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(05/22/08 3:44pm)
On the gridiron, he has to dodge tacklers and endure vicious hits. On the track, he laces up his spikes and sets his feet in the starting blocks and sprints full-speed-ahead without anyone touching him.\nHe is senior Marcus Thigpen, a star of both the football and track-and-field teams.\nIn his sophomore season of football, he was one of the best kick returners in the nation, being named a first team All-American by Rivals.com, \nScout.com and SI.com. He won the 100-meter dash state crown at Mumford High School in Michigan and in 2003 finished fifth in the event at the Junior Olympics with a time of 10.37 seconds. \nSimilar to how Thigpen helped the football team make its first bowl game since 1993, the senior will have the chance next week to end another long drought for the Hoosiers. He and his teammates are closing in on a long untouched record in the 4-by-100 meter relay of 39.62 seconds.\nThigpen is already in the track-and-field record books as part of a relay team that ran the third best time in school history, 40.13 seconds, at last year’s Mideast Regional, but said he would be happy to be part of both a football and track team that made such significant accomplishments.\n“History repeats itself,” he said. “I will be proud to be a part of making history.”\nFootball coach Bill Lynch acknowledged the big impact Thigpen had on the football team and also his success in track and field.\n“He made so many plays to help us achieve our goal of ‘Playing 13,’ and he has had a great spring season with track,” Lynch said in an e-mail.\nIn Detroit, Mich., Thigpen grew up as the oldest of five children with three brothers and one sister, and remembers playing outside a lot. \n“That’s all we did, went out and played football and catch, and ran around with our friends outside,” he said. \nInitially his mother wouldn’t let him play football competitively because she thought he was too small, but when he finally did play at age 9, he showed his lightning quick speed.\nHis mom’s instructions were simple. During his first game, she stood at the end zone and told her son to run to her when he got the handoff as the team’s running back.\n“She told me to run to her and I ran to her as fast as I could,” he said. “I outran everybody; that’s when I found out I was pretty fast.”\nThigpen said his talent escalated over the years, and he got a lot bigger, too. \n“Growing up I was always the smallest, shortest and skinniest dude on the team,” he said. “I’m still that way now; not the smallest, but I grew a lot.”\nFormer IU coach Gerald Brown, who is now with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, recruited Thigpen and is the main reason he became a Hoosier.\nAlthough Thigpen came to IU primarily to play football, the senior said track will always be special to him. \n“I’ll always have track in my heart,” he said. “That’s my second-favorite sport; track is always going to be there.” \nIn addition to having fun competing on the track, Thigpen said he also thinks being on the team has helped with his explosiveness and speed. \nAs a student-athlete in multiple sports, Thigpen said he has also learned the skill of time management, as well as how to be a leader. \n“My coaches always tell me to step up and be a leader ‘cause I’m not that much of an outspoken person,” he said. “I like to lead by example.”\nBoth the football and track coaches have been impressed with Thigpen’s dedication to success and his ability to lead others.\nIn his first year at IU, associate head coach Jeff Huntoon had only one word to describe his first impression of one of his star track athletes: “Wow.”\nHuntoon, who previously coached at West Virginia, said he has had other football players on his track teams, but few had a genuine interest for the sport. \n“Marcus is 100 percent out for track because he truly loves track and field,” he said. \nHuntoon also said he thinks Thigpen is blessed with great talent and wishes he could have two more years with him, because he has the potential to become a national contender individually in track and field. \nJunior Will Glover is one of Thigpen’s teammates and fellow members of the X-Squad, a name for the group of six of the short sprinters. Glover said that in addition to running with him at practice, he also attends many football games and considers him a brother.\n“You get mad when he doesn’t get the plays you want him to, you get mad when you don’t think he gets the touches he deserves,” Glover said. “It’s like seeing your family member out there on the field.” \nAnother member of the X-squad, senior Jacob Moylan, said Thigpen is a dedicated athlete and true friend. \n“Marcus is one of my best friends here,” Moylan said. “You couldn’t ask for a better teammate or friend.”
(05/19/08 3:30am)
Several IU athletes lined the fences at the Illinois Soccer and Track Stadium for the finals of the triple jump where number one ranked Hoosier Kyle Jenkins was on the runway. \nAs Jenkins teammates shouted at the top of their lungs they showed the great team spirit they built leading up to the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in Champaign, Ill., this weekend. \nIU’s men’s team finished in seventh place with 69 points and the women finished in 10th place with 31 points.\nThe triple jump, one of the final events on the final day of competition excited the crowd. Senior Kyle Jenkins said the support and cheering from his teammates, which included the IU chant and slow claps, really helped him as he brought home the gold medal winning with a jump of 16.39 meters. \nFellow teammate and senior Kiwan Lawson, one of Jenkin’s biggest fans, stood on the side of the fence overlooking the jump runway with his other teammates supporting Jenkins during the triple jump. \n“I loved it,” Jenkins said. “I told Kiwan to come over here and do that IU chant for me,”\nThe day before, Lawson – who is also Jenkins’s roommate – took home the Big Ten Championship in the long jump. Lawson, the defending champion in both the indoor and outdoor Big Ten meets last year did not have the opportunity to defend his crown in the indoor season due to a redshirt decision, but said he was extremely motivated to compete this weekend. \n“It bothered me during indoor season watching the guys jump and not being able to be a part of it,” Lawson said. \nLawson’s jump which earned the senior his seventh-overall Big Ten medal measured 7.87 meters, which is nearly 26 feet. The jump also set a new facility record at the Illinois Soccer and Track Stadium, and is only .04 meters off fifth best in IU school history.\nLawson also competed in the 4-by-100 meter relay that took second place at the meet. Lawson thought the group did very well – especially senior Marcus Thigpen, who lead off for the relay. \n“I’ve got to give big ups to Marcus,” Lawson said. “He really ate up that first leg.” \nHelmer said he was pleased and excited with the way both his two senior jumpers competed in their last Big Ten Outdoor Championship meet. \n“It’s the way you want the senior to go out,” he said. “That was great.” \nSenior Ryan Smith also closed his big ten meet career with a new personal best in the 400-meter hurdles of 51.75 seconds, which got him third in the event. \nAnother set of roommates that competed well were sophomores Ashley Rhoades and Vera Neuenswander. Both athletes finished in third place, Rhoades in the high jump and Neuenswander in the pole vault.\nRhoades received her first big ten medal by matching her career best of 1.75 meters which converts to just over 5 feet 8 inches. \n“It was kinda surprising, but really nice,” she said. \nRhoades short career at IU so far has not been without its obstacles. The sophomore has undergone two ankle surgeries since her senior year of high school, and her freshman year seemed somewhat inconsistent. \n“My struggle in the past was day in and day out I didn’t know how I was going to do,” she said. \nIn Rhoades’s second year as a Hoosier she has reached new heights. This weekend she tied her career best which she set earlier this season, and said she feels happy with where she is.\n“I feel better and more confident now,” she said. \nSophomore Kayla Smith is a roommate of both Rhoades and Neuenswander, and had the difficult job of going back and forth to watch and cheer on her friends in both the high jump and pole vault, which were contested simultaneously.\nSmith said it was tough but she managed to do the best she could, and estimated that she went back and fourth about 10 times. Smith also cheered loudly for several teammates throughout the meet, capturing the essence of the team unity the Hoosiers have sought to build throughout the season. \nAlthough Helmer would like to have seen the men’s and women’s teams score more points, he said the fact that many young kids stepped up and did well encouraged him. \n“Its not so much about experience right now,” he said. “Its about finding young kids that can compete at this level.” Freshman Stephanie Chin finished in a tie for third place in the pole vault. Other younger athletes that scored points were sophomores Faith Sherrill, Chris Sackman, and Molly Beckwith. \nBeckwith, who competed against what Helmer called one of the best 800-meter run conferences in the country placed third with a time of 2:07.56. \nFor Jenkins this meet and his motivation centered on his pride in his school and his excitement to compete. \n“IU’s my school, gotta represent,” he said.
(05/15/08 12:58am)
Junior Audrey Smoot did the unthinkable in March when she won the Indoor Big Ten Championship in the 600-meter run after being seeded last out of nine runners, including a former NCAA champion.\nSenior Kiwan Lawson hopes the men’s track team can repeat Smoot’s indoor performance by jumping from a ninth-place finish at the Indoor Big Ten Championships to first when the Hoosiers travel to Champaign, Ill., for the Outdoor Big Ten Championships this weekend. The women’s team, who also finished ninth at the Indoor Big Tens, will be looking to improve at the Outdoor Big Tens. \nAlso, In order to claim the title, the men’s team will have to knock off Wisconsin, the No. 1-ranked team in the conference. The Badger men will be gunning for a record fifth-consecutive triple crown – conference titles in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track; this does not deter Lawson from being confident about the Hoosiers’ chances, however.\n“We have a chance, if not more of a chance than anybody else, to dethrone Wisconsin,” he said. “If we have a glorious day, we can be Big Ten Champions.”\nDespite being the defending champions, Ed Nuttycombe, Wisconsin men’s track and field head coach, acknowledged it will not be easy for his team to win.\n“As I’ve said in the past, it’s going to be a very competitive meet,” he said in a statement.\nThe Badgers won last year’s meet with a score of 145.5 points, but Nuttycombe said this year he thinks 110-120 points will do it.\nLawson did not have indoor eligibility and did not compete at the Indoor Big Ten Championships in March, but as the reigning champion and top-ranked long jumper in the Big Ten so far this season, he said he is excited about the meet.\n“Like I told everybody, the king is back, so we’ll see how it goes this time around,” he said.\nLawson has the stats to support his confidence. Looking at the top 10 lists for each event in the Big Ten, Hoosier names or relay teams appear on them a combined 22 times, including three events in which they are ranked first.\nIU Coach Ron Helmer said he thinks his men’s team will definitely do better and could score 100 or more points, but he said he is uncertain how much better the team can perform.\n“I don’t know how as a group they are going to respond when all of the sudden the points start to add up and we have a chance to do really, really well,” he said.\nOn the women’s side, Helmer said the team could do better, but the team’s strengths overlap with a lot of other teams’ strengths.\nThe 800-meter dash will feature a field of runners in which the top 10 all have bettered the regional qualifying mark of 2:09.8. Helmer said although Junior Molly Beckwith is among the leaders, she could run really well but not place high.\n“Molly’s tough, but it’s probably the best 800 conference in the country,” he said. “She could run one of the top 10 or 12 times in the country and be fourth or fifth in this race.”\nJoining Beckwith in the 800 will be fellow juniors Caity Lauer and Audrey Smoot, who Helmer said he believes can secure regional-qualifying times for themselves in the race.\nSmoot said she has learned from the race she unexpectedly won at the indoor championships and that knowledge will help her this weekend.\n“From that experience, I learned that anything can happen,” she said. “Just go out there, race, try to hit your PR and you can’t control what anyone else does.”\nBoth the men’s and women’s teams will try to do just that, and if things fall into place, Lawson and the Hoosiers could see a dramatic improvement.\n“If everyone gives it their all just beating that one person in front of them, I think the points can collectively add up and we can have a run for a Big Ten Championship,” he said.
(05/12/08 1:41am)
The competition doesn’t move indoors when it is raining. The stadium doesn’t have a retractable roof. So when it rains, everything – the athletes, equipment, competitive surface – gets wet. \nThe outdoor track and field season has not been easy for the Hoosiers, who experienced much of the same bad weather conditions Friday as they hosted the Billy Hayes Invitational. \n“The weather has been far worse than in other years, but we are used to it by now,” junior John Gunnell said. \nWith constant rain coming down all evening, the wind wasn’t as bad as it was in the past. Rather than the gusts of wind exceeding 20 mph that the team faces in previous meets, the wind was rather calm.\n“There are three things – cold, wind and rain,” said IU coach Ron Helmer, describing the bad weather conditions that make track competitions difficult. “We had two of them.” \nAs hurdlers sophomore Kayla Smith and senior Ryan Smith opened up the meet with the singing of the National Anthem, the flags barely moved. The rain, however, was a different story, at one point sliding a pole and a Purdue pole vaulter right off of the landing mat. The vaulter experienced no injuries but was upset and frustrated. \nDespite the unfavorable weather conditions, some athletes were still able to excel in their events. Junior Molly Beckwith led the way for the women’s team, claiming victory in the 800-meter run.\nBeckwith, who clocked her third best time in the event, crossed the finish line in 2:08.64, but ran the race a little differently then she did when recording her previous best times. \n“I was leading the whole time,” she said. “It’s always hard to run faster when you’re leading the whole race.”\nHelmer said he believes that Beckwith has been working hard and is seeing positive results.\n“I think a big part of it is she’s talented,” he said. “Another part is she’s a tough competitive kid.” \nAfter qualifying for nationals in the indoor season and already improving on her career best this season, Beckwith has run well, but knows she will face a tough challenge next week at the Big Ten Championships.\nGoing into this meet, Beckwith ranked 20th in the 800, but above her on the list are three Big Ten Athletes, including Minnesota’s Heather Dorniden, a former NCAA Champion. \n“After last week I ran a 2:06, and this week 2:08 is pretty good because next week I’m going to have to run really fast,” Beckwith said. \nFor several Hoosiers including senior Kyndal Carr, this meet represented the last time they would compete on their home track. Although she would have liked to have done a little better, Carr, who finished seventh in the 100-meter dash and 14th in the 200-meter dash, said she had fun competing. \n“I always have a good time,” she said. “It didn’t really feel like my last meet, but it’s kinda sad now that I’m actually leaving the track.”\nOne athlete who will have plenty more opportunities to run on the Hoosiers home track is freshman Andy Weatherford. After beating the NCAA regional qualifying mark in the steeplechase last week, Weatherford came back strong coming close to the regional qualifying mark in the 1500-meter run, placing third in 3:47.95.\nWeatherford finished as the first collegiate runner in the race which lasted 109 meters short of a mile. The freshman said he likes the shape he is in. \n“I’m feeling really good about where I am at,” he said. “This is the best I’ve ever felt.” \nThe men’s 4-by-400-meter relay team closed out the meet with a victory, and inched closer to the regional mark of 3:10, with a time of 3:10.98, much to the delight of Gunnell, who anchored the group. \n“It was a much needed performance at this time of the season,” he said. \nAlthough the weather wasn’t great, Carr tried to keep everyone’s spirits up. \n“It was tough but I kept telling everyone this is perfect track and field weather,” she said. “The more positives you think the more positive outcomes you will have.”
(05/08/08 1:55pm)
Senior Ryan Smith will be performing triple duty for the IU track-and-field team this weekend – hurdling, sprinting and singing. A member of the Marching Hundred and Big Red Basketball bands, Smith will partner with sophomore hurdler Kayla Smith to sing the National Anthem at the Billy Hayes Invitational.\nThe two hurdlers, who are not related to each other, sang last year at the invitational, but are still planning to get together this week to do a final practice. Although excited to sing, Ryan Smith said he is more anxious about competing in the last home meet of his career. \n“It’s going to be emotional for all of the seniors,” he said. “Track has been our lives for so long.” \nRyan Smith, who plays the mellophone – an instrument he compared to a marching french horn – said playing in the band has given him something else to focus on, but has not been easy. \n“(Marching) Hundred season is no joke,” he said. “It’s like another practice.” \nRyan Smith, a Bloomington native, is not the only Hoosier track-and-field All-American to have played in the Marching Hundred. David Neville, who graduated from IU in 2007, now runs professionally for Nike. He participated in the drum line for the group during his years at IU. \nSmith said seeing how good Neville became while participating in Marching Hundred made him want to do it that much more. The two were teammates in Smith’s sophomore year on the 4-by-400-meter relay team that took fifth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, garnering All-American honors. \nAlthough Smith will not graduate until next school year, he is excited to move on with his future plans of being a dentist. While some people might not find reaching into others’ mouths an ideal job, Smith said he wants to help people. \n“A lot of people have teeth problems, and someone needs to help them out,” he said. \nFellow sprinter and senior teammate Keith Heerdegen will also be competing in his last home meet for the Hoosiers. Heerdegen said although he probably will not get extremely emotional, he has had a lot of fun over the last four years. \n“I’m going to miss competing,” he said. “I’ll miss it a lot.” \nHeerdegen has been a constant part of the 4-by-100-meter relay team which has already qualified for the NCAA Regional Championships, and is looking to qualify in the 200-meter dash as well. \n“I just have to run the last 15 meters, and I’ll get it,” he said. \nOne of only five seniors on a very young women’s team is Courtney Johnson. Johnson focuses mainly on the 100-meter hurdles and has qualified for the regional in the event. The senior currently sits in 22nd place in the nation with a time of 13.40 seconds, but is looking to improve on her home track. \n“I really love this track,” she said. “Hopefully I can end on a good note.” \nSmith, Heerdegen and Johnson have all contributed to the goal set before the season of coming together as a team, something IU coach Ron Helmer is happy about. \n“I think we have done that and our seniors are a big part of it,” he said. \nHelmer has spent less than one year with the Hoosiers, but said he has had a great time working with his seniors and they are going to be very hard to replace. \n“I’ve enjoyed the group a lot,” he said. “I wish I had more time with them. “\nAlthough there are still more meets in the season this one will be special for the seniors, who are being presented with rings midway through competition.\n“We will be trying hard to end with a bang,” Smith said.
(05/05/08 4:00am)
Jeremy Rosenthal
(05/05/08 2:19am)
People came from 50 states and eight different countries to take over the city of Indianapolis on Saturday morning. Among them, sophomore Tom Gazdziak woke up at 4:44 a.m., and made his way to the start line a couple of hours later with a massive crowd of people. \nGazdziak, who participated in the 33rd running of the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, was surprised that so many people could come together for the event. \n“I was amazed that over 35,000 people could be at the same place at seven o’clock in the morning,” Gazdziak said. \nThe event, referred to by many as simply the Indy Mini, is a half-marathon, or 13.1-mile race, through the streets of downtown Indianapolis. It is the largest half marathon in the country.\nGazdziak ran the Mini last year, but was much happier with his improvement of more than eight minutes this year. Even though he ran a personal best of 1:24:36 and finished No. 218, which got him a special medal for finishing in the top 500, there was another part of the race that he enjoyed. \n“The opportunity to run on the speedway track was a great experience,” he said. \nRunners all entered and ran one lap on the track of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where the 92nd Indianapolis 500 will run May 25. Some people bent down to kiss the bricks as they passed, while other, more serious runners did not want to stop. All participants came together, though, like they have been doing for more than 30 years.\nThe first Mini was held in 1977 with barely more than 800 runners. Since then it has exploded to where it now, with a cap of 35,000 participants, which it usually reaches about 5 months in advance. Brandi Davis-Handy, the communications manager for the race, said it is easy to see the growing interest in the event. \n“You can tell by looking at the large amount of participants and spectators the amount of popularity there is,” she said. \nThe race has amassed so much popularity that the crowd of people extended backward from the start line for several blocks. The elite runners started from the front at about 7:30 a.m., but the last participant did not cross the start line until nearly 31 minutes later. \nThe race organizers have taken this into account, using chip timing, where the runners attach objects to their shoes that don’t start counting up until they cross the start line. \nStarting so far back frustrated freshman Josh Smith, who took nearly seven minutes to get to the start line. Smith said there were some advantages, though. \n“It was tough to start that far back, but it prevented me from going out too fast,” he said. \nSmith, running the Mini for the second time – his first since seventh grade – worked his way up throughout the race and won his age group with a time of 1:18:28.\nAlong the course, live bands and radio stations provided musical entertainment throughout the race. As the first runners turned onto New York Street, crossing the bridge over the White River with a mile left to go, the race for No. 1 came down to Kenyans Lamech Mokono and Valentine Orare. \nBoth athletes battled down the final straight way, producing one of the greatest finishes in Indy Mini history. As they crossed the finish line together, no one knew who had won. \nRace officials utilized videotape and still photos to attempt to determine a winner. The final decision culminated in both men being awarded first place and each receiving the $3,500 prize for winning. \nAs participants crossed the finish line, many raised their hands in joy and excitement, happy to have accomplished the feat of conquering the 13.1 mile course. \nAlthough some came just to have fun, freshman Matt Woerner also wanted to compete and run fast, which he said he was able to do with a lot of runners present. \n“It was a lot of fun getting to compete against other good runners,” he said. “Trying to pass other runners motivated me to run faster.”
(04/28/08 4:38am)
The IU men’s and women’s track teams were sucessful at this weekend’s Drake Relays.\nThe Hoosiers’ 4-by-100 meter relay team of seniors Marcus Thigpen and Keith Heerdegen, junior Will Glover and freshman Devin Pipkin regionally qualified, winning its heat in 40.48 seconds. \nIU associate head coach Jeff Huntoon, who traveled for the first time to the Drake Relays, said he thought the sprinters did very well. \nThe men’s distance medley — a relay in which a team of four runs a 1200-meter, 400-meter, 800-meter and finish with a 1600-meter run — was another event Huntoon said he was excited to watch, especially with his team winning the race. The team of freshman Ben Hubers, junior Evan Bardach and seniors Ryan Smith and Brennon Plotner finished first with a time of 9:49.05, covering a distance of about 2.5 miles.\nHuntoon said the large crowd, which was seated less than 10 feet off the track, got very excited about the race. \n“We really whipped the crowd into frenzy,” Huntoon said. “It could not have been scripted any better.”\nSome of the athletes who did not compete in the Drake Relays traveled to Indianapolis for the Stan Lyons Invitational, hosted by Butler University.\nThe trio of sophomores, Ashley Rhoades, Faith Sherrill and Paul Haas regionally qualified in their individual events. IU assistant coach Jermaine Jones, who works with the throwers, thought they did a great job.\n“I was excited,” he said. “They took advantage of a good day.” \nSherrill, who did not throw the discus last year, won the event with a heave of almost 162 feet. Her coach, Jones, said he was surprised because Sherrill does not throw the discus much in practice and improved significantly on her high school best of 138 feet. \nRhoades competed in the high jump on Saturday at the IU-Purdue University Indianapolis track, but did not have her normal amount of time to warm up.\nWith only about 30 minutes to prepare, Rhoades was rushed and had to go right into competition in the high jump. She cleared the first height of 5 feet 3 inches, but said she became nervous as she needed three jumps to conquer the next mark, 2 inches higher.\nRhoades, who has had ankle surgery twice since her senior year of high school, did not know how good she would be coming back from an operation over the summer.\n“I hoped for the best, but expected hard times,” she said. \nAlthough it has been a struggle, after her second-place finish in the high jump and clearing the regional mark of 1.75 meters this weekend she is proud of what she has accomplished.\n“I was so happy,” she said. “It didn’t even hit me until much later that night.” \nRhoades and the Hoosiers will compete next at the Jesse Owens Invitational in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday.
(04/24/08 3:54am)
When IU coach Ron Helmer told junior Caity Lauer she did not qualify to compete in her favorite event, the 800-meter run, this weekend, she was disappointed.\nThe meet, which the track and field team departed for on Wednesday, is not the NCAA Regionals or the NCAA Championships, but rather the Drake Relays – one of the biggest meets of the outdoor track season. \nLauer, who ran her career-best in the 800 in last year’s meet, will compete instead in the 4-by-800 meter relay and said she is still excited to go back. \n“It’s like the Super Bowl for track,” she said.\nThe 99th running of the Drake Relays will have plenty of athletes. Nearly 8,000 are expected to compete, including many elite athletes and some Olympians. The relays will also have spectators, as nearly 25,000 are expected to watch.\nThe track meet, which takes place in Des Moines, Iowa, does not start until Thursday, but the festivities started with the Drake Relays Downtown Festival on Monday. Events include the Beautiful Bulldog Contest, Family Fun Night and block parties with live music, making it a unique experience. \n“It’s an event, not just a track meet,” Helmer said.\nEven the running surface at Drake Stadium is different. The Hoosiers will race around a blue track, with fans surrounding nearly the entire circumference.\nThe fans will see high school, collegiate and professional athletes from around the country. Last year, Alan Webb, who is the American record-holder in the mile, broke the Drake Relays record in the event, and he will be back this year to defend his title. \nWebb will be joined by athletes from 686 teams, 34 states and even some from Canada. \nFreshman Andy Weatherford is excited to run in such a big meet, as he will compete in the 3,000-meter steeplechase hoping to break the regional standard. The steeplechase is an event where competitors have hurdles they have to clear as they run around the track, including one that goes over a water pit. \n“The plan is to roll with the pack and get the regional mark,” he said. \nWeatherford, who won the 1,600-meter state championship on the Bill Hayes Track his sophomore year of high school, said he has enjoyed training for the steeplechase.\n“It’s a challenge, but I like it,” he said. \nThe Greencastle, Ind., native has received help this season from volunteer assistant coach Tom Chorny, who won the 2001 USA Outdoor Championships and finished 10th in the 2000 Olympic Trials in the steeplechase. Chorny is currently training for this year’s Olympic Trials. \nAnother Hoosier who will make the trip to Iowa is Phil Henson, an IU assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology. \nHenson, who was the assistant track coach at IU for 15 years, will serve as a referee in the meet and said he enjoys giving back to a sport which he has been involved with for most of his life. \n“I enjoy the association with the athletes, coaches and other officials,” he said.\nThe men’s and women’s track and field teams are also planning to send some athletes to compete in the Stan Lyons Invitational in Indianapolis, a much smaller meet compared to the Drake Relays. \nHelmer said he thinks it is great that the Drake Relays have become such a popular event with so much tradition, but he also knows this will give his team a chance to compete against some top-notch athletes. \n“It will be a chance to run against some good people,” \nhe said.
(04/21/08 4:55am)
Even though the Hoosiers competed in a small meet this weekend, they achieved great results.\nWith few schools present at the Indiana Invitational on Friday, the men’s and women’s track and field teams were still successful, racking up 10 regional qualifying marks at the meet. \nIU coach Ron Helmer said he wanted his athletes to compete well, regardless of the conditions. \n“We want to get as much value as we can,” he said. \nThe final event for the men, the 4-by-400 meter relay, featured four IU teams that made up the entire field. The winning team crossed the finish line with a time of 3:18.05.\nWith so many athletes competing in the event, even senior jumper Kyle Jenkins was called upon to run a leg of the relay. Jenkins did not run a fast race because his specialties are the long jump and triple jump.\nJenkins said it was the first time he had competed in the event, and most likely the last time as well. He competed better earlier in the day when he finished first in the long jump with a regional qualifying mark of 7.35 meters.\nThe 200-meter dash represented another event where Hoosier athletes battled against each other, pushing each other to run faster – something Helmer said can be very helpful. \n“They were taking runs at each other, and that’s important,” he said. \nSenior sprinter Marcus Thigpen led off the 200 with fellow teammate freshman Devin Pipkin right on his heels. Thigpen maintained the advantage all the way through the finish, and said he was happy with his regional qualifying time of 21.27 seconds.\n“I felt good from start to finish,” he said. “I’m in the best shape of my life right now.” \nSeveral more Hoosiers set new regional qualifying marks, including sophomore thrower Patrick Dalton. Dalton came away victorious in the shot put with a heave of 16.93 meters. The throw represented a 40-centimeter improvement for Dalton, who was pleased with the regional mark. \n“It was good to finally get it,” he said. “It was a goal from the beginning of the year.”\nDalton wasn’t the only Hoosier athlete to record a significant improvement. In the pole vault, sophomore Vera Neuenswander had a first-place finish and season-best height of 4.10 meters. Neuenswander said she was happy with the jump, but knows she can go higher. \n“I got a little confidence back today,” she said. \nThe jump got Helmer’s attention, who said he was happy to see his pole vaulter do well; and although she didn’t clear the bar at 4.20 meters, it was good to get that practice. \n“I was proud of Vera,” he said. \nHelmer made the decision to change the meet from the original scheduled time on Saturday to Friday because of poor weather conditions predicted for Saturday. He said he was glad they did not wait until Saturday to get the meet in. With so many strong performances on the new date, the team was glad as well. \n“It was a good day to come out and compete,” \nNeuenswander said.
(04/18/08 4:15am)
Sixty-three days have passed since the Hoosiers last competed in Bloomington.\nDuring that time, a lot has happened. A former president and a presidential hopeful have visited IU. One basketball coach resigned and another has taken over. One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is the IU track and field team’s dedication to improvement. \nHaving traveled in the first three weeks of the outdoor season to Alabama, California, Texas and Tennessee, the team is finally back home again in Indiana, something junior John Gunnell is happy about. \n“It’s good to be home,” he said.\nThe Hoosier men’s and women’s track and field teams will host the Indiana Invitational Friday at the Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex on the E.C. “Billy” Hayes Track, the first of two home meets in the outdoor season. \nGunnell has been part of the 4x400-meter relay team, which has steadily improved this season. Last weekend at the Sea Ray Relays in Knoxville, Tenn., Gunnell teamed up with fellow junior Martin Stephen and seniors Ryan Smith and Doug Dayhoff. The group finished in fifth place, recording a time of 3:11.32, only 1.32 seconds shy of the NCAA regional qualifying time.\n“With our training, we will be there,” Gunnell said.\nThe Hoosiers are off to a hot start in the outdoor season, with several athletes setting career bests and posting regional qualifying times. \nAssociate head coach Jeff Huntoon said he thinks this meet will allow several athletes who are close to regional marks to achieve the times. \n“They will be home and relaxed and hopefully they can take that last little step,” he said. \nIn addition to the career bests and regional marks, several Hoosiers have been recognized by the Big Ten for their outstanding performances. \nSenior Marcus Thigpen was awarded Big Ten Co-Track Athlete of the Week after the Alabama Relays. The next week, fellow senior Abbie Stechschulte was honored with Big Ten Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after recording the second-highest heptathlon point total in school history at the Texas Relays.\nAt the Sea Ray Relays last weekend, two IU pole vaulters received Big Ten Field Athlete of the Week accolades. Freshman Stephanie Chin, who jumped a new school record of 4.25 meters, and junior Jeff Coover, who came within one centimeter of fifth all time at IU with a mark of 5.35 meters, received the awards. \nHuntoon said he is excited about the awards the team is winning, and they are having a ripple effect on the success and motivation of the team.\n“These kids know it and they want to be next,” he said. \nJunior Brent Bahler practices with Chin, Coover and the other pole vaulters, and said he has thoroughly enjoyed being on the team. \n“I get to train with good athletes every day,” he said. \nBahler, who grew up on the shores of the Wabash in West Lafayette, said he is happy to be home again in Indiana competing, but also is glad to be with people on the team who have become his close friends. \n“This is one of the best things I’ve done in my life,” he said.
(04/15/08 5:10pm)
He is one of the first to arrive and one of the last to leave. On a team of nearly 90 athletes, he is one of the most important figures, and he came to IU from a country more than 6,000 miles away.\nHe is “Shinbo.” \nShinchiro Sugiura, or Shinbo as he is affectionately called, is the head athletic trainer for the IU track and field team. Even though this is his first year at IU, Sugiura has found a home with the track and field family. \n“He is very much a team player,” IU coach Ron Helmer said.\nSenior sprinter/jumper Kiwan Lawson echoed the words of his coach.\n“You can’t say track and field without Shinbo,” he said. \nGrowing up in Japan, Sugiura competed on the soccer and track teams in school. In track, he ran distance, but did not excel in the sport.\n“I was slower than the girls,” he said.\nFrequent injuries impeded his success as an athlete, but he still wanted to be involved in sports. \n“I couldn’t be an athlete, but I wanted to support the athletes,” Shinbo said.\nWith no athletic training program in Japan, Sugiura headed to Indiana State for his undergraduate degree. He stayed at Indiana State for graduate school, then moved to Maine.\nThere, Sugiura worked first at a high school, then spent four years at a Division III college before coming to Bloomington.\nWhen he was first introduced as the athletic trainer, some of the athletes thought he was demanding. \n“He seemed very strict at first,” Lawson said. \nHelmer noticed Sugiura’s tremendous work ethic, but also his sense of humor – something that is important when dealing with the frustrations of injuries. Lawson agreed with his coach. \n“With so much going on, we need to laugh,” he said. “He’s our comedian.” \nSugiura is not afraid to be critical of the athletes when he sees them slacking off in practice. He also has been known to compete against them in block starts, the high jump or even the javelin.\nSophomore distance runner Rachel Ehret has spent a lot of time with Sugiura. Ehret injured her right tibia last year and had a stress fracture to her right foot before the start of this year’s cross country season.\nEhret, who visits the training room for almost an hour a day, said she has been impressed by how much Sugiura cares about what he does. \n“He is very dedicated,” she said. “I can tell he loves his job.”\nSugiura usually comes to work every day around 8 a.m. and goes home at about 6:30 p.m. Helmer puts in a lot of work as head coach, but he said Sugiura is an extremely hard worker who makes himself available seven days a week. \n“I can’t outwork him,” Helmer said. “He’s the Energizer Bunny.” \nSugiura, in turn, praised the coaches and said they also play a large role in helping to keep the athletes injury-free. He said that while he takes his work seriously, he also knows having fun creates a more comfortable setting for treatment. \n“It’s important to have a relaxed environment,” he said.\nIn Bloomington, Sugiura has found a home, and he said he doesn’t plan to leave any time soon. The coaching staff and athletes want him to stay, too, and they said they admire his hard work and calm demeanor.\nSometimes he can be doing multiple tasks at once, but he still responds quickly when needed.\n“He’s Johnny-on-the-spot all the time,” Lawson said.
(04/15/08 4:05am)
Several Hoosiers set career bests in competition this weekend at the Sea Ray Relays in Knoxville, Tenn. In some cases, the records came in fewer than 11 seconds on the track, while others, like junior Kristina Trcka’s, took nearly 39 minutes to accomplish. \nTrcka competed in her first 10,000-meter run for IU since transferring from Earlham College after her freshman year. The distance runner said she tried not to count the miles in the 6.2-mile race, but rather got in a zone and followed other runners. \n“Coach wanted me to stay with the pack, and I did,” she said. \nAfter taking the lead for part of the race, Trcka finished third with a time of 38:45.91, almost two minutes better than her previous record. \nAnother personal best over the weekend was set by junior Will Glover, whose time of 10.49 seconds in the 100-meter dash bettered the regional qualifying mark of 10.5 seconds, but did not count toward the standard because the wind was stronger than what is allowed under NCAA rules.\nIn order to have a time counted in sprints, short hurdle races, long jump and triple jump, the wind can not exceed 4 meters per second. In Glover’s case, it was 4.1 meters per second. \nAlthough Glover was a little disappointed, he said he is looking forward to future races. \n“It does get frustrating, but there are enough races in the season that I can get it,” he said. \nGlover’s teammate senior Marcus Thigpen competed in the 100-meter dash as well. But his career-best of 10.34 seconds did not count toward the regional standard because of the wind. Despite the wind, Thigpen’s time ranks second-best in IU history. IU coach Ron Helmer said he thought the wind aided several of the runners.\nFreshman Stephanie Chin set another record. Chin has already set the indoor and outdoor pole vaulting records this season for IU and improved on her own outdoor mark \nthis weekend.\nChin vaulted 4.25 meters, which bettered her previous outdoor record of 4.15 meters, which she set at the Alabama Relays. \nHelmer said he and many of the other coaches really enjoyed watching her compete and seeing her improve. \n“She just brings it,” he said. \nChin, a Bloomington High School South graduate, bettered the Olympic Trials “B” qualifying standard of 4.20 meters. The “A” standard, which is the automatic qualifier, is 4.47 meters. \nChin wasn’t the only vaulter who excelled at the meet. Junior Jeff Coover jumped more than 5.35 meters, a significant improvement in only his second meet since redshirting during the indoor season. \nCoover, who bettered his previous best by 20 centimeters and established a regional qualifying mark, said that after coming off an injury he was glad to have jumped so high. \n“We were due for a good weekend,” he said. \nSophomore Faith Sherrill led the throwers in Knoxville, surpassing the regional standard in the shot put and improving by nearly 1 meter with a throw of 14.65 meters. \nSherrill’s coach, IU assistant Jermaine Jones, said he expects improvement from the sophomore.\n“I think she will throw it much further,” he said. “Faith is a really good athlete.” \nAlthough the wind and rain hurt some of the athletes’ performances, Helmer thought the team improved and competed well. \n“Pretty much every place we thought we could get a good performance, we did,” he said. \nThe Hoosiers will return home Saturday to host the Indiana Invitational.
(04/14/08 4:25am)
Rain, thunder and lightning.\nThe sixth running of the Little 50 was plagued by Mother Nature’s obstacles but showed the mental toughness of its competitors. With weather delays adding up to more than an hour, the runners lost rhythm but battled relentlessly during the 50-lap relay race.\nThe race is comprised of teams of four racing around a quarter-mile track. On Thursday, the women’s race was halted after 42 laps because of inclement weather, which frustrated many who had trained until race day. \n“The weather delay was incredibly aggravating,” said senior Kati Bennett, captain of team Cream. \nCream came back to compete this year after finishing second a year ago by a mere two seconds. Once the race resumed, Cream completed its final eight laps, sprinting to victory in dominant fashion. \n“It felt great to come back and win,” Bennett said. \nOfficials debated whether the race should be restarted, since only 25 laps are needed for the competition to become official. \nWhen the race was stopped, Alpha Phi had a commanding lead of second place. But since it was on the same lap as several others teams, Alpa Phi lost its advantage when the race restarted. \nSophomore Katie Wickham, who ran for Alpha Phi, was frustrated by the decision. \n“We were kind of nervous,” she said of her team during the weather delay. “I didn’t think we would race again, but we did the best we could.”\nWickham said her team’s strength was endurance and not speed, so with few laps to go after the restart Kappa Alpha Theta passed Wickham’s team, dropping Alpha Phi to a third-place finish. \nAlthough she would have liked to have done better, Wickham said she was proud of her team’s finish, especially considering it had only one returning runner from last year’s team. \n“The team came together and did really well,” she said. \nThe men’s race only got through 21 laps before weather postponed the race. \nThe delay bothered Andy Krack, a junior on team Mercury, because it cost the team some of the lead they had built before the weather delay. Despite what happened, he said the team was mentally prepared. \n“The way we train, it didn’t throw us off too much,” he said. \nIn the last portion of the race teams battled through intense rain, lightning and fatigue. \n“It was pretty tough,” Krack said. “Once we realized we were on record pace, it lifted my spirits a little.”\nKrack, the winner of the Gold Mile Event the week before, said he had fun running in the lightning. Winning the race wasn’t bad either, as the team won in record time of 54:12. \nOne of Mercury’s most dedicated supporters was Gorn Jantaraweragul, the roommate of team captain senior Michael Philippsen. Despite the poor conditions, Jantaraweragul dressed himself like Mercury, the Greek messenger god. \n“I just wanted to support (Philippsen) the best I could,” Jantaraweragul said. “It was crazy.”\nShirtless with Mercury printed across his chest and wings attached to his feet, he cheered his team on to victory, and said he was excited the team won the race. \n“I would have felt pretty embarrassed if they would not have brought home the gold,” he said. \nMercury’s Josh Smith, a first-year runner, said the race was a positive experience. \n“I had a great group of guys to run with,” he said.
(04/11/08 4:36am)
Having a 101-degree fever and competing in the heat of the south is not something easy to do. Sophomore high jumper Jared Nuxoll faced these conditions two weeks ago at the Alabama Relays and was disappointed with his sixth place finish. \nNuxoll’s jump in Alabama was only 2 meters, a 10-centimeter setback compared to his best jump during the indoor season. \n“I was very disappointed,” he said. \nThis weekend the sophomore will compete with the men’s and women’s track and field team at the Sea Ray Relays in Knoxville, Tenn. \nJumping for almost 10 years, Nuxoll said it can be a little frustrating to improve so slowly and by so little each year. \n“It’s a long journey,” Nuxoll said of his jumping career. \nIn the two weeks since the Alabama Relays, Nuxoll said he is feeling better and is confident he will do well this weekend. \nSophomore hurdler Kayla Smith is another Hoosier who is hoping to improve on her finish at the Alabama Relays.\nIn her first meet of the outdoor season, after competing unattached from the Hoosiers during the indoor season, Smith recorded a career-best in the 400 hurdles with a time of 1:02.61.\n“I think I was more confident with the training I have put in,” she said. \nThe performance represented an improvement of .57 seconds from her time of 1:03.18 she ran at the Big Ten Championships last year. The time is also just 1.79 seconds off her regional qualifying mark in the event, which she is confident she can achieve. \nIU coach Ron Helmer, who works with Smith and the rest of the team, said he can see his team’s “training is starting to pay off.” \nJunior Martin Stephen agrees with his coach and said he is excited to race this weekend in Tennessee. Stephen will compete on Friday in the 800-meter run and then Saturday as part of the team’s 4X400-meter relay. \nStephen was part of the 4-by-400 meter relay team that crossed the finish line first in 3:12.32 at the Alabama Relays. Having put in a solid base of training, the sprinter feels confident about where he is. \n“I feel really good right now,” he said. \nThe regional qualifying standard in the 4-by-4 is within reach, with the team needing to shave just 2.32 seconds off their last performance.\nHelmer emphasized that the meet this weekend is about more than setting regional qualifying marks. It’s also about training harder.\n“We need to get work done,” he said. “Races are some of the best workouts we can do.”
(04/08/08 4:37am)
It didn’t take long for senior Abbie Stechschulte to make her mark on IU.\nStechschulte, who suited up for the Hoosiers for the first time in competition, was the collegiate heptathlon champion in the 81st running of the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays this past weekend.\n“I was excited to finally actually compete,” she said. \nThe heptathlon, which takes place during a two-day span, is a series of seven events in which points are totaled and awarded based on performance in individual events. The competition includes the 100-meter hurdles, 200-meter dash, high jump, long jump, shot put, javelin and 800-meter run.\nStechschulte collected a career-best of 5,661 points, the second-best total in IU women’s track and field history. Second place is quite the accomplishment for Stechschulte, considering the name above hers in the record book is that of Dedee Nathan, an Olympian who competed in Sydney in 2000 and holds the IU record with \n5,855 points. \nStechschulte spent most of her undergraduate career at West Virginia under Jeff Huntoon, who is now the associate head coach for the Hoosiers. With one \nseason of outdoor eligibility left, Stechschulte made the decision to transfer with her coach to IU.\nHuntoon said that his athlete has been very patient with the process and still has a lot of room for improvement. \n“She is still training for the opportunity of the next step,” he said. \nThe Columbus Grove, Ohio, native will most likely compete in the heptathlon next at the Big Ten Championships and NCAA Outdoor Championships before hopefully competing in the Olympic Trials in late June. \nTwo other Hoosiers joined Stechschulte on the trip to Texas. One of them was senior sprinter and hurdler Courtney Johnson, who ran in the 100-meter hurdles on Saturday, finishing eighth in 13.79 seconds.\nSenior Kyle Jenkins, who competes in the triple jump, also made the trip to Texas. Jenkins posted a regional qualifying mark of 15.01 meters to finish ninth. \nIn addition to the action in Texas, the Hoosiers also sent three athletes west to compete in the Stanford Invite in Palo Alto, Calif. Freshman Ben Hubers led the way for the group, finishing 13th in the 5,000-meter run in 14:09.83. His previous best was 14:51, a record he set in high school. \nHubers added another regional qualifying mark in the 5,000 to go along with his 1,500-meter qualifying time of 3:45.71 at the Alabama \nRelays.\nAlso running the 5,000-meter, in a different heat were senior Brennon Plotner and freshman Cole Hardacre. Plotner ran a personal best of 14:22.47, while Hardacre crossed the finish line in 14:41.75. \nIU coach Ron Helmer said he thought his athletes took some steps forward.\n“I’m looking forward to good weather and the coming weeks of competition,” he said in a statement. \nThe Hoosiers will send several athletes to the Sea Ray Relays in Knoxville, Tenn., this weekend, before returning home on April 19 to host the Indiana Invitational. The invitational is the first of two home meets for the Hoosiers during the outdoor season.
(04/04/08 4:26am)
While freshman Ben Hubers might lack experience, he makes up for it in talent and determination. Hubers displayed both last weekend as he placed third in the 1500-meter run with a regional qualifying time of 3:45.71.\n“I found some fast runners and hung on with them,” \nhe said. \nThis weekend Hubers will compete in Palo Alto, Calif. at the Stanford Invite.\nAlthough Hubers was originally recruited to Indiana by former IU coach Robert Chapman, the Marietta, Ga. native said he has grown to love the team and its new coach \nas well. \nWith the weather conditions hopefully favorable and the high level of competition at the meet, it should make for fast times. \nLast year, junior Jordan Kyle ran a career-best of 14:03 in the 5000-meter run at the Stanford Invite. Hubers, who ran 14:51 in the event in high school, is hoping to go under 14 minutes when he steps onto the track \nFriday night.\nJoining him on the trip will be fellow freshman Cole Hardacre, a second team All-Big Ten honoree for cross country and senior \nBrennon Plotner. \nIn addition to the three athletes traveling west, the Hoosiers will also send three more south to the Texas Relays \nin Austin. \nSenior Abbie Stechschulte is already in Texas competing in the heptathlon. Stechschulte wrapped up the first day of competition Wednesday in third place after four events. Her best event of the day was the 100-meter dash, in which she set a personal-best time of 13.76 seconds. \nAlso traveling to the Lone Star State will be seniors Courtney Johnson and \nKyle Jenkins. \nJenkins will look to improve on his regional qualifying mark of 15.67 meters in the triple jump, which he set last weekend at the Alabama Relays, finishing second in the event. \n“I had some pretty good jumps,” he said. \nJenkins said he hopes the weather will be warm because last year a cold front came through Texas, leading to cool temperatures during the meet. \nThe All-American is also excited to have a special visitor in attendance to watch him compete in the triple jump on Saturday. Jenkins’ ‘Pops,’ as he affectionately called him, will make the trip from his home near Seattle to cheer on his son.\nAnother athlete on the track team that has done extremely well but won’t be traveling with the team this weekend is senior sprinter Marcus Thigpen. Thigpen was awarded Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week honors earlier in \nthe week. \nThigpen competed in the Alabama Relays last weekend, winning the 100-meter dash in a regional qualifying time of 10.47 seconds. The time is .03 seconds off of the fourth-fastest time in school history.\nOverall, the Hoosiers will have six athletes competing in both the Stanford Invite and Texas Relays. IU coach Ron Helmer will look for those individuals to run fast and learn to compete among other highly talented athletes. \n“I hope we come out with six great performances,” \nhe said.
(04/01/08 4:13am)
While most people were asleep in their beds during the wee hours of Monday morning, a large group of student-athletes were not. \nThe IU track and field team’s bus did not pull into Bloomington until about 8 a.m. Monday after returning from competition at the Alabama Relays in Tuscaloosa, Ala., this weekend. \nThough tired from the four days of competition and frustrated by bus failures that led to the team’s late return, senior Kiwan Lawson said he was pleased with how the meet went overall. \n“Everybody had some nice, solid performances,” he said. “I can’t say it was one person, everyone did a great job.”\nAfter skipping the indoor season, Lawson competed in four events during the Alabama meet, and was excited to wear an IU jersey once again. \n“The main thing I enjoyed was being part of the team and showing people what I’m capable of doing,” he said.\nIn addition to being part of the winning teams in the 4x200-meter and 4x400-meter relays, Lawson competed in both the 200-meter dash and the long jump event, recording a regional qualifying jump of 7.55 meters in the later. \nLawson’s teammate and fellow jumper senior Kyle Jenkins also performed well during the weekend with a regional qualifying mark in the triple jump of 15.67 meters. \nLawson and Jenkins were not the only ones to achieve regional qualifying marks, which are needed to compete in the regional to advance to nationals. Freshman distance runner Ben Hubers, who also did not compete for IU during the indoor season, placed third in the 1500-meter event in 3:45.71, beating the regional standard of 3:47.8. \nIU coach Ron Helmer said he thinks Hubers is one of IU’s finest athletes on his track team. \n“He is very talented, trains well and loves to compete,” Helmer said.\nThe men’s team also finished well in the sprinting events, something Helmer said might have surprised the other teams at the meet. \nSenior Marcus Thigpen posted a regional qualifying mark of 10.47 seconds in the 100-meter dash. Thigpen’s time is just .03 seconds from being fourth all-time in IU’s record books.\nJunior Will Glover also finished in the top ten in the 100-meter dash, finishing seventh in 10.73 seconds.\n“This was good for my first actual meet outdoors,” \nGlover said. \nThe men’s team wasn’t the only Hoosier squad that performed well at the Alabama Relays. The women’s team featured some impressive individual performances, including one from a freshman pole vaulter setting yet another school record.\nFresh off of setting the indoor school record earlier this year, freshman Stephanie Chin vaulted 4.15 meters in Alabama to claim the school’s outdoor record as well. The previous record was held by Chin’s teammate, sophomore Vera Neuenswander, who had a mark of 4.12 meters in 2007. \nBoth Chin and Neuenswander, along with senior Courtney Johnson, who finished second in the 100-meter hurdles, recorded regional qualifying marks during the meet. \nOverall, the Hoosiers won 10 events and qualified seven athletes for NCAA regional \ncompetition.\nNext up on the schedule for the Hoosiers is the Stanford Invite in Palo Alto, Calif. IU will send select athletes to the Invite and others to Austin for the Texas Relays.
(03/31/08 9:17pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After finishing second last year by a mere two seconds, team Cream wanted to come out strong and show the rest of the women’s field what they could do. Mission accomplished.The four Cream women started off heat one of the qualifications for the sixth running of Little 50 with a bang. Running the 4x800-meter relay, sophomore Lauren Sewell, senior Kati Bennett, junior Amy Farrell and freshman Jen Laser secured first place with a time of 10:29.19. Second place in the heat crossed the line more than a minute and 30 seconds later. “I felt pretty confident today,” Laser said. “The team went out and did really well.” Despite running mostly the 3200- and 1600-meter races on the Hinsdale Central High School track and field team in Illinois, Laser anchored the team in the relay, with a split of 2:26 for her 800. The weather conditions were not the best for the runners, with heavy rains over the previous night creating many puddles on the track. This did not stop the runners from giving maximum effort, which was especially evident in the second heat of the race. On the men’s side, Running for Black’s sophomore Tim Holt sprinted as hard as he could coming down the straightaway of his 800-meters, not wanting anyone to pass him. “I started kicking it in really hard,” Holt said. “I couldn’t even control my legs.”As Holt crossed the finish line, he lost his balance and plummeted to the ground. Although he was a little slow to get up and had blood coming from his leg, he was still happy about what his team was able to accomplish.“We only had three people to run today,” he said. “We wanted to qualify and we did that.” Following the second heat for the men, Mercury, who also finished second in last year’s Little 50, was determined to run hard.Taking the lead on the second leg, the team never looked back and won the heat in a record setting time of 8:19.84.Mercury team captain and senior Michael Philippsen was very happy with how his team performed. “It was an awesome afternoon to run,” he said. Fellow senior and teammate Ryan Tanselle, who will be running in his fourth Little 50 this year, said he thinks there is something different about this team. “This is the most dedicated team I’ve ever been on,” he said. Overall, first-year race director Matt Ewing said he was pleased with how the qualifications turned out. “The weather held off for us and everything ran very smoothly,” he said. The running will continue next week with one series event planned. The “Golden Mile,” a one mile race, will be contested next Thursday night with the first heat starting around 7 p.m. This event will lead up to the main event, the sixth running of the Little 50, which will take place April 10.
(03/31/08 4:42am)
After finishing second last year by a mere two seconds, team Cream wanted to come out strong and show the rest of the women’s field what they could do. Mission accomplished.\nThe four Cream women started off heat one of the qualifications for the sixth running of Little 50 with a bang. Running the 4x800-meter relay, sophomore Lauren Sewell, senior Kati Bennett, junior Amy Farrell and freshman Jen Laser secured first place with a time of 10:29.19. Second place in the heat crossed the line more than a minute and 30 seconds later. \n“I felt pretty confident today,” Laser said. “The team went out and did really well.” \nDespite running mostly the 3200- and 1600-meter races on the Hinsdale Central High School track and field team in Illinois, Laser anchored the team in the relay, with a split of 2:26 for her 800. \nThe weather conditions were not the best for the runners, with heavy rains over the previous night creating many puddles on the track. This did not stop the runners from giving maximum effort, which was especially evident in the second heat of the race. \nOn the men’s side, Running for Black’s sophomore Tim Holt sprinted as hard as he could coming down the straightaway of his 800-meters, not wanting anyone to pass him. \n“I started kicking it in really hard,” Holt said. “I couldn’t even control my legs.”\nAs Holt crossed the finish line, he lost his balance and plummeted to the ground. Although he was a little slow to get up and had blood coming from his leg, he was still happy about what his team was able to accomplish.\n“We only had three people to run today,” he said. “We wanted to qualify and we did that.” \nFollowing the second heat for the men, Mercury, who also finished second in last year’s Little 50, was determined to run hard.\nTaking the lead on the second leg, the team never looked back and won the heat in a record setting time of 8:19.84.\nMercury team captain and senior Michael Philippsen was very happy with how his team performed. \n“It was an awesome afternoon to run,” he said. \nFellow senior and teammate Ryan Tanselle, who will be running in his fourth Little 50 this year, said he thinks there is something different about this team. \n“This is the most dedicated team I’ve ever been on,” he said. \nOverall, first-year race director Matt Ewing said he was pleased with how the qualifications turned out. \n“The weather held off for us and everything ran very smoothly,” he said. \nThe running will continue next week with one series event planned. The “Golden Mile,” a one mile race, will be contested next Thursday night with the first heat starting around 7 p.m. \nThis event will lead up to the main event, the sixth running of the Little 50, which will take place April 10.