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(04/26/01 5:19am)
Few sporting events rival the prominence of the Penn Relays, the first and largest collegiate track and field relay meet in the world.\nNinth-ranked IU will send its top 20 athletes to join about 22,000 more who will attend the 107-year-old meet.\nBecause of its size, the meet is nicknamed the "Penn Relay Carnival," but the Hoosiers are focused on taking care of business. \nSophomore Rachelle Boone competed at the Penn Relays in high school, but now her focus is on something different. \n"In high school, we were just running to have fun," Boone said. "But now, we look to be in the championship finals. The competition there is the same competition that will be at nationals."\nBoone isn't the only Hoosier who attended this event in high school. Junior thrower Heather Colyer said she also hopes to leave her mark at the meet after a notable improvement from her high school days.\n"I got a (personal record) there last year in the discus," Colyer said. "I'm really looking forward to it since I threw so well last year, and hopefully I'll do it again this year. Shot put wasn't the greatest last year, but we're still working on that."\nNot every Hoosier can attend the Penn Relays, but those who don't can face good competition at Purdue's Boilermaker Open.\nCoach Randy Heisler said he's pleased with his athletes' performances and hopes they can provide fireworks this weekend.\n"The team is in much better shape now than we were at this point during the indoor season," Heisler said. "We're leading in numerous events in the conference, and we're healthy. Now, we're starting to look for people to perform as we get closer to peaking time and Big Tens. I hope that our strong performances are contagious and that it shows this weekend."\nAlthough the Penn Relays exist in a league of its own with an annual average of 45,000 spectators and athletes from 60 countries, not every coach or athlete looks forward to the event. \nBut Heisler said he knows that despite the hassle of enormous crowds and hectic scheduling of 425 races in 35 hours, the Penn Relays are worth the trip. The strong competition allows his athletes to see where they are ranked nationally and acts as a talent showcase that helps IU recruit.\n"From the competitive standpoint, we'll see a lot of really good people from all over the country in all the event areas," Heisler said. "We have nine people qualified for the NCAAs, and some are on the bubble. So a meet like this will be a great opportunity, because you're going against good competition in a good setting. If you're going to compete well, this is the place where you're going to do it"
(04/20/01 5:10am)
Saturday, Little 500 racers will be speeding around the Bill Armstrong Stadium track, but before that, the women's track team plans to scorch its own track against Illinois and Eastern Michigan.\nThe Hoosiers return to Robert C. Haugh Track and Field 11 a.m. Saturday for the second scored meet of the season.\nLast year, IU defeated Illinois 118-78, but this weekend it is shaping up to be a seesaw battle between the conference foes. Illinois ranks higher than IU in seven events, while the Hoosiers are better in five.\nWith Eastern Michigan thrown in the mix, the chances for the Hoosiers winning the meet decrease. Eastern Michigan is bringing a full squad and ranks at the top of seven events.\nCoach Randy Heisler said this meet might be difficult because Eastern Michigan and Illinois are joining forces and will not take points away from each other because they differ in strengths. \nThe Hoosiers need to show their depth across the board to overcome Illinois' nationally renowned hurdler corps and Eastern Michigan's strong distance and field events squads, Heisler said.\nThis weekend could be a preview of the Big Ten and NCAA championships in the 100-meter hurdles.\nSophomore Danielle Carruthers automatically qualified in the event last weekend at the Sea Ray Relays, and the Illini possess the top two hurdlers in the nation. Illinois' sophomore Perdita Felicien and freshman Susanna Kallur both automatically qualified last weekend at the Texas Relays.\nAlthough the two Illini qualified with better times than Carruthers, the Hoosier said she is not concerned.\n"I went to Nationals, so I can run with anyone," Carruthers said. "If I'm going to run my best race, I want it to be at Nationals. Our sprint squad has the reputation that every time we step on the track, we're expected to get first or second. If we don't do our part, then we aren't going to win."\nUnlike other events in which the points are up for grabs, the Hoosiers own the throwing events.\nSenior Jennifer Brown, junior Heather Colyer and sophomore Irina Kharun are expected to rack up points in their specialty events. \nBrown said she knows the importance for her and her fellow throwers to earn as many points as possible for the team.\n"We go out to dominate, and with us being strong in pretty much every throwing event, it helps out a lot," Brown said. "We don't hope that anyone else has a bad day, but if they do, hopefully we'll be able to pick up some slack."\nSince the beginning of the outdoor season, the Hoosiers have been training intensely, but now they said they are looking forward to the Big Ten Championship.\n"We're right in the crunch time of the season with everyone training hard," Heisler said. "This will be the beginning of when we want to start seeing the performances go up, but both of those teams will supply us with some good competition, and we'll see what we can do"
(04/17/01 6:10am)
The middle of the pack for the women's Little 500 could contain this year's champion if track conditions improve and luck is on someone's side. Even though Alpha Omicron Pi, Con Fuoco and Alpha Phi have not been powerhouses recently, these teams say not to be surprised if determination drives them past the favorites.\nAlpha Omicron Pi (3:04.25)\nWith only one veteran, Alpha Omicron Pi faces an uphill battle, but the team has impressed by moving up eight positions from last year's qualifications. \nSo far this year's performances show an obvious change from last year's team.\n"We are a lot more confident this year because we actually had a real training program," sophomore Kat Worsham said.\nAlthough the team consists predominately of rookies, two of the rookies have trained since September, and it shows in their solid exchanges and communication, Worsham said.\nWorsham said she expects a top 15 finish and hopes the team can finish 97 of the 100 laps.\nCon Fuoco (3:05.25)\nWith only three riders, independent Con Fuoco must rely on its three-time Little 500 riders to compete with the 2001 field.\nLast year, Con Fuoco qualified ninth, but because of a wreck during the race, it finished in a disappointing 21st place. This mishap motivates the riders to improve.\n"We want to do better, but we have to be careful at the same time to make sure that something like that doesn't happen again," junior Madeleine Mogle said. "We want to do well and show everyone that we've been training hard."\nAlthough Con Fuoco members admit they are not as "hardcore" as the pole-sitting Roadrunners, they have something working for them that other teams might not possess.\n"We feel really comfortable with our exchanges, and we can really read each other," Mogle said. "What's really great about our team is that we are all very good friends."\nAlpha Phi (3:06.00)\nDespite some complaints about the track conditions during qualifications, which forced cautious riding to guarantee qualification, Alpha Phi views the Little 500 positively. \nAlpha Phi will start in the middle of the pack, but junior Jennifer Shaffer said she believes that the middle position could prove an advantage.\n"We have a good position on the outside that gives us potential to move up and watch the teams in front of us," Shaffer said. "Yet, we're not so far back that we'll get caught up in a wreck."\nEven if Alpha Phi does not finish toward the top, it will look at it as a learning experience for the three rookies.\n"Of course we have high expectations as rookies, but we also have to think practically," junior Allison Ferro said. "Veterans have so much more experience already being in a race, and that's a definite advantage. I definitely hope we place really well, but I think next year we'll do much better"
(04/12/01 5:52am)
As of April 9, the women's indoor track team is ranked sixth in the nation according to the Team Power Rankings. This weekend the Hoosiers will show their force at the Sea Ray Relays in Knoxville, Tenn.\nCoach Randy Heisler called the Sea Ray Relays the first quality meet of the year, and IU will have its hands full with some of the nation's toughest teams, Thursday through Saturday.\nThe Hoosiers are coming off a key victory against Midwest rivals Ball State, Cincinnati and Central Michigan.\nIU finished two athletes in the top five the last time it attended the University of Tennessee-sponsored meet six years ago. This time around, the Hoosiers expect better results. \n"Although we haven't been to the meet in five years, traditionally, it is a great meet that features great competition from various ACC and SEC schools," Heisler said. "We're going to back them off training wise, and just give everyone a chance to see where they're at right now."\nLast weekend, Heisler watched his athletes contribute several performances to the team effort, especially in distance events in which Ball State was supposed to be the favorite.\nJunior Stephanie Magley won the 800-meters and 1,500-meters. She said she never considered losing an option, and said she will continue this mentality will continue when she competes this weekend.\n"It gives me confidence that I won, but I did it for our team," Magley said. "It only proves to me that I was right all along and that we really are a better team than Ball State. Winning the meet was a stepping stone to winning the Big Tens and future competition will be looked upon in the same light."\nAlthough the talent at the Sea Ray Relays exceeds the level of competition the Hoosiers have experienced, athletes predict good performances.\nOne of the athletes making improvements is junior thrower Heather Colyer.\nLast weekend, she provisionally qualified for the NCAA outdoor track championships in the discus for the first time this season. Colyer has been practicing her new favorite event more now because the indoor season does not include the event, she said.\nBecaues her training partner, senior Jennifer Brown, is one of the best throwers in the nation, Colyer said she feels no pressure stepping up to the challenge for the relays.\n"It's no different than any other meet," Colyer said. "I've competed against Jenn in every meet so far, and she is one of the top contenders now. It's just like going out and competing against a bunch of Jenns"
(03/30/01 5:19am)
For the second consecutive weekend, the IU women's indoor track team will travel to a non-scored meet. The only difference is that seven athletes trek to compete in the Florida Relays at the University of Florida, while everyone else journeys north to the Purdue Open.\nAfter scorching the track at Arizona State last weekend, the seven athletes headed to Gainsville, Fla., plan to improve on their NCAA provisional qualifying marks in seven events against some of the toughest competition in the nation.\nThe Florida Relays is a high-quality meet, and the seven Hoosiers will be competing in the invitational events against 40 to 50 competitors, coach Randy Heisler said.\nAll-American sophomore Rachelle Boone hopes lead the Hoosiers' 4x100 relay squad back to the NCAA Outdoor Track Championships. Joining Boone are senior Lorraine Dunlop, junior Danielle Carruthers and sophomore Rose Richmond.\nThe relay team expects to finish in the top three nationally after finishing seventh last year.\n"I think all of us expected to do better than seventh," Richmond said of last season. "We knew what went wrong, so we're not upset."\nThis trip is special for Richmond, a St. Petersburg, Fla., native. \n"It's really exciting, because I get to go down there and perform in front of everyone," Richmond said. "I'm used to my family going to all my meets, but when I got here, they couldn't come to very many."\nBoone is also running in the 100- and 200-meter sprints, in which she has also provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships.\nCarruthers met the provisional qualification mark in the 100-meter hurdles last weekend and junior Tia Trent also qualified in the 400-meters.\nIn the throws, senior Jennifer Brown continues her success in the shot put and sophomore Irina Kharun launched her javelin past the qualification distance in just her first competition after her tennis season.\nAlthough not everyone could attend the Florida Relays, which helped the team cut down on complicated travel arrangements, about 15 athletes will compete in West Lafayette.\nHeisler said he views both meets as important, but two events at the Florida Relays especially interest him.\n"The 4x100 and 4x200 will be a great opportunity, because there will be great teams and we're looking forward to that," Heisler said.\nBoone said she is confident she and her teammates will improve on last year's seventh-place finish.\n"We should win the relays," Boone said.
(03/09/01 4:58am)
All eyes will be on the defending champion and host University of Arkansas who have dominated opponents racking up four straight National titles and 15 of the last 16 championships. Nine Razorbacks and the distance medley team qualified for the Friday and Saturday competition.\nBut IU is concerned with junior Dino Efthimiou, the lone Hoosier at the NCAA men's indoor track championship in Fayetteville, Ariz., today and Saturday. \nEfthimiou is IU's only hope of scoring points on the men's side, but the vaulter has thrived on this sort of pressure from the beginning.\nThroughout the season, Efthimiou has come through in tight situations, including the Big Ten indoor track championship where he achieved a personal record that placed him 11th in the nation. His mark of 5.37 meters earned him a spot at the Nationals.\nTraining partner and close friend junior Ian Curry said he has thought Efthimiou could make it to the Nationals since the beginning of the season.\n"The way he has been jumping, I definitely thought he would make it to Nationals," Curry said. "When he goes up, the pole just throws him straight up. He's just such a quicker jumper that I thought he could do it. He's looking to go All-American and I definitely think he can do that and place because he's been jumping really well in practice."\nEfthimiou does not have to worry about any Razorbacks in the pole-vault, but he does get the chance to seek revenge on two Big Ten opponents who snatched away a first place finish at the conference championships two weeks ago.\nMichigan State junior Paul Terek won the Big Ten pole-vault championship and is one of the three vaulters who automatically qualified for the NCAAs by jumping at least 5.5 meters. Michigan senior Charles DeWildt took second in the conference and is ranked sixth in the nation. \nCoach Marshall Goss said he likes Efthimiou's chances even though he wishes more of his athletes could make the trip.\n"Dino is as ready as he can be," Goss said. "He's been vaulting very well during practice this week. He should go into the meet very confident despite the fact that this will be his first NCAA Championships experience."\nAlthough this is his first experience on the national level, Efthimiou said he is full of confidence and expects to build onto his goals.\n"It hasn't hit me yet," Efthimiou said. "I'm just trying to approach it as any other meet nerves haven't set in yet. All the meets before the Big Ten's are stepping-stones so you can learn how to handle the pressure. Every experience in the past has led to up this"
(02/23/01 6:13am)
Throughout the season, the men's indoor track team has shown signs of promise and has left talented opponents in its dust. This weekend, the men's Indoor Big Ten Championships present something different for the Hoosiers. \nFortunately, the other Big Ten teams must also wipe their slates clean Saturday and Sunday at Penn State.\nCoach Marshall Goss views the championship as an unusual meet without a clear-cut favorite. Wisconsin will score a lot of points and Penn State, Illinois and Purdue all have the potential to score high as well, he said.\nThe Hoosiers are at a slight disadvantage because of inexperience and injuries sustained throughout the season.\n"It will be a battle for us," Goss said. "The attitude of our kids is that they can (set personal bests) when they have to. We lost a lot of points from last (year's Big Ten meet) that aren't back this year, so we'll have to step up and earn points from different places."\nBut all is not lost for the Hoosiers, who have veterans who have been in this position before.\n"It's just important to me personally to score some points in the Big Ten Championship," junior Ian Curry said. "When you get to the Big Ten Championships, anything can happen. You might see someone who has jumped really high do absolutely nothing. It's anyone's meet, so it might as well be ours' to score high."\nJunior Dino Efthimiou said he agrees.\n"We're juniors, and coach expects us with the experience to come through for him," Efthimiou said. "This is our third year, so we shouldn't be as nervous as the freshmen. It's a stressful meet; you just have to fight through the nerves. The freshmen are going to be scared and it's up to us to do well."\nUnlike other teams, like reigning conference champion Wisconsin, IU cannot rely on veterans to lead the team because the majority of the team is freshmen and sophomores. Freshman Contrell Ash and sophomore Matt Harris have risen to the challenge this year and shown positive attitudes.\nDuring seasonal competition, the Hoosiers were without some key components like senior distance runners Aaron Gillen and Tom Brooks and sophomore long and triple jumper Hasaan Reddick. The good news is that all are expected to be competing this weekend. \nGillen strained his Achilles tendon in December, and Brooks suffered a stress fracture at the end of the cross country season. Gillen and Brooks have been training for three weeks, and will make their first appearances in competition this weekend. Distance coach Robert Chapman said he strategically placed both runners in the mile, hoping for a nice surprise.\n"Because they are seniors, they're both pretty fit from the fitness training of past years, but they're not super sharp right now," Chapman said. "They're both more longer distance guys, but I put them in the mile because it is the most wide-open distance event."\nReddick boasts the ninth-best triple jump and the 10th- best long jump marks in the conference. Even though he competed last week for the first time since the season-opening meet against Michigan, he said he will bounce back from his illness like he has in the past.\n"I've gotten a lot stronger, but I'm nowhere near where I would have been if I hadn't been out the past three weeks," Reddick said. "By the time Saturday and Sunday rolls around, I will be ready for action. It seems like every time something happens and I'm down for awhile, I always come back that much stronger."\nSince the Hoosiers have depth in the distance events, senior Nate Jones and freshman Chad Andrews will be saved until the 5,000-meter run on the second day in hopes that their fresh legs can help them speed past their opponents, who will run in the 3,000-meters the day before.\nTradition also bodes well for the Hoosiers in the distance events. IU won the distance medley relay in 1999, and Chapman said it's within reach again this year.\n"I'd like to focus on the relay, because it's an easy way to score solid points," Chapman said. "There are certainly a lot of things that suggest we can win"
(02/19/01 6:56pm)
After 16 career bests in the Penn State Collegiate last weekend, the men's indoor track team returned home for the last time before the conference championship with hopes of continuing the momentum from the past couple of meets.\nIU will play host to the Hoosiers Hills Open 11 a.m. Saturday beginning with the men's long jump.\nJoining the Hoosiers for this unscored meet will be Rose Hulman, N. Kentucky, LIFE, Indiana State, Bellarmine, Anderson, Goshen, Mid-Way, Marian, Findlay, Kentucky State, Dayton, Purdue, Huntsville Int.-TC and Ball State. \nThe Hoosiers will sport new looks in several events to rest some athletes for the Big Ten Championships next weekend.\n"Coming off of our promising performances last weekend, the most important aspect of this meet is getting ready to perform to our highest peak of potential that we can prior to Big Tens," coach Marshall Goss said. "Everyone is focusing on what they need to do for next week. There will be many athletes running out of their events, perhaps doing a bit more speed work or longer distances to help us prepare."\nFreshman Ryan Sarbinoff will move down to the 200-meters from his normal event, the 400-meters. Sarbinoff earned a fourth-place finish at the Penn State Collegiate in the 400-meters, but this weekend he will work on increasing his speed.\n"They didn't want to burn me out in the 400-meters," Sarbinoff said. "Last weekend was the first time I competed with fresh legs, so even though the 400-meters is my race, I'd like to see how well my speed has come along by running in the 200-meters."\nEven though the majority of the teams invited to the open meet are smaller schools, Goss said he believes this will still be a good tune-up for the Big Ten championships, held at Penn State.\n"It's basically a preparation for the Big Ten Championship," Goss said. "Teams like Ball State, Indiana State and Purdue are all getting ready for their conference championships. We will be competing against these stronger schools, and the smaller schools will be running against each other."\nTwo athletes have made good use of sprints coach Ed Beathea's new training program designed for optimal performances at the end of the season. Both freshman Contrell Ash and sophomore Matt Harris have sped past their personal bests throughout the year. They are expected to be ready for the Big Ten Championship with a little more tweaking Saturday.\nBut this weekend it is the distance runners who will rest their weary legs, so they can peak when they return to Penn State next weekend.\nJunior Kevin Chandler has topped his personal best in the mile the past two meets, but he will be one of the non-participants this weekend.\n"I really want to be rested up for the Big Ten Championship because that's what is really important," Chandler said. "But we haven't had the week off either. Our miles were bumped up this week and have had three hard workouts. We'll take it easy next week"
(02/14/01 5:47am)
During this men's indoor track season, school records have been shattered and vast improvements have been made by some unexpected surprises.\nNormally, veterans are looked to for support and leadership, but coach Marshall Goss has seen major production emerge from two young speedsters.\nEven with a negligible amount of experience, redshirt freshman Contrell Ash and sophomore Matt Harris rocketed out of the blocks at the beginning of the season and have burned up the track.\nLast weekend at the Penn State Collegiate, Ash earned a victory in the 60-meters and a second place finish in the 200-meters against some of the conference's fastest sprinters by bearing the pain from a nagging injury.\nHarris has been equally impressive in his first full indoor season. He competed in the 60-meter hurdles in just four meets during the last indoor season.\nIn each of the five meets, Harris has improved his personal best, and it only took a day to make good on his promise to top IU's record list in his specialty event, the 60-meter hurdles. But he's not finished yet.\n"Breaking the record was great, but it is not the whole picture," Harris said. "The record is nothing without having success in the Big Ten Championship or going to nationals. It's a great feeling to see where I was at the beginning of the year and how much I have improved. I feel like our new training program has helped me the most in improving my personal best."\nSprint coach Ed Beathea chuckled at the idea that his training program was the key to Harris' success because they work together only two days a week.\n"I must be doing a great job," Beathea said. "We have improved the quality of training in practice to get more out of the time we spend. We have a group of guys that work well together, and they push each other very well."\nAsh holds the third best Big Ten time in the 60-meters, but said he believes his determination enables him to defeat any obstacle.\n"It's important to have a good attitude, so you don't bring everyone else down," Ash said. "I've been working hard on my block starts because ever since high school, I have had slow starts."\nGoss said he sees similarities in both athletes and is grateful for the needed leadership that he expects to remain throughout their college careers.\n"Contrell has done great learning how to compete rather than just win," Goss said. "Anyone can win, but it takes a certain attitude to be able to overcome yourself psychologically and compete.\n"Harris is nearly a clone of Contrell. He does the things to get in the mode of competition and the things he needs to do to be better"
(02/05/01 5:28am)
With three weeks until the Big Ten Indoor Track Championships, coach Marshall Goss was looking for some sign of life from a number of his athletes. \nHis wish came true this weekend at the Indiana Invitational. \nGoss said he believed the competition proved his athletes would be able to compete in the conference.\n"I felt that we competed very well," Goss said. "We still have a ways to go, but in looking at the areas across the board, you can pick out highlights. That kind of confidence that your athletes can really come through gives me the feeling that we're on the right track."\nHaving promised he would break IU's 60-meter hurdles record, it did not take long for sophomore Matt Harris to bring the record crashing to the ground. In his first race, Harris stumbled early, but was still fast enough to qualify for the next heat, in which he would shatter the record.\n"This meet I came in ranked 25th, so I just tried to do everything I could to make it to the finals," Harris said. "I'm awfully proud of the record, but I'm obviously not satisfied. I want the record to be something that will stand for a long time, and the only way I can do that is to continue to improve."\nHarris continued his four-meet streak of lowering his personal best en route to a third-place finish in the finals. But Harris' performance was not the only positive performance coming on the first day of competition.\nEight Hoosiers set personal bests Friday, including sophomore thrower Mike Minton, who won the shot put and provisionally qualified for the NCAA Indoor Track Championships.\n"It's always good to PR because it shows that you're improving," Minton said. "But I just want to be more consistent, so I can compete in the conference."\nThe Hoosier pole vaulters put on a clinic for the competition. Senior Kris Mack and juniors Dino Efthimiou and Ian Curry swept the event's top three spots.\nJunior Ryan Huber showed heart while making his come-from-behind victory in the 600-meters. As Huber blazed past the opposition from the back of the pack, an opponent shoved Huber to the outside, but he remained calm and was still able to edge out a victory by 0.02 seconds.
(02/02/01 5:35am)
Friday and Saturday will be a gut check for the men's indoor track team. Fifteen teams will challenge the Hoosiers in their own Harry Gladstein Fieldhouse beginning at 4 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday.\nDuring this indoor season, coach Marshall Goss said he has waited for his star athletes to perform to their capability, but the younger athletes have been more impressive. Goss said he hopes the 27th annual Indiana Invitational will bring in the talent to challenge all of his athletes, because the Big Ten Indoor Championships are approaching quickly.\n"This meet is a good indication to where we are compared to the competition," Goss said. "The Indiana Invite brings in great competition, and it will show us if we are ready to compete in the conference. We are anticipating our athletes setting career bests and breaking school records."\nTwo young Hoosiers have been surprises this season. Sophomores Matt Harris and Chris Powers have been bright spots in all three meets.\nHarris has topped his career best in each meet. \n"Hopefully, I can do even better than I've been doing," Harris said. "I just try to take it one day at a time. My focus so far has been to stay healthy, so I can hurdle more and put up the times that I need to win."\nHarris registered the second-fastest time by an IU hurdler last weekend, but don't be surprised if he creates some more fireworks at the Indiana Invitational.\n"Maybe this weekend, but I definitely believe that before the end of the season or at the indoor Big Ten Championship, I will break that record," Harris said.\nDistance coach Robert Chapman has roused the men's cross-country team out of its slumber and formed a formidable force on the track.\nAlthough this is Powers' first indoor season, he has won both his 3,000-meter races. IU will show its diversity in the distance races when Powers moves up to the 5,000-meter race this weekend. \n"It will be a good opportunity to run in the 5K this weekend because there will be a couple of rabbits in the race to keep up the pace," Powers said. "This race will be good, because instead of running after a guy as fast as I can, I'll have guys to run with so I can just cruise for two miles and then I can just push it from there and see how fast I can run the last mile. Hopefully the 3K guys will run as fast or faster than I have this year."\nOne event Goss said he expects his athletes to perform well in is the pole vault. Juniors Dino Efthimiou and Ian Curry own the first- and third-best vaults in the meet, respectively, while sixth-year senior Kris Mack recorded the second-highest jump and will participate unattached.\nAlthough the times do not show IU's distance team as the fastest runners in the meet, Powers said he believes his teammates will rise to the occasion and show their depth.\n"I'm really happy with the way the distance team is training right now," Powers said. "We all train together in a group, and I feel that we have one of the top 10 training groups in the country -- in college and out of college. We have 10 guys who you can run with day in and day out, and everybody is pushing the pace and is excited about what they are doing. Good things are just going to happen"
(02/02/01 5:32am)
The women's indoor track team defeated nationally ranked Ohio State in its last meet, but no ranked teams will make the trip to the 27th annual Indiana Invitational.\nAthletes from seven different states will fill the Harry Gladstein Fieldhouse, with the women's shot put kicking off the festivities 4 p.m. Friday. Saturday, the competition will resume at noon with the men's weight throw, unless the meet is ahead of schedule.\nJoining IU in the 15-team women's meet are Middle Tennessee State, Illinois, Tennessee-Chatanooga, University of Louisville, Cincinnati, E. Illinois, Troy State, Vanderbilt, E. Kentucky, W. Kentucky, Indiana State, Alabama-Birmingham, Murray State and S.E. Missouri State.\nAlthough the invitational will be unscored, the Hoosiers plan to burn up the track and use this as a tune-up for the Big Ten Championships, which are looming in the future.\n"From this Friday, we will be only three weeks away from the Indoor Big Ten Championship," coach Randy Heisler said. "We're really switching gears and will be looking for our athletes to step up to the challenges ahead of them."\nIU's sprint corps has dominated this season, claiming first in the 60-meter, 200-meter and 400-meter races in both Big Ten dual meets. \nBoth senior Lorraine Dunlop and sophomore Rachelle Boone provisionally qualified for the NCAAs in the 60-meter race against Ohio State. Sophomore Danielle Carruthers also qualified in the 60-meter hurdles.\nJunior Tia Trent barely missed qualifying by 0.35 seconds in the 400-meter race in her win against Ohio State, so she'll be a top runner for meeting the qualification times this weekend. But the jumpers are still yearning for their own qualifications.\nJumps coach Wayne Pate said this could be the meet at which his jump squad bounds into the spotlight, especially because the Hoosiers have the second-, third- and fourth-seeded long jumpers.\n"I hope we qualify provisionally nationally," Pate said. "They're ready to do that, physically and technically. We were still working to get some kinks out, but we've shortened our approach from two weeks ago. Now we're trying to iron that out, so we feel more comfortable with it."\nSophomore Rose Richmond said she wants a qualification for the NCAAs as much as anyone, and she feels this will be the perfect meet because of her performance in last year's Indiana Invitational.\n"I want to qualify for nationals this weekend," Richmond said. "My parents will be here from Florida. Last year at this time they came, and I didn't do too hot. I know I can do it as long as I get on the board, but I can't scratch and I can't foul"
(01/25/01 5:13am)
One thing was missing from IU's indoor track meet Saturday against visiting Ohio State. That missing factor was one of the biggest sparks the Hoosiers rely on to build momentum.\nLooming over opponents at 6-foot-6, North Carolina native and sophomore Hasaan Reddick arrived at IU, in search of his niche, with little experience and great potential. He found his calling in the long jump and triple jump and as the emotional leader of the men's indoor track team.\nDuring his freshman year, Reddick left his footprints in landing pits throughout the Big Ten. He placed ninth in the triple jump in his first Big Ten Indoor Championship, and then improved to sixth in the outdoor conference championship meet.\nThis year, he jumped off on the right foot, winning the long jump with a personal best against Michigan. \nReddick was sidelined for the Ohio State meet because of illness. \nHis energizing spirit -- the pep missing in the loss to the Buckeyes -- creates an aura of confidence that surrounds his fellow jumpers. But without it, the Hoosier jumpers lacked the explosive bounce to claim victory in any of the three jumping events against the Buckeyes. \nBut his coaches said they see the opportunity for greatness in Reddick if he can stay healthy and focused.\n"He's nowhere near tapping what he can do," assistant coach Wayne Pate said. "It's just going to take a couple of years to build confidence. He has confidence, but he just needs to emotionally put it in the right place. He gets so emotionally wrapped up in the physical performance that he gets out of the mental aspect."\nBecause of Pate's efforts and eye for raw talent, Reddick made the journey to Bloomington. IU was the only school that recruited Reddick from beginning to end, he said. \n"His potential is phenomenal," Pate said. "We go to some meets and coaches come up to me and ask me where I got this guy. By the time he's a senior, I hope to see him at the NCAAs in the top five. \nWhen he gets in competition, he's very emotionally athletic, so the bigger the competition, the better he does."\nReddick said he has high hopes for his track career, but he has his head on straight. He said he realizes track will not always be a part of his life, so he's focusing on a college degree. \n"I plan to get my degree in kinesiology-sports communication," Reddick said. "And I know it's an awful big dream, but I hope to see some sort of NCAA competition, and do real well in the finals. After that, I'll train for the 2004 Olympic team."\nReddick might not be one of the most experienced athletes on the team, but he's made life much easier for the newcomers, and junior Jon Lange, who participates in the long jump to take his mind off the high jump, his strong event.\n"He's really upbeat and brings a lot of life to our little jump squad," Lange said. "He helps me out with advice. When I'm practicing, he'll let me know if I'm doing anything wrong, and he helps add confidence for the younger guys"
(01/25/01 4:48am)
One thing was missing from IU's indoor track meet Saturday against visiting Ohio State. That missing factor was one of the biggest sparks the Hoosiers rely on to build momentum.\nLooming over opponents at 6-foot-6, North Carolina native and sophomore Hasaan Reddick arrived at IU, in search of his niche, with little experience and great potential. He found his calling in the long jump and triple jump and as the emotional leader of the men's indoor track team.\nDuring his freshman year, Reddick left his footprints in landing pits throughout the Big Ten. He placed ninth in the triple jump in his first Big Ten Indoor Championship, and then improved to sixth in the outdoor conference championship meet.\nThis year, he jumped off on the right foot, winning the long jump with a personal best against Michigan. \nReddick was sidelined for the Ohio State meet because of illness. \nHis energizing spirit -- the pep missing in the loss to the Buckeyes -- creates an aura of confidence that surrounds his fellow jumpers. But without it, the Hoosier jumpers lacked the explosive bounce to claim victory in any of the three jumping events against the Buckeyes. \nBut his coaches said they see the opportunity for greatness in Reddick if he can stay healthy and focused.\n"He's nowhere near tapping what he can do," assistant coach Wayne Pate said. "It's just going to take a couple of years to build confidence. He has confidence, but he just needs to emotionally put it in the right place. He gets so emotionally wrapped up in the physical performance that he gets out of the mental aspect."\nBecause of Pate's efforts and eye for raw talent, Reddick made the journey to Bloomington. IU was the only school that recruited Reddick from beginning to end, he said. \n"His potential is phenomenal," Pate said. "We go to some meets and coaches come up to me and ask me where I got this guy. By the time he's a senior, I hope to see him at the NCAAs in the top five. \nWhen he gets in competition, he's very emotionally athletic, so the bigger the competition, the better he does."\nReddick said he has high hopes for his track career, but he has his head on straight. He said he realizes track will not always be a part of his life, so he's focusing on a college degree. \n"I plan to get my degree in kinesiology-sports communication," Reddick said. "And I know it's an awful big dream, but I hope to see some sort of NCAA competition, and do real well in the finals. After that, I'll train for the 2004 Olympic team."\nReddick might not be one of the most experienced athletes on the team, but he's made life much easier for the newcomers, and junior Jon Lange, who participates in the long jump to take his mind off the high jump, his strong event.\n"He's really upbeat and brings a lot of life to our little jump squad," Lange said. "He helps me out with advice. When I'm practicing, he'll let me know if I'm doing anything wrong, and he helps add confidence for the younger guys"
(01/19/01 5:46am)
Coming off an 85-77 victory against conference rival Michigan, the men's indoor track team hopes to continue the momentum when facing Ohio State at noon Saturday in its home opener at the Harry Gladstein Fieldhouse.\nSince 1990, IU (1-0) has a slight edge in Big Ten Championship competition against Ohio State, toppling the Buckeyes six of 11 times. The Hoosiers defeated Ohio State last year in a four-team meet with Western Carolina and the University of Washington. \n"The dual meet should favor Ohio State because of their added depth over the past couple of years," coach Marshall Goss said, "but should be competitive if the Hoosiers step up."\nThe Hoosiers are looking to begin the season well, starting with the efforts of sophomore Hasaan Reddick in the high jump. Reddick was one of seven veteran athletes who set career bests against the Wolverines last weekend. Assistant coach Wayne Pate works with the jumpers and said the outcome of the three jumping events could shape the meet\n"It will be a pretty tough competition," Pate said. "They've got one kid who has jumped about the same as Hasaan has, and our second kid, freshman Chris Rosenthal is about what their second kid is, too. I'm hoping we'll jump well, but you never can tell because it's still early."\nReddick said he is excited about the meet and wants to come away with a victory in the long jump and the triple jump, a victory that eluded him last weekend.\n"I believe that I have what it takes to win this one," Reddick said. "I'd like to total 50 feet in the triple and around 23 feet in the long jump because that should get the job done, and that's what I plan to do."\nBut the meet has 12 events besides the high jump, triple jump and long jump. So the Hoosiers can't rely on just the strong showings from their jumpers. IU must compete against some of the best athletes in the nation. \nOhio State senior Andrew Pierce, an All-American last year, received Big Ten Athlete of the Week honors for his two individual victories in the 200-meter and 400-meter dashes at the Ohio State Invitational Jan. 9. He also anchored the first place 4x400m relay team for the Buckeyes. \nSenior Ian Connor represented Ohio State in the 2000 NCAA Indoor Championships along with Pierce and is expected to win the steeplechase during the outdoor season at the NCAA meet. The Hoosiers will face him in that event. They will be led by sophomore Chris Powers, who won the 3,000-meter in his first indoor competition. \nBut it's not a good sign that Powers' time was more than 10 seconds slower than Connor's best this year and four seconds slower than the Buckeyes' second fastest 3,000-meter runner, junior J.J. O'Rielly.\nThe coaches and players said they realize the difficulty in coming away with a victory this week, but Goss said he hopes his team steps it up a notch for the Buckeyes. \n"We had a respectable meet last week, but not great by any stretch of imagination," Goss said. "Ohio State is much better than Michigan and lines up across the board with good athletes. There are no sure wins"
(01/16/01 5:53am)
In a day of upsets and personal records, the men's indoor track team came away with a nail-biting 85-77 victory Saturday against rival Michigan in the Hoosiers' season opener at Ann Arbor. \nIU was favored to win, but its method of winning wasn't quite what it expected. The Hoosiers avenged last year's heartbreaking 85-78 loss by sweeping the first eight events, creating a seemingly insurmountable 22-point lead. Sophomore Mike Minton's double victory in the weight throw and shot put led the effort.\n"It's always good to get off to a good start," Minton said. "But I'm still not anywhere close to where I want to be. Everyone was just anxious to get the first meet over with and hopefully come away with the victory."\nBut the Wolverines held on, earning first place in six of the last seven events, but coming up short in the end.\nSophomore Chris Powers' victory in the 3,000 meter run, the meet's second-to-last event, and an additional five second-place finishes from IU athletes deflated any hopes of a Michigan recovery.\nSeveral Hoosiers broke career bests in Saturday's meet, showing potential for a promising season.\nJunior Ian Curry vaulted past some of the conference's best vaulters and achieved a personal best 16 feet, 4 3/4 inches. Sophomore Hasaan Reddick and junior Dino Efthimiou finished 1-2 in the long jumps and topped their career bests. Junior Kevin Chandler defeated Mike Wisniewski, a Michigan All-American, in the mile. His win came with a career-best time. Sophomore Matthew Harris also recorded his fastest time in the 60-meter hurdles.\nPerhaps the biggest surprise was freshman Ryan Sarbinoff's victory in the 400-meter dash in his first meet.\n"My win wasn't really expected and was definitely an upgrade from winning in high school," Sarbinoff said. "Our team is very young, and everyone was nervous going into the meet, but the young guys really performed well."\nCoach Marshall Goss commended his athletes for a hard-fought victory.\n"This meet was a great meet to watch," Goss said. "It was competitive right down to the last second, and we had great effort from our young kids and leadership from our older athletes"
(11/02/00 4:25am)
Through thick and thin, the field hockey team completed its first varsity season after 19 years of not fielding a team.\nBut this season ended with a 1-11 record and suffered shutouts in all the losses, even though the team exceeded expectations.\nCoach Amy Robertson said she appreciates the hard work from the team and was surprised how well the players adapted to rigorous Big Ten competition. \n"We have continued to improve, even though the scores may not seem very positive," Robertson said. "Considering the level of competition that we\'ve entered into, I think we've been very successful in continuing to never give up and to be competitive in every game."\nNo single player stood out as the star because everyone contributed to the team's success, but junior forward Brooke Magers led the team in scoring with two goals and one assist in the lone victory against Bellarmine University, a Division II school. With the regular season finished, she will focus on this weekend's Big Ten tournament.\n"After having a year established, we're going to be able to build on something and continue our hard work ethic," Magers said. "Our biggest challenge will be the fact that we're still a new team. We have one year under our belt, but we're still new to the Big Ten, so we'll just have to come out and do what we did this year."\nThe Hoosiers have a good core to build on, with all four point scorers returning next year.\nRegrettably, three seniors, goalkeeper Alexandra Kaufman, back Becky Sward, and back Tania Hults have played their last regular season game for the Hoosiers. Although Hults, the team captain, could only participate in one season of varsity field hockey, she said she is grateful for the opportunity and views the experience positively.\n"We've done a lot better than people thought we would," Hults said. "I've been very impressed with how well we've done, even with the challenge of starting late in the spring."\nThe team will have plenty of room to improve, Robinson said.\n"I was hoping that we'd be more successful on our attacks," she said. "But the competition is so tough that we've only been able to control the little things. At the end of every game, we're always in the opponents' defensive end, so that shows that they never give up and play the full 70 minutes"
(10/20/00 6:01am)
The field hockey team will have another tough challenge this weekend, traveling to Northwestern today to face the Wildcats (5-10, 2-3 in Big Ten play). The Hoosiers then return home at 1 p.m. Sunday to the friendly confines of Mellencamp Pavilion to battle Iowa (8-7, 1-3).\nWith six players originally from Illinois, the Hoosiers hope to create their own home field advantage in Evanston. \n"We're all very excited about Northwestern because a bunch of us are from Chicago," sophomore Erica Nilsson said. "There's a window of opportunity for us there."\nAll week, coach Amy Robertson has spent time refocusing the defense by fine-tuning the team's marking and positioning. The Hoosiers also need to cut down on the minor mistakes that opponents have been capitalizing on, Robertson said.\nIn order to earn two victories this weekend, the Hoosiers must remain intense throughout both games and Nilsson said she believes she can help her teammates. \n"I played as hard as I could for every minute of the game against Ohio State, and I'm just going to do that again," Nilsson said. "When players go out and push themselves, other players see that and they work even harder. If we can come together as a team and continue to motivate each other, we can come away with the win."\nThe Hoosiers already experienced a weekend with two games on their Pennsylvania trip earlier in the season, but senior captain Tania Hults said she is more excited about this set of games.\n"It won't be as rough because we know what we're getting into and we have a day in between games," Hults said. "But it will be competitive because we have two Big Ten games."\nRobertson said she still thinks Northwestern is the chance for the team to get its first Big Ten victory, as long as they can take advantage of the large number of penalty corners that Northwestern allows.\n"We probably will have a better chance against Northwestern," Robertson said. "We've played the best three teams in the Big Ten, but Iowa is coming on strong as of late and are playing very sharply. Northwestern has been in almost every game defensively, but they're not a great attacking team"
(10/13/00 5:50am)
No. 17 Ohio State needs to watch for black cats on their trip to the Mellencamp Pavilion today because IU field hockey will use any advantage in order to stomp its conference rival. \nIU (1-6, 0-2 in the Big Ten) clash with No. 17 Ohio State (8-5, 1-2) at 2 p.m. today in a battle that could catapult the Hoosiers into fourth place in the Big Ten. A very superstitious coach Amy Robertson hopes luck will be on their side, but her players need to focus on the game.\n"Ohio State is a very dangerous team," Robertson said. "They're probably the third best team in the Big Ten, but if you catch them on a bad day, you have an opportunity. We\'ll play as well as we can, and hope that things will fall in our direction."\nThe Hoosiers completed a rough first half of their season last weekend at Penn State and now look to plow through competition in the second half.\n"We had some moments when we weren\'t playing as a team," Robertson said. "But, we re-focused for the Penn State game and felt really positive about the trip as a whole and gained some confidence."\nOhio State suffered some setbacks this season as well. Since winning its first four games by wide margins, the Buckeyes have won four of its last nine games. But either IU or Ohio State has potential to cause some waves in the Big Ten standings.\nEven though IU has earned one win, Robertson holds her players\' determination in high esteem.\n"We'll never lie down no matter what the score, and we've always fought back until the last minute of the game," Robertson said. "There's a good morale in the team right now." \nSenior captain Tania Hults believes her teammates can hang on until the end of the season and compete against the difficult opposition.\n"We've stayed together as a team and have stayed motivated because we keep getting better," Hults said. "Against Ohio State, we're trying to stay focused and poised as well as work on our transitional game."\nAlthough the Hoosiers are winless in conference play, junior forward Brooke Magers wants this game.\n"It's not a necessity to win our first Big Ten game, but it would give us a lot more confidence," Magers said. "We\'re really looking to get our name out there, so teams know we\'re for real"
(10/12/00 5:35am)
For senior back Tania Hults, a dream has come true. It's only appropriate she leads the field hockey team in her fifth and final academic year at IU.\nHults spent four years on the club team petitioning and arguing on committees only to see two other club sports reach varsity status. Women's water polo was promoted to varsity status her junior year after the Student Recreational Sports Center was constructed, and women's crew jumped to varsity last year. \nBut last spring, field hockey left the back burner, and the athletics department named Amy Robertson head coach. Hults realized she could finally be a Division I field hockey player.\nHults survived the long battle, and she couldn't be happier, she said. She had never imagined the difficulty involved with getting a team to be promoted to the varsity level.\n"I find it an honor being the team leader for this great bunch of girls," Hults said. "In some ways, it's hard showing seniority, because in a sense we're all freshmen, but I've always dreamed of playing Division I, so this is a dream come true."\nHults sacrificed her time and energy for the team, and her teammates rewarded her by naming her a team captain. Leading scorer and junior forward Brooke Magers played one year of club field hockey with Hults and recognized Hult's transformation.\n"Basically everyone views her as a natural leader," Magers said. "She's definitely helped bring the team together in terms of spirit and the emotional side of field hockey, so she's been a great person to turn to for strength when we've been losing games."\nIn Robertson's first year of coaching, she appreciates having Hults on the team to help ease Robertson's transition from an assistant coach at Wake Forest to the head coach of IU. Because of her senior leadership, Hults is similar to having another coach on the field, Robertson said. Hults is always positive and wants to know how to improve.\nAlthough Robertson has known Hults for a brief time compared to some of the other players, he recognized her talent instantly.\n"Tania is very passionate about field hockey and respectful to her teammates," Robertson said. "But at the same time on the field, she has a lot of pride invested in this first-year program since this is her only year."\nNot only is Hults a major defensive presence against the opponents' leading attackers, but she also has contributed six of her team's 34 shots, adding another dimension to her already solid game.\nFor the Hoosiers to be successful in the future, Robertson said she needs to fill a huge void after this season.\n"Tania is the anchor of our defense," Robertson said. "She's the one who gives us experience back there and always gets the ball out when it's in a dangerous area because she's a fighter. I'm looking to recruit some players with experience in that position because it will be hard to replace her"