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(08/04/08 12:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ever since his eighth birthday, IU senior Jorge Campillo has been battling against his countrymen of Spain on the golf course. At the Spanish National Amateur Championship last week, Campillo got the better of all of them, winning in dominant fashion by five strokes.Campillo said that growing up in Caceres, Spain, he dreamed of winning this tournament. “When I was little I always wanted to win the Spanish Amateur,” he said in an e-mail. “Now I have it and I can’t be happier.” Campillo said the win is also special because it is the tournament of his country and his name will be in the Spanish federation books forever.Campillo shot rounds of 70, 67, 72, and 70 to capture the individual title. His round of 67 represented the tournament’s second-lowest total as he also finished as one of only two players to shoot under par for the tournament. For the tournament, he shot a nine-under par 279 total score.After his second place finish in the NCAA tournament in May, Campillo has had a productive summer.A day after his All-American performance in the NCAA tournament, he went to Ohio to compete in a qualifier for the U.S. Open. Although he missed qualifying by four strokes, he has not been slowed down since.The next challenge was at the British Amateur where he advanced to the quarterfinals after match play. He also helped the European team beat the Americans in the Palmer Cup. Through his play during the school year and the summer Campillo has earned the ranking of number two amateur golfer in the world behind only Ricky Fowler of Oklahoma State. One of Campillo’s teammates, senior Drew Allenspach, is excited about Campillo’s play.“The guy is a stud,” Allenspach said. “He is playing with so much confidence.”Allenspach and other teammates of Campillo have formed a bond over their years at IU and many are interested in the Spanish language Campillo speaks fluently. When he came to IU, Allenspach studied Spanish, but helped Campillo with his English. Campillo in turn helped Allenspach with his Spanish. Campillo has had the chance to travel all over the world playing golf, and still is not done for the summer. He will be competing in the European Amateur as well as other tournaments.Campillo said that the travel has not been very difficult and that he enjoys it and playing golf at the same time. IU assistant coach Josh Brewer feels that this travel has helped Campillo improve his game. “He’s matured a lot over the last three years,” Brewer said. “I think playing all over the world has helped him.”In less than a month Campillo will be reunited with his teammates who will look to improve on their 21st place finish at the NCAA tournament.IU coaches Mike Mayer and Brewer have put together a challenging schedule, one that Brewer said will help the team feel more comfortable in high pressure situations.Allenspach believes that this group has a chance to be a top 10 team, something he said he could not say of any other team he has been on. One of the main reasons is Campillo’s play, which Allenspach thinks has grown and improved greatly over his years at IU.“A key reason of what he has been able to accomplish is he lays it all out there on the line,” Allenspach said.
(07/31/08 12:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU senior Matt Unterfranz and basketball legend Michael Jordan share something in common.Jordan’s first basketball shoes, the famous red and black Air Jordans, went against the allowable colors of the NBA at a time when most shoes were white. At Andrean High School in Merillville, Ind., where Unterfranz attended, students wore uniforms with shoes that had to be all-white as well. Unterfranz, inspired by his brother who wore shiny black basketball shoes, did not follow the guidelines. “I’m not an all-white shoes guy,” Unterfranz said. “I was always breaking the shoe policy at school.” Unterfranz, who is pursuing a degree in apparel merchandising, has a passion for shoes and shoe design and wants to design shoes for Nike someday.Many people recognize Jordan for his six NBA championships and six NBA Finals Most Valuable Player awards with the Chicago Bulls, but Unterfranz is also amazed by what Jordan has done for the shoe industry. “He’s done incredible stuff for shoes,” he said. “Everyone wants his shoes.”Unterfranz has more than 30 pairs of shoes in his collection, including a pair of Air Tech Challenges, a Nike shoe worn by tennis great Andre Agassi, Nike Hyperflights and Nike Air Flightposites. He said he got his first pair of Air Jordans in kindergarten – the Air Jordan VIII.He received his Flightposite shoes in eighth grade, and although their gold color stood out, that didn’t matter.“I got a lot of weird looks when I wore them, but I loved them,” Unterfranz said. Unterfranz said he has always been interested in art and sports – he played football, basketball and baseball in high school – but really became passionate about shoe design his sophomore year of high school. That was when his art teacher assigned his class to bring in shoes and draw them. When he came to IU to pursue his dream of shoe design after finishing high school, the Crown Point, Ind., native said he faced challenges, including the operation of a sewing machine. “I didn’t know how to work a sewing machine before college,” he said. Although he said he struggles at times in classes, he is eager to learn and has been helped by others. “I’m learning stuff I’ve never done before, but everyone has been very helpful,” he said. One of his best friends, senior Pete Sanchez, who Unterfranz seeks counsel from about his shoe designs, thinks his friend will realize his dream.“Even if you threw his talent out the window, he would get there on motivation and willpower alone,” Sanchez said. Unterfranz and Sanchez met during their freshman year of high school on the football field. Unterfranz later approached Sanchez, remembering him for his red Reebok zip-up shoes. Sanchez, who also said he is a big fan of shoes, remembered Unterfranz for his Air Jordans.Unterfranz keeps up with the ever-changing shoe industry by working at Foot Locker and following Web sites like kicksguide.com, which provides information and advice for shoe designers. Each month, creators of the Web site select a theme for designers to work on.The current theme is the 2008 Olympics. Unterfranz is designing a shoe based on the famous 1992 Olympic basketball team, dubbed the “Dream Team.” He said he is also incorporating into his shoe design the architecture of the Beijing National Stadium, which is nicknamed the “Bird’s Nest” for its nest-like skeletal structure. Unterfranz is also working to obtain a certificate in fashion design, a two-year program at IU that selects only about 40 students each year. One of his friends in the program, junior Mollie Albert, said she has never met anyone who thinks about shoes as much as Unterfranz. She also expressed how much fun she has had taking classes with him. “He brings great spirit to class,” she said. “He makes everyone laugh and is eager to learn.”As for Unterfranz, his top goal is to break into the shoe industry. But if he doesn’t, he said he would like to pursue sportswear fashion.“Sports have always been my life and I’d love to be in shoes,” he said. One of Unterfranz’s favorite pair of shoes is the Air Jordan Retro V Fire Red. He bought them last summer, but is saving them for a special occasion. “The first time I wear them will be with my cap and gown,” he said.
(07/28/08 12:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU coach Bill Lynch has confirmed that junior wide receiver Andrew Means will return in the fall to play football.“He’ll be back. He told me. I talked to him on the phone last week,” Lynch said at Big Ten Media day last week. “We thought all along that he’s wanted to play football. He’s enjoyed his summer playing baseball. He feels good that we’re going to be a good football team. He’s looking forward to coming back.”The Cincinnati Reds drafted Means in the 11th round and 329th overall in the 2008 MLB draft, Means signed a contract with the Reds, and he has spent this summer playing for the Billings Mustangs in Billings, Mont.Before Means signed his contract with the Reds his intentions were to evaluate his options in August and make a decision on whether to return to the Hoosiers in the fall for football season.Former Hoosier football star James Hardy signed a contract with the Buffalo Bills, leaving a major hole in the receiving corps. Means returns as one of the top receivers from last year, he collected 48 catches for 559 yards.
(07/21/08 2:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Recently hired Associate Athletic Director for Compliance Services Chad Hawley has decided to not take the job at IU within the last 10 days, according to IU Athletics spokesman J.D. Campbell.Hawley will return to his previous position as the Big Ten’s assistant commissioner for compliance.This announcement comes nearly four weeks after the NCAA Committee on Infractions handed down an additional charge against the university for “failure to monitor.”“With respect to my decision not to go to IU, suffice it to say that I was really looking forward to working with (IU Director of Athletics) Rick Greenspan,” Hawley said in a statement. “After his resignation, I re-evaluated the situation and decided it was best to stay in my current position. My decision had nothing to do with the failure-to-monitor allegation.”Greenspan announced on June 26 he would step down at the end of the calendar year. This announcement came the same day the NCAA levied its sixth allegation against IU.The allegation stems from more than 100 impermissible phone calls and other alleged recruiting violations of former coach Kelvin Sampson and members of his staff.Sampson resigned and took with him a buyout of $750,000 on Feb. 22. Sampson is now an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks.Prior to a Committee on Infractions hearing on June 13-14 in Seattle, Wash., to discuss alleged rule violations by Sampson, the athletic department made some changes to its compliance staff. IU athletics announced Jennifer Brinegar, who worked for 12 years as the assistant athletic director for compliance, was promoted to senior assistant athletic director for recruiting and enrollment services on June 3. The same day Hawley was hired to his position in compliance services. Campbell couldn’t confirm the salaries of Brinegar and Hawley.In addition to his time at IU and in the Big Ten, Hawley has previously held compliance jobs with the Mid-Continent Conference and Ivy League and at North Carolina State and Appalachian State, his alma mater.IU is still searching for a new associate athletic director for compliance services.“We are moving quickly to find a replacement,” Campbell said.
(07/18/08 6:57pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU graduate Jeff Overtonis is in a tie for 15th place at the 137th British Open Championship.Overton shot a 2-over 72 in Southport, England after the first of four rounds of the tournament.Overton, an Evansville, Ind. native, graduated from IU in 2005 and has been playing professional golf ever since. During his time at IU Overton was twice named an All-American and Big Ten Golfer of the Year.The conditions at the Royal Birkdale Golf Course today were not favorable as strong winds made play difficult.Overton will continue play in his first major Saturday.
(07/16/08 11:40pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After finishing 21st last season in their first NCAA tournament appearance in more than a decade, the IU men’s golf team hasn’t slowed down.The latest accomplishment for the Hoosiers came when officials at the University of Central Florida called IU coach Mike Mayer earlier this week with an invitation to play in the prestigious Isleworth UCF Collegiate Invitational on Oct. 26-28. When Mayer received the phone call, he said there was no doubt what his response would be. “We jumped all over that one,” he said. More than 25 PGA tour golfers have property and are members at Isleworth, and some return to watch this collegiate event.They include regulars such as Charles Howell III, Mark O’Meara, John Cook, Lee Janzen and the tour’s main attraction, Tiger Woods. The tournament will feature an elite field of 18 teams with the top five teams from the NCAA tournament in attendance. Nick Clinard, head coach of the UCF golf team, along with other leaders at the university established the tournament four years ago, and built it to be quite a challenge. “It’s a very competitive tournament on a very hard course,” Clinard said.The course is continually ranked by the Florida State Golf Association as one of the toughest in the state. From the farthest back tees, nicknamed the Tiger Tees, it measures 7,544 yards.Junior Alex Martin is eagerly looking forward to playing in a tournament he knows something about. “It’s a tournament I’ve heard about since high school,” he said. “It’s so exciting to be going there.”Mayer believes his team will be ready to go up against other top schools when they play at Isleworth, in their fall finale of five tournaments.“It’s an opportunity to try our hand at the best teams in the country,” he said. “This tournament will enable us to prepare for the national tournament.”The Hoosier golfers are also preparing for the upcoming season through a lot of summer training and competitions. Senior Jorge Campillo followed up his All-American second place finish at the NCAA tournament with a qualifying tournament for the U.S. Open. Although he missed making the Open by just four strokes, he didn’t let that stop his success. Campillo went on to reach the quarterfinals of the British Amateur and also helped the European collegiate golfers beat their American counterparts in the Palmer Cup.Martin said he is also having a great summer as he won the Men’s Metropolitan Championship in Cincinnati, Ohio. Martin, the Middletown, Ohio, native, is currently playing in the Ohio Amateur where after one of four rounds he is in a three-way tie for first place.The North South Amateur at the historic Pinehurst Golf Course had two Hoosiers in play. Martin reached the round of 32, and senior Seth Brandon just missed reaching the quarterfinal. In addition to tournament play, senior Drew Allenspach has received two awards this summer. Allenspach, who earlier this year was recognized as an Academic All-American, recently was named a Cleveland Golf All-American Scholar.The Hoosiers have also seen a fellow alumnus do well as 2005 graduate Jeff Overton will start play today in England, at the British Open.A close friend of Overton and a teammate of his at IU, Tad Sachek is looking forward to seeing what Overton can do.“Hopefully he can make the most of the opportunity,” he said.Martin also said he thinks it was a great experience and is excited about the next season and the Isleworth tournament, which he said will be a little easier than the course at Purdue, where the Hoosiers played in May’s NCAA Tournament. “It won’t be as hard as Purdue, so we can look forward to that,” he said.
(07/10/08 12:59am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Aarik Wilson stood on the runway knowing his last jump had to be his best. Wilson was fifth on the leaderboard in the triple jump at the Olympic Trials, with only the top three going to Beijing.Running as fast as he could, he jumped off his left leg, burdened by four stress fractures, hoping he would fly through the air far enough to make his dream come true.Mission accomplished. Wilson, who graduated from IU in 2005, jumped 57-2.25 feet to win the Olympic trials on Sunday in front of over 20,000 fans at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.As the Hoosier nation watched him compete, one of Wilson’s former teammates, Kiwan Lawson, erupted in joy when he realized Wilson would be going to the Olympics.“I’m so glad he won it,” Lawson said. “He’s always been a great person and a phenomenal athlete.”The days leading up to the competition were stressful for Wilson, who had not jumped or ran in over a month before he traveled to Oregon because of the stress fractures.Instead Wilson did workouts on a bicycle and in the pool and received treatment from his doctor, who said his leg would take six to eight weeks to heal.Wilson’s coach, former IU coach Wayne Pate, said there was not a lot of hope coming into the meet, but as he progressed through the preliminary rounds and finals, Wilson got stronger.“He got more confident and brave with every jump,” Pate said. Pate graduated from IU in 1981 and then spent the next 26 years as an assistant coach for the Hoosiers. Pate, who has twice been named National Assistant Coach of the Year, has coached 46 All-Americans and 7 national champions including Wilson, who Pate said is extremely driven to succeed.“Aarik is one of those guys that hate to loose, which makes him a good athlete,” Pate said. Lawson said he also thinks Wilson’s strong work ethic has been a key to the 10-time All-American’s success. “His work ethic is pretty much second to none,” he said. Wilson criticized the administration for not keeping Pate on the staff, saying he is the best coach in the country.“I was completely spoiled at Indiana,” he said. “I really became a triple jumper there.”Despite the advice from many within the program, Pate was not invited to return when new head coach Ron Helmer took over last summer. Instead he took a job at the University of Kansas, where Wilson traveled to remain with his coach. Wilson has given back to Kansas as well in being a volunteer assistant coach for the Jayhawks. Pate said his athlete has been a huge help, and thinks like a coach, often completing sentencing for Pate. Wilson said he enjoys being part of the coaching staff and helping the younger kids with their goals and dream as well.“Anything I can do to thank them for what they have given me is more than my pleasure,” he said.Wilson, the 2008 USA indoor champion in the triple jump, was also joined by former All-American and previous teammate Kyle Jenkins in Oregon.Jenkins finished 9th in the event with a near career best jump of 53-1.75 feet. Jenkins friend, teammate and roommate Lawson said he was excited to see Jenkins compete and knows his best is ahead of him.“It’s just a matter of time before it comes together for Kyle,” he said.Wilson also expressed happiness for having Jenkins there with him in the finals of the event. “I was really proud of Kyle,” he said. Wilson plans to visit with his doctor soon and map out a game plan for the next few weeks. He said the foot is sore, but he knew it would be coming in, and does not plan on competing on it before twraveling to Beijing. As for predictions on how he will finish, both Wilson and Pate think he can be back close to 100 percent and contend for a medal. “I believe in all my heart I can get a medal,” Wilson said. “I’m not going there to participate; I’m going there to win.”
(07/10/08 12:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>During his tenure as a Hoosier golfer Jeff Overton made his share of birdies at the IU Golf Course east of campus off State Road 45/46. Now, Overton will take his swings thousands of miles overseas to compete in the 2008 British Open after qualifying by winning The Players Championship at Michigan.“It’s pretty exciting,” he said. “I’ve never played in a major or been to Europe, and now I get to do both.”The Open is being held July 17-20 at Royal Birkdale, which is about 25 miles north of Liverpool, England.Overton, who graduated from IU in 2005 and has been playing professional golf ever since, will have the opportunity to take part in two things he has never experienced – traveling across the pond and taking part in a major golf championship. “It’s pretty exciting,” he said. “I’ve never played in a major or been to Europe, and now I get to do both.”This season has not been the best for Overton, who at one point missed the cut in six out of last seven tournaments.Despite his early struggles this season, Overton caught fire by winning the international qualifier at the TPC of Michigan. Overton shot 14-under-par over 72 holes then went on the next week to place in a tie for ninth at the AT&T National tournament hosted by Tiger Woods.IU assistant coach Josh Brewer believes despite inconsistencies this year, Overton can carry his momentum into the British Open and compete well with other top golfers.“He has the talent to play at the highest level,” Brewer said.This week, Overton will play in the John Deere Classic in Illinois before flying out to England immediately following the tournament. Overton said it is hard to put into words what it is like to wake up every morning and be able to say he plays a sport he loves for a living.“It’s a rush,” he said. “The cameras are in your face, but you have to control your emotions.” IU coach Mike Mayer said it is quite rare for a golfer to go immediately from college to the pros like Overton has done. Mayer also said that having the opportunity to coach Overton at IU has been a special experience for him. “It was my distinct pleasure and honor to coach Jeff for four years at IU,” he said.Overton’s competitiveness, determination and positive work ethic are characteristics that his close friend and former teammate Tad Sacheck said have contributed to Overton’s success.Sacheck said he and Overton sometimes play checkers and although Sacheck could care less about who wins, Overton will be angry if he loses.“He is probably the most competitive person I know,” Sacheck said. Overton might be competitive, but most of his friends describe him as down to earth and easy to talk to as well.Even though Overton is beginning to earn a large sum of money, with his total earnings nearing $2 million for his career, he has not forgotten where he came from.Overton bought a condominium in Bloomington and continues to work with Mayer, who is essentially his swing coach. He also plays golf with and helps current players on the IU team.Although senior Seth Brandon was never a teammate of Overton’s, he said the Hoosier alumnus has helped him improve his game. Brandon also said he enjoys the opportunity to go head to head with a professional golfer, especially when he wins.“It’s always nice to beat a guy on the PGA tour,” Brandon said. As for how well Overton can do in his first major, most predictions point to success. Brandon said he thought Overton’s game will fit the course well.As Overton’s predictions of how well he will do, he said he is trying not to put any extra pressure on himself. “It’s just another golf tournament,” he said. “I’m sure the first hole will be heart felt, but then it will be about settling in.”
(07/08/08 8:21pm)
Ben Hesen might not be going to the Olympics this summer in China, but he still has a lot to be proud of this season. \nOn Saturday, Hesen bested his own American record in the 50-meter backstroke at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials at the Qwest Center in \nOmaha, Neb.\nIU coach Ray Looze was excited about how his swimmers did, Hesen in particular.\n“I think he did a fantastic job,” Looze said. \nHesen’s time of 24.70 seconds in the first 50 meters of a 100-meter backstroke time trial is the second fastest in the world. Liam Tancock of England set the world record for the event in April at \n24.47 seconds.\nThe 50-meter backstroke is not an Olympic event, so even though Hesen does have the second-best time in the world he will not be competing in Beijing because he missed the cut in the 100-meter backstroke.\nDespite setting the American record, Hesen was still disappointed to have not made the Olympic team.\n“I’d be lying if I said I \nwas happy with the results,” he said. \nHesen did come close to qualifying for the Olympics in the 100-meter backstroke, where he finished fifth with a personal best of 53.68 seconds. Aaron Piersol and Matt Grevers took the two qualifying spots in the event with times of 52.89 and 53.19, respectively. \nHesen said the event hosts some of the most talented swimmers in the world, and anyone could have qualified for the team.\nOn the same night Hesen swam in the final of the 100-meter backstroke, two other IU athletes also competed in the final of the women’s 100-meter backstroke. Presley Bard and Leila Vaziri finished fifth and seventh in the \nevent, respectively. \nThe next day, sophomore Amanda Smith also came close to breaking the IU school record in the 200-meter butterfly when she finished 26th in 2:13.83, just two-tenths of a second off the record set by Brittany Barwegen at U.S. national trials last summer. \nLooze said he was happy with the way his 24 swimmers competed at the Olympic Trials showing the strength of the program, which placed 10th at the NCAA meet in April. \n“I think we put a stamp on this meet and showed we are a power to be reckoned with,” \nhe said. \nAt that NCAA meet, Hesen set the second best time in the meet’s history with a victory in the 100-yard backstroke. It also broke a 35-year drought of Hoosiers winning the event since Mike Stamm won it in 1973. \nIn addition to being a talented and hard-working swimmer Hesen has also helped others on the team as the captain this season.\nSophomore Matt O’Brien said he enjoyed having Hesen on the team for his first year and received positive influence from the leader. \n“He was a great captain,” O’Brien said. “He has given me a lot of help along the way.” \nO’Brien also said that getting the chance to see his teammate on such a big stage was very exciting. \n“It’s pretty awesome to see people you train with on TV,” he said. \nSophomore Tyler Lemert said Hesen helped him make the transition from high school to college and dealing with being homesick. \nLemert, who said the backstroke is actually his least favorite event, also watched the Olympic Trials the entire duration of the program and said seeing so many great swimmers and his IU teammate has a positive effect on him. \n“It’s really motivating for me,” he said. \nHesen said he will continue to train with the Hoosiers while he still has another year to finish up his classes at IU.\nDespite the disappointment, Hesen also said he is extremely motivated to get to the top and will try to keep a positive attitude.\n“I still feel I can be the best in the world,” he said. “It just isn’t my time yet.”
(07/07/08 12:57am)
Nine years ago David Neville was running on the track and field team for Merrillville High School in Merrillville, Ind. with a dream to compete in the 2008 Olympics. In August that dream will come true when Neville heads to Beijing to run for the U.S. Olympic Track and Field team.\n“I was overjoyed as I came across the line and put my hands up,” Neville said. \nNeville, who graduated from IU in 2007, finished third in the 400-meter dash final with a career best of 44.61 seconds Thursday at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Eugene, Ore., to earn his spot.\nAfter qualifying for the finals in the 400, Neville was placed in lane 8, a difficult spot because of the staggered start. The person in lane 8 starts in front and does not see the rest of the field for most of the race.\n“It was a little nerve-racking but I went out strong and hammered it the last 150 meters,” Neville said. \nNeville was extremely happy his third place finish when he crossed the finish line behind Lashawn Merritt and 2004 gold medalist Jeremy Wariner to qualify for the Olympics. \nNeville’s coach, John Smith, whom he has been working with for about a year, also expressed joy when Neville came across the line. \n“I was happy as hell,” Smith said. “Indeed I was.” \nSmith competed as a sprinter for the UCLA Bruins and later coached the team for 17 years starting in 1984. The coach said he was proud of Neville for making the difficult adjustment from collegiate to professional running.\nNeville chose to forgo his senior season at IU to sign a professional contract with Nike in 2006 after being crowned the Big Ten champion in both the 200-meter and 400-meter dashes. The IU standout was also a five-time All-American for the Hoosiers. \nIU senior Ryan Smith, who ran with Neville on the 4-by-400-meter relay team that finished fifth in the nation in Smith’s sophomore year, was in disbelief for a while after receiving a text message from a teammate about Neville’s achievement.\n“What ... that’s awesome,” said Smith, after reading the message. \nSmith described Neville as a role model and inspiration for him and said he is very proud of what his former teammate has accomplished since leaving IU.\n“I’m really glad to see he’s gone this far,” Smith said. “I wish him the best of luck in \nthe Olympics.”\nNeville said he feels his time at IU was very well spent and helped him greatly to prepare for his professional career.\n“There was a lot of great training and atmosphere at IU,” he said. \nAnother passion that Smith and Neville shared was a love of music, as both participated in the IU Marching Hundred.\nNeville said each day he went from a full schedule of classes, to marching hundred practice, and then track practice. Neville said his daily routine was difficult, but his determination carried him through it.\nAnother passion of Neville’s is his religion. He led regular prayer’s before races with fellow teammates.\nFormer teammate and senior John Gunnell described him as a very spiritual person and said he attended religious events with him. Gunnell said Neville helped him realize there is more to life than track and field.\n“He helped me understand it’s just track,” Gunnell said.\nGunnell is also happy to see his friend compete in the \nOlympics.\n“It’s very exciting,” he said. “He’s the first person I know personally that’s in the Olympics.”\nBefore heading to Beijing, Neville will race in Europe, something he does not have much experience with, but hopes will help sharpen \nhis skills. \nAs for how well Neville thinks he can do at the Olympics, he said his main goal is to wear the red, white and blue with pride.\n“My goal is to go and represent the U.S. the best way I can,” he said. \nNeville’s coach, Smith, is happy to see his athlete healthy and in top form, and thinks the Hoosier faithful have a lot to be proud of in him. \n“David is a warrior,” he said. “He is a good man, and IU should be very proud of him.”
(06/26/08 10:51pm)
For track athletes Kyle Jenkins and Abbie Stechschulte their seasons have not been without disappointment, but both athletes have another chance at redemption when they compete in the U.S. Olympic Team Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Ore., which take place June 27-July 6.\nAfter winning the Big Ten Championship in the triple jump, Jenkins fell one place short of earning All-American honors at the NCAA Championships. Stechschulte was ranked third in the heptathlon for most of the season, but a knee injury forced her to withdraw from competition after only three of the seven events at NCAA’s. \nStechschulte is trying to keep a positive attitude, even though her last year of collegiate track has not gone as planned.\n“I’m looking forward to it so much,” said Stechschulte of the meet. “There are a lot of people who would love to have this opportunity.” \nAfter being crowned the collegiate champion in the Texas Relays earlier in the season, Stechschulte hurt her knee in a hurdle drill before the Big Ten meet. She said she is more encouraged and confident since the last week of practice has been a good one.\nAdditionally Stechschulte, who transferred from West Virginia last year where she was an All-American, said being out helped make her realize how much she enjoys the sport. \n“It made me appreciate being able to compete,” she said. \nJenkins has been thinking about competing in this meet since the season first began.\n“It’s been a goal of mine since the beginning of the season,” he said.\nDespite not living up to his expectations at the NCAA meet this year, Jenkins is focused solely on the task at hand.\n“I’m not thinking about NCAA’s,” he said. “I have another opportunity to jump far.”\nIU Associate head coach Jeff Huntoon said he feels Jenkins has handled the disappointment well and is ready for another chance. \n“Kyle handled the disappointment and I think he will continue to do the best he can,” he said.\nJenkins goes into the meet ranked 21st with a qualifying mark of just over 53 feet, but said he thinks he can do much better. After the first day of competition on July 4th Jenkins hopes to make the finals two days later when the field is cut from 24 to 12 athletes.\nJenkins will have his family along to support him. Living in nearby Washington, his cheering section will only have to drive about 7 hours as opposed to multiple days when they come to Indiana. \nIn addition, past IU athletes will also be competing for the chance to make the U.S. Olympic Team, which will be comprised of the top three athletes in each event.\nNine IU alumni are on the entry list for the meet. They include Danielle Carruthers (100-meter hurdles), David Neville (400-meter dash), John Jefferson (1,500-meter run), Stephen Haas (10,000 meter run), Tom Chorny (3,000-meter steeplechase), Lorian Price (long jump), Rose Richmond (long jump), Aarik Wilson (triple jump) and Wil Fleming (hammer throw).\nAlumnus Stephen Haas, who completed his degree in kinesiology in 2005, has stayed in Bloomington to train with his college coach Robert Chapman.\nHaas said that he enjoyed his time at IU and feels it prepared him well for his future in professional running.\n“I really believed in the program at IU,” Haas said. “It wasn’t all about the time spent at practice, but it was a lifestyle.”\nDuring his years at IU the team was very talented and had several runners who aspired to run professionally. \n“The plan was all along to become professional distance runners,” Haas said. \nThe Hoosiers, past and present, will be competing on the track at the famous Hayward Field, where legendary Oregon runner Steve Prefontaine popularized the sport to new heights over 30 years ago.\nHuntoon has been to the track before and is looking forward to going back to such a historic place – one where the crowd appreciates all who compete there. “The allure of the stadium catches everyone,” Huntoon said. “Every participant will be well respected whether they finish 18th or first.”
(06/26/08 2:14am)
This summer Jorge Campillo will have the opportunity to travel thousands of miles, playing on golf courses around the world.\nJune 21, Campillo completed competition in the British Amateur Championship in Scotland, where the native of Spain reached the quarterfinals with his 15-place finish out of 288 golfers in the stroke play portion of the event. \nAlthough he finished in the top 15, Campillo was not pleased with his performance in the tournament. \n“I was frustrated and disappointed, especially because I didn’t play good at all in that round,” he said in an e-mail. \nAfter rounds of 73 and 74 in the stroke play portion of the tournament Campillo advanced to the 64-player match play tournament and won three matches, which gave him a total finish in the final eight. \nPart of Campillo’s frustration comes from the fact that he has lost in the quarterfinals for two consecutive years. Even though he didn’t do as well as he would have liked, his coach, IU coach Mike Mayer focused on the positives of what happened.\n“Making the quarterfinals was a great achievement,” Mayer said.\nMayer also said that for Jorge to play in what the coach called one of the most prestigious tournaments in the country was a great experience for him. \nCampillo finished his best season of collegiate golf this year as he tied for second at the NCAA Championships in West Lafayette, Ind., last month. In doing so, Campillo also tied for the best finish in school history with Wayne McDonald, who tied for second at the 1969 NCAA Championships.\nCampillo said placing so well at NCAA’s gave him confidence for future golf tournaments, but he is extremely motivated to keep practicing and getting better.\nMayer has recognized this determination in his best player, and is excited to see what he can do this summer.\n“He is not at the level he wants to be at yet, but he is working hard to get there,” he said. Campillo will have plenty more chances to play with top notch golfers from around the world as he has a full summer schedule lined up. Campillo will stay in Scotland where he will compete in the Palmer Cup on June 26-27. The tournament pits the top collegiate golfers from the United States against the best of Europe. Campillo will compete for the European team.\nCampillo will leave Scotland and travel directly to Italy for the European men’s team championship. Other tournaments this summer for him include the Biarritz Cup in France, the Spanish Amateur in Spain and the European Amateur in Denmark.\nMany of Campillo’s teammates will also be playing in tournaments both in the United States and overseas this summer.\nMayer believes that all of these experiences will be valuable to his players, and that Campillo will enjoy playing with some of the best golfers in the world this summer.\n“Jorge has always aspired to play at the highest level,” Mayer said.
(06/09/08 12:21am)
Last week while most of the IU track and field team enjoyed a trip to Lake Monroe, seven athletes had another focus. \nInstead of experiencing the sun out on the water, they practiced during a blistering sunny day on the track in preparation for the NCAA Outdoor Championships, June 11-14 in Des Moines, Iowa. \nWith many of the team’s athletes recording good marks earlier in the year, IU coach Ron Helmer believes this week should be no different. \n“The fact that they have done it before should give them confidence to do it again,” he said. \nKiwan Lawson and Kyle Jenkins are seniors, teammates and roommates, and have already added to their combined Big Ten medal count, which now stands at 12. At the Big Ten Outdoor Championships last month, both Lawson and Jenkins won gold medals in the long jump and triple jump, respectively. \nJenkins goes into the championships this week ranked ninth nationally in the triple jump, but said he thinks he can place higher. Two years ago, he garnered All-American honors in the event, but when he failed to make nationals earlier this year in the indoor season he worked even harder to improve.\n“Not making nationals indoor motivated me the most,” he said. \nJunior Jeff Coover will be making the trip to nationals for the first time in his collegiate career. Coover goes into the meet ranked 10th nationally in the pole vault, but said he is looking forward to the chance to be an All-American, an award given to the top nine finishers in each event. \n“There is a chance for me to be All-American, which is really exciting for me,” he said. “I’m feeling really good going in.”\nCoover will be joined on the trip to nationals by freshman pole vaulter Stephanie Chin. Chin, a Bloomington High School South graduate, believed her season was over after she vaulted 3.81 meters to finish 13th at the NCAA Mideast Regional meet just more than a week ago. \nThe top five in an event from each of four regional meets automatically advance to the national meet. After the regional meet, a committee reviews the performances of athletes finishing in places 6 to 12 and decides who will complete the field at the national meet. \nA few athletes in the pole vault scratched, which allowed Chin to climb into the top 12. A career-best and school-record vault of 4.25 meters earlier this season won her a spot. Chin currently ranks seventh in the country in the pole vault. \nOne unexpected effect of the system culminated in sophomore vaulter Vera Neuenswander not making the field. Neuenswander finished eighth in the regional, but her best of 4.10 meters ended up being one centimeter short of earning her a spot in the national meet. \nNeuenswander, who was one of 22 Big Ten athletes named Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winners last week, currently ranks 24th in the nation in the pole vault. \nNeither Chin nor Coover have beaten their respective season-best marks since the Sea Ray Relays in early April. IU coach Jake Wiseman, who works with the pole vaulters, said the event can be very deceiving because it’s so technical, and physically and mentally everything has to be in place to succeed. \nOn the women’s side, sophomore Molly Beckwith will compete in the 800-meter run, while seniors Courtney Johnson and Abbie Stechschulte will compete in the 100-meter hurdles and the heptathlon, respectively.\nStechschulte, who transferred from West Virginia where she was an All-Amierican last year said she is excited to compete in her last NCAA championships. \n“I’ve been looking forward to this for a really long time,” she said. “It’s the last one, so nothing to lose really.”\nStechschulte ranks fourth in the country in the heptathlon, which is a series of seven events in which points are accumulated and totaled up in each event, but is going into competition less than 100 percent. \nFour weeks ago during practice Stechschulte fell during a hurdle drill. A MRI reviled that everything was fine, and that she had just a little inflammation in her anterior cruciate ligament. \nEverything was not fine at the Big Ten Championships three weeks ago, though. Stechschulte heard a popping sound during her first event and had to withdrawal from competition. \nShe had another MRI this past weekend which showed a partial tear in her posterior cruciate ligament. \nStechschulte said the injury has been very disappointing since she usually doesn’t sit out for any reason, but with this injury there isn’t much she can do, only hope for the best. \nHelmer thinks he has a talented group traveling to meet this week, and is excited to see what they can do. \n“It’s a good group and they all belong there,” he said.
(06/05/08 3:07am)
During her final year at Brookhaven High School in Columbus, Ohio, senior Courtney Johnson met then IU senior Danielle Carruthers on a recruiting visit. \nCarruthers, who collected 10 All-American honors combined in indoor and outdoor track and field as a sprinter and hurdler hosted Johnson and made a significant impression on her.\n“She was basically the reason I came,” said Johnson, who is now a star hurdler on IU’s track and field team. “She is someone I can say I really do look up to.”\nFour years and many injuries after that initial meeting, Johnson now ranks second to her former host on the all-time hurdle list at IU. Although it will be incredibly difficult for Johnson to break Carruthers’s 12.68 second school-record mark in the 100-meter hurdles, Johnson has a chance next week when she competes in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.\nJohnson earned a spot in the national field by placing seventh at the Mideast Regional last weekend with a preliminary time of 13.12 seconds and a finals time of 13.24 seconds. She now ranks in the top 10 nationally in the event.\nJohnson suffers an injury \nAfter an impressive freshman season in which she finished second at the Outdoor Big Ten meet in the 100-meter hurdles and came within 2 spots of qualifying for the finals in the regional competition, her sophomore season took a turn for the worst.\n“That whole year was tough,” she said.\nJohnson had an average indoor season, and then in her first meet of the outdoor season she pulled her hamstring, effectively ending her year.\nAs if the injury didn’t already disappoint her, the outdoor Big Ten meet was held in her hometown of Columbus that year. And to make matters worse, two weeks later Johnson couldn’t compete when the regional came to Bloomington.\nAdditionally, the standard to qualify for nationals that year was easier than in years past, but Johnson said she tried to keep a positive attitude through the tough times.\n“It was a bittersweet moment, but at the same time it motivated me and kept me mentally prepared for seasons to come,” she said.\nAs a sprinter and hurdler, Johnson is increasingly susceptible to hamstring injuries and said she has pulled hers about four times since the initial injury.\nFighting through the pain \nJohnson said she got discouraged occasionally and thought some of the treatment wasn’t working. After implementing a new rehabilitation program and working more in the training room, Johnson started to feel better. She said she still experiences occasional pain in her hamstrings.\n“They’re not 100 percent, but you have to keep going,” she said.\nJohnson kept going and in her sophomore outdoor season notched a career-best mark of 13.38 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles.\nIn her junior year of eligibility, another injury hindered her chance to better her sophomore performance.\nGoing into this season, Johnson experienced a whole new set of coaches that came to IU last summer.\nOne of her coaches that works with her frequently is associate head coach Jeff Huntoon.\nHuntoon, who coached at West Virginia before coming to IU, has helped fine-tune Johnson’s technique and increase her speed Huntoon is proud of what Johnson has accomplished.\n“She is officially now my fastest hurdler ever,” he said. “For her to be the quickest is a testament to her because I’ve had some good ones over the years.”\nThis year, Johnson has progressed and dropped her time down to 13.53 seconds, which she ran in the preliminary race at the Drake Relays. The NCAA National Championships will be contested there next week.\nA day after that race, however, disaster struck and the senior sprained her MCL and could not practice for two weeks prior to the Big Ten meet.\nJohnson struggled in that meet, failing to even qualify for the finals in the 100-meter hurdles, but was determined to come back strong for the regional meet.\n“I just had to keep pushing through it and mentally get myself prepared for regionals,” she said.\nTeammate and friend motivates Johnson \nLorian Price, who graduated last year from IU and ranks fourth on the all-time long-jump list, provided the help that Johnson needed to overcome her troubles.\nPrice was a teammate of Johnson’s and competed with her in the hurdles at IU. Although Price now focuses on the long jump, she provided a training partner for Johnson in the hurdles.\n“She came out of retirement I guess you can say, and was hurdling with me,” Johnson said.\nPrice said that Johnson in turn helped her tremendously.\n“Without Courtney I wouldn’t be the athlete I am today,” she said.\nPrice and Johnson trained together up until the regional meet last weekend. Johnson went into the meet extremely focused. She even separated herself from the team hours before her race. Her preliminary heat had many talented runners, including the defending NCAA champion.\n“I kept telling my coach and everybody else I just have to run for my life, run for my life,” she said.\nJohnson did run for her life and finally set a career best of 13.12 seconds. The senior said she is extremely happy right now.\nI was able to come back my last year, my last meet, and finally put a complete race together, and go to the national championships,” she said. “I’m ecstatic right now.”\nHuntoon was also excited about her performance at regionals.\n“I would have never pictured 13.12,” he said. “To say I was happy was probably \nan understatement.”\nFellow senior Kiwan Lawson, who also qualified for nationals in the long jump grew up with Johnson and is also very happy for her.\n“If you could be happy for anyone on the team I have to say definitely it’s her,” he said. “She has gone through trials and tribulations.”\nNow Johnson will have a chance to do something only one other Hoosier hurdler has done, run under 13 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles.\n“It is possible; yes, it’s possible. There is no doubt about it,” Huntoon said.
(06/02/08 4:00am)
Jeremy Rosenthal
(06/02/08 12:58am)
On the 10th hole in the final round of the NCAA Golf Championships, junior Jorge Campillo sliced his second shot left, landing it only two inches from the water hazard. With only one option, he took off his shoes and socks and hit his next shot with his feet in the water.\nn an impeccable recovery, Campillo punched it back to the fairway and chipped to within 18 feet of the hole, where he calmly sank his next putt to save par.\nEight holes and a 1-under par back nine later, he finished in a tie for second place. In doing so, he matched Wayne McDonald’s performance at the 1969 NCAA Championships for the best individual result in Indiana men’s golf history. \nThe team finished 21st overall at the championships, which were hosted by Purdue University on the challenging Kampen golf course in West Lafayette. The team’s finish represented the best overall finish since 1980, when they placed 20th. \nIU coach Mike Mayer said words couldn’t describe his player. \n“Jorge Campillo, what can you say,” he said. “It was a great day to watch him, coach him and be a part of it.”\nThe Hoosiers and Campillo experienced a slow start on day one of the four-day event, posting a 25-over par score as a team with Campillo shooting a 3-over 75. The team improved slightly the next day, but still finished with a two-day score of 47-over par, much to the displeasure of junior Seth Brandon.\n“We really came out the first two days and embarrassed ourselves,” he said. “It was pitiful.”\nOn day three of the tournament, the team only finished nine of eighteen holes before lightning caused play to be suspended. This benefited the Hoosiers, especially Campillo, who struggled on holes 6 through 9, posting bogeys on each hole. Campillo said the delay helped him re-focus and come back stronger for the next day.\n“I got lucky because I was so frustrated and so mad, but so lucky the game was cancelled,” he said. “If I would have had to keep going I probably would have shot 78 or 80.”\nInstead, the Caceres, Spain, native shot an even-par 72 in the third round, which continued the following day.\nCampillo experienced another difficulty as he broke his driver after the second round. After seeing how bad its condition was during warm-ups for the third round, the rules officials granted him a switch to his backup driver.\nThe team rebounded as a whole in the third round, and shot the third-best third-round total at 9-over par. Junior Drew Allenspach said he thought the team really battled and didn’t give up.\n“I think that shows the heart this team has,” he said.\nThe Hoosiers were 20 shots off making the final cut to 15 teams going into the third round, but came within just one stroke before falling seven shots from making it.\nCampillo advanced into the final group of 81 players as the top individual from the teams failing to make the cut.\nEven though his teammates were disappointed to have missed the cut, they said they enjoyed watching their fellow Hoosier play.\n“That’s one of my good buddies and my teammate so I’m really happy for him,” Brandon said.\nAllenspach also expressed how good he thought his teammate performed under tough conditions.\n“They set these courses up so the best players come out on top,” he said. “Jorge is definitely one of the best players in college, possibly the world.”\nAllenspach, who finished 38th amongst those who missed the cut, said the course was without a doubt one of the hardest he has ever played. He experienced the difficulty of the course on hole seven during the second round of play.\nThe junior hit his tee shot into deep grass, and the ball could not be found. When he hit a second tee shot his ball landed in more rough. When he finally made it to the green, it took Allenspach four putts to make it in the hole.\n“That hole seemed to have my number,” he said.\nThe course was so difficult that only the individual champion, Kevin Chappell of UCLA, shot under par. UCLA also claimed the team title, edging Stanford by one stroke. Campillo and Chappell were the only two individuals to post three rounds at even-par or lower.\nThe IU team’s lone senior, Santiago Quirarte, said he had fun competing in his first and last NCAA tournament. \n“It was nice to do something for the first time, especially with these four guys.” he said.\nWith the top-four players returning for next season, Mayer hopes his players will build on what they accomplished this year.\n“We talked about making this a learning experience,” he said. “I think we learned something about ourselves and what it takes to be successful at this level.”
(06/01/08 11:23pm)
In the indoor track and field season, IU sent three athletes to the NCAA Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. This weekend, the Hoosiers went back to Fayetteville with the possibility of sending as many as six athletes to compete in NCAA Outdoor Championships in two weeks.\nIU competed Friday and Saturday in Fayetteville in the NCAA Mideast Regional, one of four qualifying meets for the NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, on June 12-14.\nThe men’s team finished in 10th place with 19 points, while the women finished in 35th with three points. \nJunior Jeff Coover and senior Kyle Jenkins automatically qualified for the championships after placing in the top five in their events. \nCoover, who came into the pole vault with the eighth-best mark in the country, finished fourth in the event with a jump of 5.21 meters or just over 17 feet. Coover’s vault was the highest for him since he went 5.35 meters at the Sea Ray relays on April 12.\nSenior Kyle Jenkins competed in the triple jump Saturday and came away with the runner-up finish with a leap of 16.17 meters, which converts to just more than 53 feet. \nOn the women’s side, senior Courtney Johnson led the way for the Hoosiers. Johnson advanced to the finals in the 100-meter hurdles with a career best time of 13.12 seconds. \nIU coach Ron Helmer said he was excited about how well Johnson did in her race.\n“13.12 is one of the fastest times in the country,” he said. “I’m happy for her, she deserves it.”\nJohnson beat her previous best time by nearly .3 seconds and improved her national ranking in the event from 23rd to 12th.\nGoing into the preliminary races, Johnson knew she would have to battle hard because of the strength of the competition in the meet just to get to the \nfinal race.\n“Everyone had to run for their lives to make finals,” she said.\nJohnson qualified for the final race and finished seventh with a time of 13.24 seconds.\nAlthough she is not guaranteed a spot in the national championships, Helmer said he is fairly positive Johnson will receive an at-large bid to \nthe meet.\nThe final decision on which athletes will complete the national field will be released early next week.\nOther athletes that Helmer thinks can get at-large bids are senior Kiwan Lawson, who finished 6th in the long jump and Vera Neuenswander, who finished 8th in the pole vault. Helmer also said junior Molly Beckwith might have a shot in the 800-meter run.\nThe Hoosiers sent a total of 23 athletes to the regional meet, but many of the younger kids did not do as well as their coach would have liked.\n“The ability to go in with confidence was not there,” he said.\nHelmer said many of the younger and less experienced athletes did not handle the level of competition well, but sees them getting better with more opportunities to compete in the future.\nOne of the younger athletes, freshman Paul Haas, threw a career best in the discus of 172 feet 9 inches.\nHelmer hopes that with more experience the athletes that are determined and motivated to get better will do just that.\n“It will help everyone who is driven to succeed,” he said.
(05/29/08 4:00am)
Jeremy Rosenthal
(05/29/08 1:43am)
In 1996, current IU assistant coach Josh Brewer competed for the Hoosiers in the NCAA Golf Championships. Brewer said his team that year was just happy to be there, when they finished in last place out of 30 teams. \n“Its common knowledge,” said Brewer about how his team finished. “These guys give me a hard time about it, so I said your challenge is to finish better than 30th.” \nThe IU men’s golf team looked to meet that challenge as they began play in the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships Wednesday in West Lafayette, Ind. The team comes in with the No. 15 seed in a field of 30. The setting for what the team hopes will be four days of solid play on the greens is Purdue’s Kampen Course at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex.\nThe Hoosiers are quite familiar with that course, having played there just more than a month ago in the Boilermaker Invitational, finishing third. In addition to the team placing well, junior Jorge Campillo tied the course record and shot the second-lowest one-round total in school history with a 9-under 63 in the opening round of the tournament. \nFellow junior Seth Brandon said the team is focused on getting out there and competing with the best golfers in the nation. \n“I think we’re ready to play,” he said. “It’s a really tough golf course, but one that we know well.”\nIU coach Mike Mayer acknowledged the course won’t be easy and is set up much harder than the last time the team played it. \n“The golf course is set up as tough as I’ve ever seen it set up,” he said. \nMayer cited the long course length at 7,431 yards, wind and thick rough as reasons the course will be difficult.\nThe Hoosiers qualified for the NCAA tournament with a 10th place finish at the Central Regional nearly two weeks ago. \nDespite narrowly making the tournament field, Brandon said the team definitely belongs with the elite programs in the nation. \n“Just because we didn’t play as well as we should have seeding-wise in our own minds doesn’t mean we don’t belong here,” Brandon said. “This is the top 30 teams in the country, and we have been ranked inside of that margin the whole year.”\nMayer said he felt it is irrelevant where the team finished in the regional and that now his group has the chance for a fresh start. \n“It’s been said that the regional is the hardest part of this championship,” Mayer said. “You get out and now you start over again.” \nIn preparation for the tournament, the coaching staff brought in another IU coach, Bill Lynch, to talk to the team.\nLynch, who coached the football team to their first bowl game in 13 years, emphasized the importance of getting over the giddiness of ending such a long drought. He also said that every team starts at the beginning of the tournament. In essence, as Brewer added, all teams will be tied for first when play begins. \nThe last time the Hoosiers competed in the national tournament, Mayer was an assistant coach. Now, as the head coach, he said the team competing this week – sophomore Alex Martin, juniors Campillo, Brandon, Drew Allenspach and senior Santiago Quirarte – is very talented. \nThere is no question in my mind this is the best team I’ve coached in my 10 years as head coach here at Indiana,” he said. “I think its one of the better teams we’ve had in this program for a long long time.”\nBrewer said that even though the team is happy just being at nationals, they are playing to win at the home course of rival Purdue.\n“Why not celebrate on enemy territory come Saturday afternoon,” he said.
(05/29/08 1:34am)
Despite an exhausting schedule thus far, the IU men’s and women’s track and field teams are just getting into the heart of their championship season.\nThe team will send a total of 23 athletes to compete Friday and Saturday in the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships hosted by the University of Arkansas at John McDonnell Field in Fayetteville, Ark. \nThe regional meet is one that athletes qualify for by besting certain marks during the regular season. Although IU coach Ron Helmer and his team came up short of their goal of 30 athletes, he said having 23 compete in the meet is still an accomplishment. The Hoosiers will send 8 women and 15 men to the meet. \nOne of the athletes that will compete is senior Ryan Smith, who captured the bronze medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the Big Ten Championships two weeks ago, is excited to compete against a field of talented athletes. \n“I know how tough the competition is, and competing with those big dogs is an honor,” Smith said in an e-mail. \nHelmer said he felt the high level of competition will help his team.\n“It should bring about the best in us,” he said.\nDespite being ranked 16th going into the meet, Smith said he is not worried about the seeding. \n“I’m really just trying to run my own race and not focus on seeds,” he said. “I know that if I focus on running the race I know I can run, everything’s going to work out all right.” \nThe top five athletes in each event will automatically qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships on June 11-14 in Des Moines, Iowa. \nA selection committee will review the performances of athletes finishing out of the top five and decide who will complete the field to compete for the national championship.\nHelmer thinks that among his athletes, a few have a great chance of making it to the national meet. Those include seniors Kiwan Lawson and Kyle Jenkins, who are ranked fourth and first in the long jump and triple jump, respectively.\nThe Hoosiers also have three talented pole vaulters in freshman Stephanie Chin, sophomore Vera Neuenswander and junior Jeff Coover. Coover comes into the regional competition seeded first, while Chin is third and Neuenswander is ninth. \nOne Hoosier who will not have to qualify to compete at the national tournament is senior Abbie Stechschulte. Stechschulte, a Columbus Grove, Ohio, native, transferred last year from West Virginia where she was an All-American in the pentathlon.\nStechschulte automatically qualified in the heptathlon, an event in which points are accumulated in seven events, at the Texas Relays in early April. She was the collegiate champion in the event, scoring 5,661 points, the second-highest total in school history.\nAnother one of the women traveling to Arkansas for her first regional meet is sophomore thrower Faith Sherrill.\nSherrill said she is proud of the group of throwers she works with and noted all have recorded career bests in one or more events this season.\n“The throwers as a group have worked harder than ever,” she said in an e-mail. “We come to practice everyday and bust our butts to be the best that we can be.”\nHelmer said he expects that most of his athletes are progressing well in their training and are at a point where they should be able to rise to the occasion and come up with top marks.\n“I think they are going to perform at their very best,” he said.