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(12/12/11 5:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Indiana’s track and field team officially kicked off its indoor season by participating in the Hoosier Open on Dec. 9, at Gladstein Fieldhouse.The night’s marquee event was the men’s 5000-meter race, where seven IU men attempted to qualify for nationals. All Hoosiers, however, fell short of the 13:44.06 mark for an automatic bid.Senior Ben Hubers finished second with a time of 13:46.07. Senior Andrew Poore crossed the finish line right behind him in third place at 13:47.05. Northern Arizona’s Diego Estrada won the event, setting a Gladstein record at 13:39.54.“We didn’t get the automatic bid, but last year, 13:48 got into the meet,” IU Coach Ron Helmer said. “There’s a really good chance that the two times Hubers and Poore ran tonight will hold up and put them into the national meet. And if it doesn’t, then we’ll run it again in February.”Though Hubers did not attain the necessary time to qualify for Nationals, his finish was just six seconds short of his career best, which he set at last year’s NCAA Championships.“We ran a good race,” Hubers said. “It’s disappointing because we did this for the purpose of qualifying, but it’s also difficult to be that disappointed when I was six seconds off my best time in December. That’s pretty unheard of.”Hubers said he was still glad they decided to run the race this December as a way to assess the team’s conditioning.“It’s a great way to tell where we’re at physically,” he said. “I know a lot of us are tired, but obviously we can perform pretty well when we’re tired. The only way we’re going to find out is if we do it.”Although IU didn’t win the 5000-meter race or claim a spot in the national meet, there were plenty of other winners for IU.Sophomore Kyla Buckley won a pair of events with her performances in the women’s shot put and weight throw. Senior Kind Butler and junior Aireonna Bailey both won their respective 55- and 300-meter races.Butler’s time of 6.27 in the 55-meter dash ranks sixth all time on the IU list, while his 300-meter dash set an IU record at 33.57.“He showed us last year that he’s very talented,” Helmer said. “That was a great performance, and he’s way ahead of where he has ever been this time of year.”Butler, a 200-meter All-American, said he wasn’t focused on trying to break records in either of his races.“I was really hoping to go a little bit faster in both of them, but starting our first meet with both of those times is pretty good,” he said. “I’m not really thinking about (records). I’m just thinking about Olympic trials.”Helmer said the team will have some down time before its next meet, allowing the athletes to focus on finals and go home for break. That doesn’t mean the training will stop, though.“If I’m taking a break, somebody else is getting better,” Butler said. “I can’t have that.”
(12/09/11 4:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It might be the first of the track season, but the 5000-meter race could have plenty of significance for the Hoosiers.Both men’s and women’s track & field teams will start their season with the Hoosier Open at 6 p.m. today in Gladstein Fieldhouse. The night will be slightly different than the rest of the season and more reminiscent of traditional indoor track meets. There will be a 55-meter race as opposed to the typical 60 meters. Instead of the usual 200-, 400-, 600- and 800-meter races, there will be 300-, 500- and 1000-meter races. All times will be recorded and converted, though, in case any IU or Big Ten records are broken.Even with the changes to the meet, the night’s marquee event will belong to the men’s 5000 meters, where they will attempt to qualify for Nationals. IU Coach Ron Helmer said junior Andy Bayer, senior Ben Hubers, junior Zach Mayhew and senior Andrew Poore will run for the Hoosiers.“The guys are excited, feeling like they’re good enough, old enough,” Helmer said. “It’s not going to hurt us in any way to take a shot. If we get a couple of people to qualify, then that will take a little bit of pressure off later on. We are still fit coming off a little down time. If I didn’t think we could do it, we wouldn’t.”The Hoosiers normally run this race in January, sometime after winter break. When Helmer was approached about the possibility of doing it earlier, he discussed it with his runners, who were all for it, he said.“I think everyone’s excited about getting to run fast one last time before break,” Poore said. “We’re a little disappointed with the way cross-country season ended. We’re looking at this as a chance to redeem ourselves a little bit.”Men’s cross-country last raced Nov. 21, finishing seventh in the nation for the second consecutive year. “Since we were all in pretty good shape from cross-country, it made sense to get one good effort in before break when we split up, and we’re away from the track for a while,” Poore said. “Then it’ll give us a chance to enjoy break, if we do qualify for Nationals, and rest for a while. We’re trying to take a big leap in this race, but it’s not too big that we can’t expect to do it.”As for the entire track team, Helmer said he expects this first meet to be the starting point for a potential Big Ten Championship run after the men finished second last season and the women finished third.“I think we have a shot,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of events where we can score a lot of points. There are going to be some fun things happening. All we want is a shot.”
(11/15/11 2:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The women’s cross country team might not attend the NCAA Championships, but it will send a representative on its behalf.Junior Samantha Ginther was selected as an individual qualifier for Monday’s national meet after finishing 14th in Saturday’s 6K NCAA Regional with a time of 20:58.3.The NCAA chooses the top four individual runners from each region whose teams did not reach the championship race. In the Great Lakes Region, Michigan and Michigan St. grabbed the automatic qualifying bids, while Notre Dame, Toledo and Wisconsin received at-large bids.Ginther was awarded the second individual qualifying spot, which helps her and her teammates, IU Coach Ron Helmer said.“The fact that she ran well enough to put herself in that position validates the work she has been doing,” he said. “For those people that have been a little bit frustrated with their racing and didn’t get that reward at the end, they can still see that they’re very close to being in a national meet.“To have that many more people who can work with her every day and are very much at her level, it should give everybody confidence that they’re doing what they need to do.”Ginther admitted to being excited upon hearing the official announcement, though she had already been prepared for it.“I’d been told beforehand that I had a pretty good chance of getting in, so I wasn’t super surprised,” she said. “But I was really happy making it.”Regardless of whether or not she can run for an All-America spot in the present, Helmer said he expects Ginther’s participation in the NCAA Championships to be of even greater benefit in the future.“Experience at that level counts a whole lot,” he said. “Once you’ve been there, it’s easier to feel like you belong there the next time, and just seeing what people do to be successful in that environment is a great learning opportunity, as well.”Though Ginther would rather be running with the rest of her teammates, she said she realizes she will be there as the lone representative to show what the Hoosier women are capable of doing.“Our team as a whole is a better representation, and I wish they could be there with me,” Ginther said. “I just need to relax, keep doing what I’ve been doing all season and not treat it any differently than any other meet.”
(11/14/11 5:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For the second straight year, the men’s cross country team is heading to the NCAA Championships.The Hoosiers placed six runners on the All-Regional squad as four men and two women finished in the top 25 of their respective races.The men clinched their tournament berth during the weekend with an automatic qualification by finishing second in the 10K NCAA Great Lakes Regional with 70 points. The men finished 20 points behind Wisconsin.Senior Ben Hubers led the way for Indiana in the 10K run, finishing fifth overall in 30:21.3. Running right next to him was junior Zach Mayhew, who also finished in 30:21.3 and was awarded sixth place. Andrew Poore placed seventh with a time of 30:25.0. Adrien Dannemiller grabbed the 23rd spot at 30:52.0, and Andy Weatherford rounded out IU’s scoring with a time of 31:00.0, good for 29th place.The men ran at a controlled pace, increasing their speed in 2K increments. Their plan was to run well but not overtax themselves before the NCAA Championships next Monday. “They did exactly what we wanted them to,” IU Coach Ron Helmer said. “They moved well and recovered fairly quickly. That’s a reaffirmation that we’re getting out of the race exactly what we needed to, so everyone’s encouraged.”The women also ran this weekend, taking seventh place with 191 points as their season came to an end.Junior Samantha Ginther paced the women in their 6K race. She completed the race in 20:58.3 at 14th overall. Senior Chelsea Blanchard finished 25th in 21:16.6. Junior Caitlin Engel and seniors Helene DeLone and Breanne Ehrman were the other women to score for the Hoosiers.Though the women’s season came to a close Saturday, Helmer said he was pleased with the way they ran after their Big Ten Championships performance.“We didn’t get the result we still would have liked to (have) had, but I felt like we had a far better effort,” Helmer said. “They could have gone and packed it in and hung their heads after a pretty poor showing at the Big Ten meet, but I thought they represented themselves well.”Still, the women’s performance never met expectations this year.“I’m still disappointed we weren’t able to accomplish more,” Helmer said. “We came up a little short on race days on a regular basis, so that’s probably as much on me as anybody else. We came up short of our goals and short of what I think is reasonable to expect, given our talent, but I think it’s coming.”The men’s team, on the other hand, is still in the midst of a championship run with one race remaining. This week of practice won’t be too strenuous, Helmer said. “We look at (the Regional) as being our last really hard workout,” he said. “Yes, it was a race, but we controlled it early, and we built all the way through with the mid-race progression runs like a workout. We have to make sure we don’t get too relaxed or too stale, and we should be just fine.”
(11/11/11 4:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The national meet is quickly approaching, but first, the cross country teams must focus on qualifying.That’s where the NCAA Regional comes in.Hoosier men and women’s cross country teams will look to qualify Saturday at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional in Toledo, Ohio.The men said they are confident they will make a return to Nationals. They need to finish in the top two of their 10k for an automatic bid but can also qualify based on their at-large points if they don’t finish first or second.Junior Zach Mayhew, who finished 24th in last year’s Regional, said he was aiming for a top-15 finish. However, he won’t go too hard if it puts him at risk of overtaxing his body nine days before the big race.“We’re going to take it easy but make sure we get the qualification for nationals,” Mayhew said. “There’s something to be said about having a good race because that sets you up well for next week confidence-wise, but the most important part is to feel good coming out of this race. We don’t want to overdo it.”The women, on the other hand, will have a harder time qualifying in the 6k based on the season they have had.“They just need to put what’s happened behind them and trust that their fitness is good,” IU Coach Ron Helmer said. “To think that (the women) are going to qualify for the national meet would be a huge stretch, but they still need to finish off this season positively, and I think they’re ready to do that.”
(11/07/11 5:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There were no team scores recorded this weekend, but for two cross country runners, the individual times would suffice.True freshman Brianna Johnson finished first among Hoosiers and third overall while redshirt freshman JR Ricker finished first in Friday’s Hoosier Invitational. With their finishes, Johnson and Ricker earned IU’s seventh and final spots for next Saturday’s NCAA Regional, which were left vacant by IU Coach Ron Helmer, who said he got what he wanted by creating competition within his teams.“I liked what I saw,” Helmer said. “I liked the idea that they wanted to be the person that gets to go to the next level and mix it up at an NCAA Regional meet. They’re both going to be in situations where we will be better if they can go back in and hit one, and they will. They’ll be just fine.”Johnson paced Indiana in the women’s 5K with a time of 18:39.46. Redshirt freshman Molly Winters came in fourth, and redshirt freshman Christine Kirby finished seventh. Johnson was cognizant of the chance that awaited her at the finish line.“I really wanted the opportunity to run at Regionals next weekend,” Johnson said. “Throughout the race, that was my motivation to keep going and run faster.”Just as Johnson has earned a spot on the Regional squad, so has Ricker, pacing the men with a 25:30.05 time. Redshirt freshman Evan Esselink, junior Nate Morrow, sophomore Joe Holahan and redshirt freshman Nolan Fife placed third through sixth in the men’s 8K.Ricker achieved his goal of racing with “the big dogs” by increasing his pace with 2K remaining to widen the gap on the field. That move helped secure a win, Ricker said.He said he’s already looking forward to Saturday’s meet, and he’s not worried about the magnitude of the moment affecting him.“I have nothing to lose,” Ricker said. “I’m looking at it as I need to go out there, give it all I have and just go for it.”
(11/04/11 4:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It may not have as much prominence as the Big Ten Championships or the NCAA Regional, but for runners like redshirt freshman JR Ricker, Friday’s race looms large.That’s because the winner of the Hoosier Invitational, which begins at 3:30 p.m. at the IU cross country course, will earn the seventh and final spot in the NCAA Great Lakes Regional on Nov. 12.IU Coach Ron Helmer said the idea was implemented to foster competition and reward runners who have worked hard and showed steady progress.“I want to make it about competition,” Helmer said. “They like it. Everybody needs a season-culminating meet, otherwise you have few opportunities. We did it last year, and they really got ready for it and did a great job with it.”Helmer said it’s up to the younger runners to carry the torch since the veteran-laden group at the top that won’t be around much longer.“I’m looking forward to watching them because what we need to do is make sure that we become known for our abilities and line-up and race no matter what the circumstances,” Helmer said. “We still need to be able to race well when we’re given that opportunity, so I want to see who’s willing to do that.”Ricker is among the competitors vying for a chance to race again next weekend. The Cathedral High School graduate said he is ready to prove himself.“I’m very excited,” Ricker said. “My mindset is to try and win it so I can get into the mindset of running with the older guys, the faster guys. It’s about time to start really competing and mix myself in with the big dogs.”
(10/28/11 1:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>You wouldn’t know it by looking at the last couple of race results from the Hoosier cross country teams, but they’re rested, and they’re ready.After going with split squads in the Pre-Nationals and adidas Invitational, the cross country teams will be whole again when they chase a Big Ten crown Sunday at the Big Ten Championships in Champaign, Ill.IU Coach Ron Helmer said the team’s mentality hasn’t changed in the week leading to this race, but the magnitude has. The men’s 8K and women’s 6K will be run like normal races.“I don’t think there’s anyone particularly more focused or more into it, but maybe more relaxed and more together, which is where they need to be,” Helmer said. “They’ve been pretty dialed in and focused all year long.”The men finished second in last year’s championship, falling to Wisconsin, which won its 12th consecutive Big Ten Championships title. IU junior Andy Bayer led the way for the Hoosiers, placing second overall. Bayer was able to learn from last year’s experience and plans to make use of it to help his team.“With a little more patience, I probably could have won it last year,” he said. “Just from that, I know when I need to make a move and when I don’t. The individual championship isn’t as important to me. We want to make sure we’re winning the team race.”Winning is something the No. 7 Hoosiers said they know they can do.“With everyone back and together I think it can be a really different story,” Bayer said. “Everyone is ready to go surprise some people.”The women also proclaim themselves ready after finishing fifth last year. They are coming off two disappointing finishes, but Helmer said he expects a bounce-back performance.“The reason I wasn’t thrilled was because of what I perceive to be a big gap between their preparation and work level and their racing level,” he said. “There’s certainly a confidence and understanding that they’re much better than what they’ve been up to this point, so I’m pretty confident we’ll see a nice improvement out of them.”Junior Samantha Ginther, who finished 32nd overall in the 2010 Big Ten Championships, agreed with Helmer’s sentiment.“We’re excited to redeem ourselves,” she said. “I expect us to go out and race as a team, compete well and be in competition for the championship.”The Hoosiers have spent the last few weeks preparing for the championship season. They trained themselves to the point of wearing down, have tapered off the mileage and intensity of workouts recently and believe they are hitting their stride at the right time.“We definitely have pulled back enough and freshened up enough that there’s bounce in (our) legs,” Helmer said. “We’re much closer to Wisconsin than what our results this year have shown. Wisconsin will know that we’re around.”
(10/17/11 2:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Both the men and women cross country teams competed in the adidas Invitational on Friday in Madison, Wis., The men finished fifth in their 8K race, while the women ran a 6K and came in 29th.Senior Andrew Poore led the way for the Hoosiers, finishing 23rd overall with a time of 24:13.“I was hoping we were going to be in the top five, and we accomplished that,” IU Coach Ron Helmer said. “We were just solid. Nobody had a great race.”Junior Samantha Ginther led the way for the women with her time of 21:07.“I wasn’t happy with where our women raced,” Helmer said. “They’re much better than that. They need to have enough confidence to go into that kind of environment, and we just didn’t do a good enough job of that.“I just think the women don’t understand how good they are and aren’t experienced enough to go and put themselves in the right position.”The men and women were back at it Sunday in the Pre-Nationals in Terre Haute. This time, the men ran eighth, and the women finished 35th.The Hoosiers split their teams up, running each athlete only once this weekend in an attempt to give more guys and girls the experience to finish in scoring position for the team. They also did this to save their legs from further taxing, Helmer said.“We’re still training really hard,” Helmer said. “They’re just flat, just tired. We’re not quite fresh enough to be who I know we’re going to be once we back off a little bit.”The plan now is for the Hoosiers to begin reducing their work load in preparation for the Big Ten Championships in two weeks. Helmer expects his team to tone down their workouts and slightly lessen their mileage, but he’s still confident in his teams’ ability to ratchet their performances up a notch when the time calls for it. “We’re ready now to freshen up a little bit and get ready for the championship season on fresher legs and finish these races like I know we can,” he said.
(10/14/11 3:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers will be busy this weekend, racing twice in three days.Both men’s and women’s cross country teams will compete in the adidas Invitational on Friday in Madison, Wis., and then again in the Pre-Nationals on Sunday in Terre Haute, Ind., the site of this year’s NCAA Championships.“There are still big steps that we can take,” IU Coach Ron Helmer said. “We have to be able to go into the last part of the season with confidence, relaxation and composure.” The women will run a 6K in both races, while the men will run an 8K. Every runner will race this weekend, but each runner will only participate in one of the meets, Helmer said. This weekend will give 10 men and women a chance to score and gain experience racing under pressure.“I’m really excited for this weekend,” junior Caitlin Engel said. “If we can get out there and run in a pack, we are definitely more successful. Running together makes it feel a lot easier, like we’re just going for a run rather than actually doing work.”Helmer emphasized that while neither race is necessarily more important than the other, the teams’ performances this weekend are essential to readying themselves for the schedule’s home stretch.“This can’t be one of those weekends where we get knocked on our butt and question ourselves,” Helmer said. “Nor does it need to be one of those weekends where we just go right to the front and prove to everyone that we’re this incredible cross country team. “It just needs to be a good, solid effort so that when we all come together and line up nine people at the Big Ten meet, we have a chance to know that we’re going to be better.”
(10/11/11 2:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>What is it that separates the elite Division I athletes from the rest?Ask the top Hoosier cross country runners and they’ll tell you it’s their mentality, that not everyone has the fortitude to endure the day-to-day, mental grind.“You’ve got to be tough,” junior Andy Bayer said. “No matter how talented you are, when you’re running 10,000 meters, it’s not going to feel good.”Part of the challenge for runners is having the discipline to do the little things others don’t want to do, senior Andrew Poore explained. “On distance runners specifically, you have to be willing to make lifestyle changes,” he said. “It’s very different from the normal college student.”Whether it is going on runs between classes or staying in on a weekend to make sure they get enough sleep, runners must always put running first to be elite, Poore said.That late-night call for pizza? Forget about it.IU Coach Ron Helmer is now in his fifth season at IU coaching men’s and women’s track and field and cross country, and he spent eight years at Georgetown University prior to his arrival in Bloomington. After seeing hundreds of collegiate runners, Helmer said he knows when someone has the mindset of an elite athlete.“You have to love to compete,” Helmer said. “Obviously, you have to be talented. You have to train at a very high level, but none of that matters if you don’t have the ability to go into those high-pressure situations and be able to enjoy that challenge.”Helmer said the difference between good and great in distance running lies in one’s confidence and swagger, the runner’s ability to line up every day and give the opponent their best shot without regard for how well anyone else performs.Bayer, Poore, seniors Adrien Dannemiller and Ben Hubers all have that quality, Helmer said.Dannemiller agreed, noting how important confidence is to a runner’s success.“You have to know that you can run with the top guys,” Dannemiller said. “You can’t be afraid. Even when you know that you’re not the most talented person in the field, if someone is having a bad day or they mess up, I’m going to be there to pick up the pieces and beat them.”But it’s not just about being ready whenever someone slips up. The elite runners know they are the best but are humble enough to respect the sport and their competitors.“I know I’m an elite runner, but I don’t like to think of myself in those terms,” Hubers said. “It keeps me looking forward as opposed to looking backward and keeps me motivated to do the next big thing.”Unlike some schools that only train during the school year, IU trains year-round to keep its performers in peak condition. Though the runners admit it can be a difficult workload to handle, they said they have all embraced cross country running and said the rewards of the experience are worth the time consumed.And to those who think elite athletes are crazy for spending too much time honing their craft and not enough partying and having fun, Poore isn’t buying that.“What you get out of putting yourself into something 100 percent is definitely worth the fun and games you could have had in college,” Poore said. “You’ll still be young after college, plenty of time to have fun.”For now, Poore and his teammates will continue to compete in their quest to be best, they said, despite the amount of time and work yet to be put in.
(10/03/11 2:22am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Indiana men’s and women’s cross country teams came up short in their bids for an upset, as each team placed second Saturday at the Cowboy Jamboree in Stillwater, Okla.Junior Samantha Ginther and senior Adrien Dannemiller paved the way for their respective teams in the annual event. Ginther completed the women’s 6K in 17:25.86 to finish fifth overall, while Dannemiller completed the men’s 8K in 24:17.34 for 11th place.The Hoosiers’ women’s team scored 81 points but fell just shy of the host team, No. 23-ranked Oklahoma St., which scored 73.Following Ginther was junior Caitlin Engel in ninth with a time of 17:38.96.Indiana Intercollegiate winner Chelsea Blanchard placed 20th overall, finishing in 18:03.97, followed by senior Breanne Ehrman in 21st at 18:05.61. Junior Arianne Raby, 18:09.69, finished 26th to round out the scoring for IU.In the men’s event, two-time defending champion Oklahoma St. was victorious. The No. 6 Hoosiers could not keep this race as close as the women’s team had done.The men finished the tournament with 89 points but were beaten soundly by the Cowboys’ tally of 54.Finishing right behind Dannemiller was senior Ben Hubers in 12th at 24:18.41. Also placing in the top 20 were Andrew Poore and Zach Mayhew, 15th and 16th, respectively. Poore completed the race in 24:23.37, and Mayhew finished with a time of 24:23.64.Junior Ben Bizuneh capped off Indiana’s scoring with his 35th-place finish in 24:53.57.The Hoosiers will return to action Oct. 14 at the adidas Invitational in Madison, Wis.
(09/30/11 3:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The men’s cross country team is in new territory.According to the latest coach’s poll, they are now No. 6 in the country , which marks their highest ranking in school history.The last time IU competed, the women’s team won the Indiana Intercollegiate, beating Butler by 44 points. The men placed second, losing to Purdue by five points.The team will have many of their runners back who sat out the last competition as they prepare for two-time defending champion Oklahoma State at the Cowboy Jamboree Saturday in Stillwater, Okla. The men will run an 8K and the women will run a 6K in one of the largest non-championship cross country meets that has taken place at OSU since 1934.Senior Ben Hubers, who sat out the Intercollegiate to continue training, said the team has embraced the new ranking and the pressure that comes with it.“I think it’s something we can live up to as a team,” he said. “We’ll see how we stack up against them.”IU Coach Ron Helmer said he has little concern for any additional burden his Hoosier teams will face while running against stiff competition.“It’s going to be fun to watch other people put pressure on themselves because they have to run against us,” he said. “We’ll get to see this weekend how good we are.”
(09/30/11 2:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The importance of history is often overstated yet underappreciated. Unless you are affiliated with IU’s cross country program.It has been 20 years since its last Big Ten title and 69 years since its last national championship, but don’t let the large numbers fool you. IU’s cross country team is steeped in tradition, dating back to the early 20th century.“Our cross country program has always been a very honored part of Indiana track and field,” said Chuck Crabb, assistant athletics director for facilities, who is now entering his 36th year in the department.Indiana has seen its cross country team produce three team national championships in 1938, 1940 and 1942. It has also been witness to five individual national titles from four people, including Fred Wilt (’41), Kim Betz (’87), Michelle Dekkers (’88) and Bob Kennedy (’88, ’92).The roots of success, though, began to emerge in the 1930s and 1940s during the era of track and field/cross country head coach Billy Hayes and research scientist and assistant coach Dr. Sid Robinson. Their tag-teaming guided IU to eight Big Ten championships. Hayes’ dominance persuaded the NCAA to recognize his success by creating the Billy Hayes Memorial Trophy, which was awarded to all national cross country champions until the 1970s.“When you go back to the ’30s, there were just unbelievable performances under Billy Hayes and Dr. Sid Robinson,” Crabb said.The success of the program, however, faded somewhat after Hayes’ retirement and later death in 1943. In the time since, the program has seen its fair share of peaks and valleys as a team but has managed to produce a steady number of individual stars.“Coming in, I didn’t know a ton, but I knew they had been pretty good in the past,” redshirt junior Andy Bayer said. “I didn’t know all about the sweet history I know now.”Some of that sweet history includes the IU men’s cross country team reaching the NCAA championships 33 times, ninth most among all Division I schools. There have also been 40 Hoosier participants in the Olympics, which have produced 13 medals. One of those Olympians was Bob Kennedy, who head coach Ron Helmer said affected his decision to come to IU as the head coach in 2007.“I knew Bob Kennedy, and for (him) it had been a really great experience,” Helmer said. “Part of (coming here) was the challenge of building something at a place where there is tradition.”Since Helmer joined the Hoosiers, the team’s trajectory has shot upward. The men finished seventh last year, and the women appeared in the NCAA championships for the first time since 2004. But both teams have higher expectations.“We have a legitimate shot of winning a national championship if everyone does everything right,” Bayer said.Fifth-year senior Andrew Poore agreed with that assessment and said the future is bright for this team. He said as long as coach Helmer chooses to stick around, it would be hard to imagine the Hoosiers getting knocked out of the top 10.That shouldn’t be a problem for Helmer, who said he has no plan of stepping away any time soon.“I absolutely like where we’re headed,” he said. “If I didn’t, I’d quit.”The sky’s the limit for a Hoosier team that continues to recruit class after class of talented young runners. And the success is not hard for Helmer to envision.“We’re definitely going to compete for top 10 finishes and national championships, and we’ll just keep rolling along,” he said.
(09/19/11 4:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sitting their top six runners, the men’s cross country team scored 40 points but fell five points short of Purdue’s 35 Friday afternoon.The women, on the other hand, ran away from the competition, scoring 19 to beat Butler by 44 points in the Indiana Intercollegiate in Bloomington.Senior Andy Weatherford led the way for the men, finishing fifth overall on the 8K course in 25:03. Weatherford was one of four Hoosier men to place in the top 10.The race was a bit of a letdown for the Hoosiers, but it wasn’t a failure, IU Coach Ron Helmer said.“We put a team out there that could have won the race and probably should have won the race,” Helmer said. “Each one of them needs to learn how to do a better job of racing when the pressure is on.”The Hoosiers ran near the front until midway through, when a trio of Boilermakers pulled away.“I don’t think we were ready to race at that point and time,” Helmer said. “We just didn’t respond.”They did have the chance to gain experience from the race, which was the biggest point of emphasis for the young Hoosiers, Helmer said.“They’re still really inexperienced at this level,” he said. “This was a really good way to put them in a meaningful situation where they needed to run fast to give us a chance to win.”Weatherford said the men weren’t happy with the results but are already turning the page and looking forward. “We come out here to try and win races, and we didn’t get that done today, so it was a little bit of a disappointment,” he said. “You just kind of put this one behind you.”The women’s team was more successful, placing six runners in the top 10. Senior Chelsea Blanchard won the 5K women’s race in 17:35. Juniors Samantha Ginther (17:41) and Caitlin Engel (17:51) finished second and third, respectively.“The girls stayed patient, and when it was time to move to the front, they were able to do that and win fairly convincingly,” Helmer said.For Blanchard, it marked back-to-back years in which she has taken the crown at the Indiana Intercollegiate. Blanchard said she was happy with the win, but, like the men, she was ready to move on.“It was great to win, but this is another step working toward Big Ten, regionals and, hopefully, nationals,” she said. “In the grand scheme of things, this isn’t that big of a meet.”
(09/16/11 4:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Coach Rod Helmer’s team still won’t be completely at full strength, but the cross country team expects to pick it up a notch at Friday’s Indiana Intercollegiate.After sitting the top seven runners for last week’s Indiana Open, all the women will compete in this week’s affair. The men, though, will sit their top six runners for this competition, according to the roster.Despite not racing the full team for a second straight week, IU Coach Ron Helmer said the team is taking this race more seriously. Scores and standings are on the line.“Last week, it was just a matter of get out, get through it and give those youngins a chance to race for the first time and have that experience,” he said. “This week, they are keeping score. And when you keep score, you want to try to win.”One of those runners who wants experience and the opportunity to run is redshirt freshman Evan Esselink, who will be running in his first official IU race.“I’m really confident that I could finish top five and help the team win the title,” he said. “Everyone’s been training really well, so I think we could come out on top even though our top guys aren’t racing.”Helmer said he isn’t concerned about the absence of his top runners on the men’s side. This will give the younger runners a chance to reveal their potential and show what kind of training they have been putting in, he said.“Whoever we line up is going to race very, very hard,” Helmer said, “And we’re going to hope that’s good enough for us to come out on top in the team standings and at the same time give us a chance to gain experience we need and grow.”Junior Samantha Ginther said with the group of girls who are running, she is convinced IU will compete well. Ginther said she expects the team’s top seven runners to place in the top 15 overall and achieve a team win.“We’ve been training all summer, and we’re definitely ready to see what our legs can do,” she said.
(09/12/11 4:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers showed up at the Indiana Open ready to run, with a calm and controlled approach in preparation for bigger, more important races.The veteran runners pulled back on the reins this weekend as they centered their attention on training. It was, however, a chance for the freshmen to run hard and showcase their talent on a cool September Saturday in Bloomington.In the women’s race, freshman Molly Winters led the way with a time of 19:01.48. She was followed by senior Helene DeLone (19:08.99) and freshman Christine Kirby (19:13.82).For the men, freshman John Mascari ran unattached. He pulled away from the pack at the end and finished in 26:06.11. Freshmen Kyle Overway (26:32.10) and Owen Skeete (26:52.49) — both running unattached — finished second and third, respectively.“Molly Winters ran particularly well, and I thought (the team) ran very well,” IU Coach Ron Helmer said. “On the guys’ side, we knew what we were doing. We trained hard yesterday, so it was just a recovery run, and we got through it.”The women sat their top eight runners. All the men participated but with a less-than-focused state of mind.“We tried to take it kind of easy and use this more as a training session,” senior Andy Weatherford said. “It was a relaxed effort today.”The Hoosiers weren’t as interested in this meet as they are in others, but it wasn’t a lack of respect for the race and its competitors, which included IU Run Club members.“As silly as it was, they certainly weren’t trying to disrespect the sport or disrespect the competition,” Helmer said. “They were having a good time and cheering for their teammates that were out front every time they saw them — it was actually kind of cool.”Though most of the team was content to get their mileage in, the freshmen went all out. In doing so, they left quite the impression on Weatherford and his teammates.“The freshmen ran really well — especially running out there by themselves,” he said. “Next week, they’re going to come out here and run Intercollegiate and actually have some people to run with and chase down. We’re all really excited.”Winters was happy and surprised by her performance in the race.“This is kind of like a little test, and not everyone got to race it,” Winters said, “So the ones that did, we really had to show up today.”
(09/09/11 3:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Yes, it’s on the schedule, but that doesn’t mean it actually matters.That is the stance IU Coach Ron Helmer is taking as his team prepares for Saturday’s Indiana Open in Bloomington.So why would the Hoosiers choose to participate in the event? It was more a mandate than a choice.For every 21 practice opportunities a team has, the NCAA requires a meet, Helmer said.Helmer said he is less concerned about the results than he is with appeasing the NCAA.“The work these guys and girls have done this summer — they’ve done a great job,” said Helmer. “To line up and race this early for guys who raced all the way to the first of July is kind of silly, but we still have to run a race.”Helmer said most of the team will be scaled back and told to take it easy this weekend.Redshirt junior Ben Bizuneh will be one of those toning it down for the race after increasing his workload to new extremes this summer.“I’ve been doing about 100 miles a week for about five or six weeks now,” Bizuneh said. “That’s a milestone for a distance runner.”Helmer already knows what runners with experience bring. Helmer is more interested in the team’s newest additions.“I want to watch the freshmen,” Helmer said. “I need to watch them run hard. And everyone else, I just want them to get out there and get through a very comfortable, controlled day and get back to training.”That means Bizuneh will direct his attention to how he feels and what he can do when Helmer gives him the green light. Finishing times will be irrelevant, Bizuneh said.“I just want to finish hard,” Bizuneh said. “If I can do well in that last mile or two that he lets us run free, then I’ll be happy.”In addition to the cross country team, the Indiana Open is typically comprised of IU Run Club members and other schools, as well as other miscellaneous participants.Last year’s winner was Sean Jefferson, a 2004 NCAA Champion in the mile for IU.Helmer said he has no idea exactly who will be participating in this weekend’s meet.“We’re far more interested in training, getting a couple of really good workouts in and starting to adapt to a more structured plan,” he said. “We’ve got much bigger challenges down the road.”
(10/13/10 3:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A tennis ball reflects off a pair of dark sunglasses as a head swivels from side to side, tracking the ball’s every move.Now in his 34th year as IU’s women’s tennis coach, Lin Loring is simply doing what he loves: coaching and teaching collegiate athletes. After starting as a coach at the University of California-Santa Barbara, Loring was offered the chance to coach in Bloomington, a chance he has made the most of, relishing it all the while.During his time at IU, Loring’s numbers speak for themselves. He created a women’s Division-I record of 748 wins while graduating every four-year tennis player he has coached.Because Loring is known for his rigid structure and attention to detail on the court, the players have had to adapt.“He’s probably the most organized person I’ve ever met,” senior Charlotte Martin said. “Our practices are timed down to the second.”But the demand for organization isn’t purely personal. It’s also in the interest of the students, according to associate head coach Ramiro Azcui.“He really cares about the student athlete,” Azcui said. “He is very organized. I think that structure helps the student athletes, and they become organized throughout their college years.”A man who has led the IU program to 16 Big Ten titles, 26 NCAA tournament appearances and a national championship, Loring said his biggest feat might have come off the court. The Hoosiers have won five consecutive Adam Herbert Cups, an award given to the IU athletic program with the highest GPA each semester. This hasn’t gone unnoticed, even by the team’s newest members.Freshman Kayla Fujimoto has already recognized Loring’s penchant for seeing his players as more than tennis enthusiasts.“He’s not just tennis, tennis, tennis. So it’s really nice getting my academics taken care of,” she said.Loring does his best to connect with the players and form bonds that last a lifetime. The tennis program sends out newsletters each Christmas and has reunions in an effort to stay in touch. Loring even gave the eulogy for one of his former student athletes who lost a battle with cancer last January.The combination of leadership, both between the lines and out, has made a profound impact on all the players who have gotten the chance to play under his tutelage.“It’s been great,” Martin said. “It’s been a really good experience.”Martin said she knows her life will change dramatically once she graduates next spring.“It’ll be different,” she said. “You get used to him after four years in Bloomington, so it’ll be sad.”Loring said he has no plans of leaving his position any time soon, saying retirement has yet to creep into his mind.“I haven’t really thought about it,” he said. “I definitely will enjoy retirement, but no, I haven’t thought about what’s going to happen when I’m done here.”Loring did say he wouldn’t mind entering athletic administration after he is finished coaching but that he doesn’t foresee it happening in the near future.“I’ve got a 12 year old and a 9 year old that I’ve got to put through college,” he said lightheartedly. “So that’s the main thing that keeps me going right now, besides the fact that I still enjoy it and still enjoy going to work.”When Loring moved to Bloomington more than three decades ago, he said he knew this was where he wanted to be.“It’s a great college town,” he said. “I always thought it would be a great place to raise a family. Although I didn’t have a family for the first 20 years, I thought it’d be a great place to get married and have kids. I don’t really like big cities, so it was a perfect fit for me.”
(09/27/10 3:59am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It may have been the first dose of action this season, but the IU
women’s tennis team showed no signs of rust, steamrolling the
competition at this weekend’s Hoosier Classic.
“I think we did well,” IU coach Lin Loring said. “Everybody got in a lot of good tennis.”
The Hoosiers won the four singles flights in which they participated and also won 18 of 19 doubles contests.
Sophomore Leslie Hureau and senior Charlotte Martin each won their
singles flight championship matches while also joining forces in the
doubles championship flight.
“It was good to get a lot of matches in,” Martin said. “I think we got better as the weekend went on.”
The second singles flight was split between freshman Kayla Fujimoto and
senior Katya Zapadalova in order to prevent two players on the same team
from playing each other.
After the tournament, the feeling surrounding players and coaches was confidence.
“I just gained some confidence, and I think that is the same for everyone on the team,” Martin said.
Loring agreed with the assessment of the victory but admitted there is still a long road ahead.
“I think it will give us some confidence, and it shows us what we need to work on,” he said.
Loring was pleased with what transpired this weekend for the Hoosiers,
most notably their doubles play, how the girls handled Friday’s 30-mph
wind gusts and the performance they received from freshmen playing in
their first collegiate matches.
Despite the overwhelming success, Loring believes there is plenty to
improve upon. The Hoosiers will now spend the next few weeks trying to
develop “two or three areas” in each individual’s game.
“We’ve got a lot of stuff to work on,” Loring said. “Competition really
exposes weaknesses. It really shows us what we need to work on for the
next tournament.”