that it is taking the right steps toward a successful season Friday and Saturday at the Indiana Invitational. Though team scores weren't recorded, coach Randy Heisler said he was very encouraged by the efforts put forth by the team.\n"It was a great weekend for us," he said. \nLast week, Heisler said he considered the Indiana Invitational a "practice run" for the Big Ten Championships. Saturday, after six first place performances from the Hoosiers as well as several personal records and season-bests, Heisler said he is a bit more at ease with his team's progress.\n"I feel better about Big Tens than I did Friday," he said. \nThe sprinters continued their impressive season, led by senior Rachelle Boone with first place finishes in both the 60- and 200-meter dashes. Boone, who has yet to be beaten this year in either event, finished with NCAA automatic qualifying times both Friday and Saturday and set a Gladstein Fieldhouse record for the 60 Friday with a time of 7.26. Boone also qualified provisionally for the 200.\nBoone said she is satisfied with her performances this weekend and, though pleased, she did not expect to run such good times so consistently at this point in the season. \n"God has let me run some ridiculously good times," she said. \nBoone noted that her best competition comes from teammate senior Danielle Carruthers, who finished second in the 60 and also improved her time. \nHeisler said he considers himself "fortunate to have them."\n"They feed off of each other," he said. "It's very healthy."\nBoone said she is particularly proud of sophomores Ara Towns and Karla Marshall, who set personal records in the 60 and 200, respectively. \nBoth Boone and Heisler said they were impressed by sophomore Charlene Maddox's performance in the 4x400 relay. Maddox, who competed for the first time this season on Saturday, contributed to the season-best time in the relay. \nAlso competing for the first time this year because of injuries were seniors Rose Richmond and Tandra Foster. Richmond placed first in the long jump, and Foster took second. The two only took three of six jumps so as not to aggravate their injuries.\n"It's great to have them back," Heisler said of Maddox, Richmond and Foster.\nThe strong finish in the long jump marked only one of several solid field event performances. Junior Lauren Chesnut won the triple jump, and freshman Andrea Dalla Rosa placed first in the shot put. Both Dalla Rosa and junior Jaclyn Taylor set personal records in the shot put by over two feet. Senior Kelley McKinney also had a strong performance in the weight throw with a season-best throw and a first place finish.\nThe mid-distance and distance squads complemented the impressive efforts in the sprints and field events with a few exceptional performances of their own. Distance events were highlighted by freshman Lindsay Hattendorf and her first place finish in the 5000-meter run. Freshman Jessica Gall finished second in the mile, and Chioma Ndubisi was the runner-up in the 400-meter dash with an indoor career-best time. \nSophomore Mindy Peterson added a second place finish in the 800 -- one of the few events that the Hoosiers have yet to dominate. Peterson said she was "happy, but not satisfied" with her performance, but impressed by the overall results of the meet.\n"Everyone performed a lot better than what we have been," she said. \nPeterson said she believes the team is on the "right track" for a successful appearance at Big Tens, which is less than a month away and will be hosted by IU. \nPeterson said she considers her efforts this weekend as a "little step forward" and is eager to compete again next week.\nThe Hoosiers will travel to Indianapolis for the Canon IV Classic next Friday and Saturday.
(02/07/03 6:18am)
IU women's track and field coach Randy Heisler said that he expects his entire team to step it up a notch this weekend when the No. 8 Hoosiers host the Indiana Invitational.\n"We need everyone to come together," he said. "Everyone in every event needs to do what they're supposed to do."\nHeisler said that this meet is particularly important because it is a "practice run" for the Big Ten Championship meet. With 700-800 athletes from 25 teams inside the Gladstein Fieldhouse, the atmosphere will be similar to the loud, somewhat hectic atmosphere of the Big Ten meet. The Indiana Invitational begins at 4 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday. \nThough not completely satisfied with his team's overall performance thus far, Heisler said that he is pleased that the team seems to be getting closer to realizing its full potential. \n"We're getting there," he said. \nLast weekend the team turned in several impressive performances, including a personal record and first place finish from thrower senior Kelley McKinney in the weight throw, an automatic NCAA Championship qualifying time from senior Danielle Carruthers in the 60-meter hurdles and two first place finishes from senior Rachelle Boone in the 60 and 200 meter dashes. \n"The team's very solid actually across the board," said Heisler. \nBoone also said she thinks that the team is coming together and is especially encouraged by the performances of some of the freshmen runners. \n"They're really running well for freshmen," Boone said. \nAreas Heisler said he is still looking for improvement from the 600 and 800-meter runs. He said that he has placed eight or nine runners in those two events, and he expects at least two or three to step up to the Big Ten level.\nJunior Jennifer Cobbina, who finished first in the long jump at last weekend's meet, said that she's jumping farther than she was at this point last year so she is on track for achieving her goal of a 6.0 meter jump. Last weekend Cobbina jumped 5.7m and her furthest jump in competition thus far in the season has been 5.73m in the season-opener. \nCobbina said that not having to travel to the meet this weekend will make a difference in the way the Hoosiers will compete.\nWhen the team is on the road "it's hard to P.R. (personal record)," Cobbina said. "I'm looking forward to this weekend because it's a home meet."\nTwenty-five teams will be present at the meet, including Purdue, Indiana State and the University of Indianapolis.
(02/06/03 7:14am)
Senior Rachelle Boone hasn't always been known for her 60- and 200-meter performances. Until high school, Boone's sport of choice was soccer. Her teammates urged her to try running track, and she immediately caught the coach's attention. \n"The coach wouldn't let me leave track," she said. \nAnd understandably so. \nBoone has had an impressive indoor track career at IU, as she holds the school record for both the 60- and 200-meter dashes and is a two-time NCAA runner-up in the 200 and capturing the Big Ten Championship in the 200 last year. \nSo far this season, Boone has shown no signs of slowing down and said she is actually ahead of where she was at this point last year.\n"I didn't expect to run as fast as I did last weekend," she said. \nLast weekend in Champaign, Ill., in a meet against Illinois, Missouri and Eastern Illinois, Boone won both the 60- and 200-meter dashes, as well as anchoring the first place 4x400-meter relay team. She qualified provisionally for the NCAA Indoor Championships for the 60 and 200 and set a track record for the 60-meter dash. \nWomen's track and field coach Randy Heisler, on the other hand, said he wasn't surprised by Boone's impressive performances last weekend against the toughest competition yet this season. \n"She always runs her fastest in the biggest races," he said. "And once she gets in the lead, no one will pass her."\nSprint coach Ed Beathea said Boone's work ethic plays a large part in her success. \n"She is an easy athlete to work with because she has a strong desire to do well," he said. \nHeisler said he agrees with Beathea, but adds that Boone's tough work ethic sometimes drives her to work too hard. \n"We have to watch her carefully to make sure she doesn't do too much," Heisler said. \nBoone's strong determination became especially helpful during high school when she became pregnant with her now 5-year-old son. She said many people didn't believe that she could become competitive again, but she was motivated by wanting to provide for her son. \n"I want to give him what I didn't have growing up," she said. \nThough Boone isn't a vocal leader, Beathea said he considers her a strong example for the younger sprinters.\n"She is more of a leader by action," he said. "She's more of a motivated, determined-type leader."\nHeisler said he especially admires Boone's focus and calmness. \n"Nothing rattles her," he said. "(Her mentality is) 'Show me where the lane is and get out of the way.'" \nBoone said she tries to be a positive role model for the other runners. \n"They look up to us -- me, (sprinter) Danielle (Carruthers), (jumper/sprinter) Rose (Richmond) and (jumper) Tandra (Foster)," she said.\nBoone and the IU women's track and field team will be competing this Friday and Saturday at the Indiana Invitational in the Gladstein Fieldhouse.