126 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(01/23/12 4:36am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>While the Hoosier men’s distance squad is on the receiving end of national attention and publicity, it was the women’s distance runners who performed well this past weekend during the Gladstein Invitational at Gladstein Fieldhouse.Junior Kelsey Duerksen placed second in the 3,000 meters and anchored the victorious 4x800 relay.“We just wanted to run fast as we could, and that’s what we always do,” Duerksen said. “We just took it out from the beginning and held on.”Although her team took a victory in the 4x800, it was her second-place finish in the 3,000 meters that bothered her following the conclusion of the meet Saturday afternoon, she said.“I wish I could have edged Lydia Kosgei out for first place,” Duerksen said. “But you can’t win them all.”Despite not earning the victory in the 3,000, Duerksen was quick to point out the way in which she and her teammate, senior Breanne Ehrman, have been pushing each other to improve all season.Ehrman placed fifth in the 3,000 meters but clocked a split of 2:11.3 for the winning 4x800 relay squad.On the men’s side, junior Andy Bayer, a distance runner, entered Saturday with aspirations of breaking the collegiate record in the 3,000 meters, but he said poor pacing prevented him from accomplishing the feat.“It was a little disappointing because we wanted to come out a little faster, but our pace was a little slow,” Bayer said. “It was kind of a bummer, but I had a good last half of the race. It was, overall, kind of disappointing, but it was a good effort.”Even though Bayer didn’t break the record in the 3,000, IU Coach Ron Helmer said he believes expectations might have been out of order.“I think the expectations that we put in place were inappropriate, and the race just wasn’t set up properly,” Helmer said.He and Bayer won’t be worrying about the issue much longer, as Bayer will have another crack at the record once again in February.“I definitely would like to go for it again because I felt good last night,” Bayer said. “It gives me confidence and a little more desire to go after it.”Also aiding the Hoosiers’ success this past weekend was the victory for the men’s 4x400 relay squad, which consists of sophomore Tyler Sult, junior Chris Vaughn and seniors Kind Butler and Ryan Hindes.The group finished in a time of 3:14.65, the third-fastest time in the Big Ten this season.Senior Olu Olamigoke earned victories in both the triple jump and long jump this past weekend, with his finish in the triple jump earning him top honors for the event in the NCAA.The Hoosiers’ track and field squads will return to Gladstein Fieldhouse this coming weekend for the Indiana Relays.
(01/20/12 3:36am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU men’s and women’s track and field squads will have an opportunity to witness redshirt junior Andy Bayer attempt to break the collegiate record in the 3,000-meter race at this weekend’s Gladstein Invitational at Harry Gladstein Fieldhouse.Bayer said he has been nothing but calm and relaxed about the record, despite having an opportunity to accomplish such a feat. “It was kind of in our heads at the beginning of the year, and we’ll see how it goes,” Bayer said. “We’re going to go out a little more conservatively.” In addition to Bayer’s efforts, the rest of his teammates on the distance squad are seeking improved times and performances after taking down Purdue last weekend. Fellow distance runner senior Andrew Poore said the group is just getting started after having some downtime during winter break. “Last weekend was more of a rust-buster weekend,” Poore said. “A lot of us got on the track for the first time, and we weren’t really ready to run fast, so this week will be the first time that we’ll go for some personal records and national qualifying marks.”Aside from achieving those individual accolades, Poore and the rest of the distance group said they feel responsible for a large chunk of the overall team success. However, success will not take on an added significance until the Big Ten Indoor Championships during the last weekend in February. “We’re a group that has a lot more scholarships invested in ourselves, so we owe it to our team to get out there and perform,” Poore said. “There are a lot of expectations on our group.” IU Coach Ron Helmer said heading into Saturday’s meet, the women’s distance squad, particularly the 3,000 meters and the mile, will also be counted upon to produce.“Both of those races are set to be very fast,” Helmer said. “We’re to a point where we’re going to get similar excitement for the women’s distance events that we typically do for the men.” The field events will also play a significant factor on both sides, especially after having a strong meet last weekend against a Purdue squad that prides itself on its field events. Senior throwers Daniel Galos and Monique Riddick will be relied upon to maintain their consistency in the throws. Yet, if there’s one performance where all eyes will be focused Saturday, it’s Bayer’s running of the 3,000-meter race. “I don’t know if it’s really an attempt at a collegiate record,” Bayer said. “We’re just trying to run fast.”
(01/17/12 3:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>If there were any doubts as to how significant a victory against Purdue would be for the men’s and women’s track teams, they were erased following Saturday’s dual-meet at Harry Gladstein Fieldhouse.“Yeah, it’s Purdue,” IU Coach Ron Helmer said. “It means a lot to beat your in-state rival, a team we recruit against a lot. They’ve had their time, right now we’re having our time. Our kids enjoy beating Purdue. We (coaches) enjoy beating Purdue.”Helmer’s Hoosier squads combined to win a slew of events on the way to two overall team victories. The men’s team won with a score of 88-46, while the women handed the Boilermakers a 97-39 loss. On the men’s side, the sprints continued to be the difference-maker, with senior Kind Butler leading the way. Butler earned first place finishes in the 60-meter dash in a time of 6.76 seconds and the 200-meter dash in 21.35 seconds, which set a meet record. “I’m pretty happy with the 200, but with the 60, I’m trying to run at least a 6.5 to qualify for nationals,” Butler said. “The 200 is a step-by-step process, but a 21.35 is pretty good for the first meet.”Butler said he always feels motivated to get better, but having sophomore teammate Tyler Sult running next to him during meets and practices only adds to that motivation. “Me and Tyler, we’re like one and two,” Butler said. “We’re really good friends, and we just keep pushing each other in each event, whether it be in practices or meets. We really make each other better.”The men’s team had another solid day from its distance squad, with junior Andrew Bayer finishing first in the 1-mile run, and senior Adrien Dannemiller crossing the finish line first in the 3,000 meters. “I talked with Coach earlier in the week, and we talked about my plan in the (3,000) being to run the final thousand meters as fast as I could and win doing that,” Dannemiller said. “That’s exactly what I did, and it got me a victory. It was perfect execution.” The women’s distance squad earned first and second place finishes in both the 1-mile run and the 3,000 meters. Junior Kelsey Duerksen and senior Breanne Ehrman finished 13 seconds ahead of third place in the 1-mile run, in times of 4:44.44 and 4:44.67, respectively. Senior Chelsea Blanchard and senior Caitlin Engel swept the 3,000 meters, finishing in times of 9:46.03 and 9:52.22, respectively. Dannemiller said he was satisfied with dominating the Boilermakers. “Any time IU and Purdue compete, there’s some extra emotional involvement,” Dannemiller said. “There’s extra energy there. It’s fun to harness that energy, and it helps take your performance to the next level.”
(01/13/12 5:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>While the men’s and women’s track squads may not find much excitement during the indoor season, they will Saturday when the Purdue Boilermakers roll into Bloomington for a dual-meet showdown. ”The athletes on both squads certainly have a high level of excitement for this meet,” IU Coach Ron Helmer said. “The meet may not have the same superficial meaning as, say, basketball or football, but the meaning is fairly genuine.” Because this particular dual-meet isn’t a true conference meet, Crimson points can’t be earned by either school, but that doesn’t take away from the excitement and buildup surrounding the meet. “I expect for there to be a fairly large crowd on hand, which will make the meet itself even more special for the athletes participating,” Helmer said. The keys to victory against Purdue for the men’s squad are relatively straightforward, Helmer said. “On the men’s side, we’re a pretty strong team across the board, with the distance and middle distance events being our strongest,” Helmer said. “They’ll make the difference on Saturday. The sprints should have a similar impact.”Three-thousand meter specialist and sophomore Robbie Nierman, who was last week’s Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week, will look to build upon his nation-leading time in his main event against the Boilermakers. Nierman was quick to admit that he could improve as a runner. “I was surprised and excited when I heard about the honor,” Nierman said. “It’s funny because my time (8:17.89) in the 3,000 would be strong for most programs, but it’s mediocre here because the older guys have clocked in at around 8:05.” While Purdue might not be as strong in the distance and sprint events on both sides, the field events have a chance to be the Boilermakers’ equalizer. For the Hoosiers to develop consistency in each of the three segments of the sport (distance, sprints and field events), a few things need to be taken care of, Helmer said. “Our athletes have to establish a new routine now that they’re back from winter break,” Helmer said. “Academics, especially required courses, need to be completed for some of our athletes so that theirschedules can accommodate practices and training. “They also need to get back in the weight room, begin re-training and get settled in. It’s a simple process once the structure is there.” Nierman said he has settled in and is locked in on Saturday’s showdown. “I want to come out here on Saturday and dominate them,” Nierman said.
(01/09/12 4:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU men’s and women’s track and field teams rang in the new year by winning a combined 10 events at Saturday’s Indiana Open. Claiming victories for the Hoosiers were junior Kelsey Duerksen, sophomore Robbie Nierman and seniors Dan Galos and De’Sean Turner. Nierman represented the Hoosiers’ distance team in winning fashion, placing first in the 3,000 meters with a time of 8:17.89, which was good for tops in the NCAA so far during the early stages of the indoor season. Nierman’s winning time also shattered his personal record of 8:48.86 by nearly 31 seconds. Also bringing home a first-place finish for the men’s distance team was Turner, who won the 1,000 meters at a clip of 2:23.51. Galos, a thrower, also earned a first-place spot. He won the men’s weight throw, recording a distance of 18.83 meters, which is also a personal record for the redshirt senior. Saturday’s meet was also a distinctive one, as four IU alumni (Aarik Wilson, Vera Neuenswander, Jeff Coover and Abbie Norton) left Harry Gladstein Fieldhouse victorious. Wilson covered 16.02 meters in the triple jump, which proved long enough for a victory in the event. Neuenswander and Coover were individual winners in the women’s and men’s pole vault, respectively, while Norton took home first place in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.98 seconds. The Hoosiers’ sprint squad again took care of business.Sophomore Tyler Sult won the 60 meters in 7.04 seconds, while senior Ryan Hindes took second place in the 500 meters with a time of 1:04.10. Chris Vaughn won his heat of the 500 meters with a time of 1:04.97 — third place overall. The meet itself was yet another opportunity for the Hoosiers to prepare for their looming showdown next Saturday with in-state rival Purdue University. Following the meet against Purdue on Jan. 14, the Hoosiers will be hosts to three more indoor events — the Gladstein Invitational, Indiana Relays and Hoosier Hills — before the Big Ten Indoor Championships on Feb. 24-25 at the University of Nebraska.
(01/06/12 5:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Now that the second semester has begun, both the men’s and women’s track and field teams will be using the indoor season to prepare for another outdoor season in Big Ten competition. The first meet of the new year for the men’s and women’s track and field teams will be the Indiana Open on Saturday, which takes place at Harry Gladstein Fieldhouse on the Bloomington campus. The meet is the first of four home meets in 20 days for the Hoosiers, who won the Hoosier Open by claiming victory in 18 events back on Dec. 9. Both teams will be aided by success in the sprints, particularly the 4x100 squads.On the men’s side, senior sprinter Kind Butler had first place finishes in both the 55 meters and 300 meters at the Hoosier Open. Senior distance runner Ben Hubers will be seeking a victory in the 5,000 meters, after finishing second in the Hoosier Open with a time of 13:46.07. On the women’s side, juniors sprinter Aireonna Bailey and high jumper Emma Kimoto look to continue their success after claiming victories at the Hoosier Open.The Hoosiers’ indoor season will heat up with a meet against rival Purdue on Jan. 14, followed by the Gladstein Invitational and Indiana Relays. Each meet will take place on campus. The indoor season will conclude with the Big Ten Indoor Championships at the University of Nebraska. The men’s team will seek to improve upon this past season’s second-place finish at the event. The women’s team had a fifth-place finish at the same meet. The men’s team received a large boost from its distance team at this past year’s championships, as well as from its 4x100 team, both of which will be counted upon again this season. This past season’s 4x100 squad, which consisted of sophomore Tyler Sult, Butler, junior Chris Vaughn and then-senior Devin Pipkin, placed second at the outdoor championships.IU Coach Ron Helmer will be tasked with finding a suitable replacement for Pipkin, who has since graduated. On the women’s side, Bailey is seeking to build upon her 2010-11 season after clocking in at 23.53 seconds in the 200-meter dash at last year’s Big Ten Outdoor Championships, the fifth-best time in IU history. Like the men, the women’s team also boasts a strong 4x100 squad, which features Bailey, senior Ann-Marie Clarke, and sophomores Fabrina Espinoza and Portia Bailey. The group clocked in at 46.04 at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in Iowa City, Iowa, this past season, finishing fifth. Kimoto will provide some points in the high jump. She cleared 1.76 meters at the Big Ten Championships this past season, which marked the seventh-best height in program history.The Hoosiers look to get consistent production from each of these relay squads and individuals and to put another solid season in the books. However, the competition remains fierce in Big Ten action. Iowa, Ohio State and Minnesota will challenge the men’s team, while Ohio State and Penn State will be tough toward the women’s team.