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(05/07/04 4:42am)
The men's track team will host its final track meet of the year Friday evening at the Robert C. Haugh track complex. The meet is named for Earle C. "Billy" Hayes, who served as IU's track and cross country coach from 1925 to 1943. The meet will boast abput 800 athletes competing within just a few hours. \n"There are a whole lot of people coming to town for this," IU Coach Randy Heisler said. "We've got some select people competing to try to meet regional qualifying marks. It's always a good meet for those competing."\nWith the Big Ten Championships looming one week away at Purdue, some of IU's top athletes will curtail their competition while others will hunt for qualifying marks or fight for spots at the Big Ten Championships. Junior All-American and NCAA triple jump leader Aarik Wilson will run only the 100-meters to work on speed and freshman All-American David Neville will likely run only the 200-meters and 4x400-meter relay. Freshman long jumper Kiwan Lawson, whose best jump is a scant two centimeters off the regional qualifying standard, will compete in hopes of improving his mark.\nIU received a bonus this week as it adds a pair of football players to the roster just in time for Big Tens.\n"We've got Herana-Daze Jones and Courtney Roby competing this weekend," said Heisler. "We're going to run them in the 100 and the 4x100-meter relay. Courtney ran indoors so he has some experience."\nWith good news comes bad, in the form of sophomore hammer thrower Wil Fleming, who had qualified for the NCAA regional meet. Fleming broke his foot in the weight room earlier this week, and is out indefinitely.\nSenior Mike Minton and junior Ryan Ketchum will compete in the shot put and discus events, in which both athletes rank in scoring position in the Big Ten and have qualified for the regional. Minton, a senior, expressed bittersweet sentiment about the coming weeks.\n"You know, the regional will probably be the last time I throw the shot," Minton said. "That's a strange feeling."\nAmong the athletes coming to town is former Missouri standout Derrick Peterson, the 2002 US 800-meter indoor champion. Peterson looks to tune up for the Olympic Trials against IU twins Rodney and Russell Hollis. \n"The 800 is going to be hot," Russell, a senior, said. "With Peterson and the Missouri guys in it I'll have a chance at getting the regional standard." \n"This is the week before Big Ten's," said Heisler. "We want to get the training right and get people sharp."\n-- Contact staff writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(05/03/04 5:53am)
IU finished its final dual meet of the season by trouncing in-state arch rival Purdue 108-76. The Hoosiers put on a dominant display, winning 14 of 18 total events. \n"Today, the guys showed up and proved they wanted to score some points," said IU coach Randy Heisler. "Looking at the whole team, our guys are getting there."\nBoth junior All-American Aarik Wilson and sophomore All-American David Neville had double victories. Wilson took both the long and triple jumps while Neville swept the 200-meter and 400-meter dashes. \nOther Hoosiers claiming victories over the Boilermakers included sophomore thrower Ryan Ketchum, who took the discus with a mark of 52.87 meters. IU decathlete junior Jake Wiseman won the javelin, uncorking a heave of 61.58 meters. Junior Russell Hollis claimed the 800-meter title, winning in 1:51.98. IU junior Nathan Purcell and senior Nathan Gooden took the top two spots in the 1500-meters, cruising in nearly side-by-side. Purcell got the victory in 3:58.09 with Gooden at 3:58.16. \n"The weather was great," said Purcell. "I didn't feel very good today but we were still able to control the race from start to finish."\nSeveral other Hoosiers spent Friday night getting valuable Olympic Trials experience in Palo Alto, Calif., at Stanford's Cardinal Invitational. \nLeading the IU charge was senior All-American Chris Powers, who set a monstrous 12-second personal best in the 5,000-meters, crossing the finish line at 13:48.45, which places him fourth on IU's all-time list behind Olympians Terry Brahm, Jim Spivey and American record holder Bob Kennedy. The mark assured his first bid to the NCAA Outdoor Championships and left him with a good shot at competing at the Olympic Trials.\n"I was confident going into this meet, I had a feeling it was time to run fast," said Powers, who averaged roughly 4:25 per mile. "I felt smooth through the two-mile in 8:50 and really rolled the last kilometer."\nIU junior Tom Burns crept closer to qualifying for the Olympic Trials, as well, shaving another three seconds off his personal best to finish in 8:42.35 in the 3,000-meter Steeplechase. The time leaves him three-tenths of a second short of the Olympic Trials 'B' Standard, but will likely qualify him for the meet.\n"I ran even the entire race," said Burns. "We're going to sit down and evaluate whether we want to keep chasing the qualifying time."\nIU is back in action at home Friday for the Billy Hayes Invitational. The Big Ten Championships follow one week later. \n-- Contact staff writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(04/30/04 5:30am)
The IU men's track and field team will take on in-state archrival Purdue this weekend at the E.C. Billy Hayes Track. Two points in the Titan Series (a combination of all sports pitting IU against Purdue) are up for grabs, and the Hoosiers are aiming to break the current tie with the Boilermakers. The meet will be IU's penultimate home meet of the year, with the Billy Hayes Invitational May 7, serving as the Hoosiers' home finale. \nPurdue had a recent coaching shake-up and has not shown the strength it typically has in its track program. As IU continues to rise, the Boilers have become less intimidating. \n"We always want to win our meets," IU head coach Randy Heisler said. "But this is Purdue, and no one ever wants to lose to Purdue."\nNearly all of IU's top talent will be in action at home with only four of its top distance runners absent, as they will compete in Stanford's Cardinal Invitational. \nLeading the quest for the Olympics and Olympic Trials qualifying is junior All-American Sean Jefferson, currently No. 2 in the NCAA in the 1,500-meters. Jefferson will compete in an elite section of the 1,500-meters including several American Olympians. The field hopes to dip under the Olympic 'A' standard of 3:36. \n"There are going to be fast guys in the race," Jefferson said. "I'm going out there to improve my time to make sure I get into the Trials and have a shot at the Olympic standard."\nCoach Heisler said Jefferson has been running well and expects his star runner to excel this week. \n"Sean did a workout the other day where he was just clicking off sub-60 400s," said Heisler. "He's running phenomenally right now."\nSenior All-American Chris Powers and sophomore Stephen Haas will run the 5,000-meters at Stanford, while junior Tom Burns will look to drop six seconds in order to qualify for the Olympic Trials in the steeplechase. \nTwo Hoosiers are set to star against Purdue. All-American and NCAA triple jump leader junior Aarik Wilson has already qualified for the Olympic Trials and freshman All-American David Neville is in top form as well. \n"This weekend I plan on going out and running fast," Neville said. "I definitely plan on winning my races, and I'm hoping to get my 200 time down."\nNeville is currently ranked in the top 20 in the NCAA in both the 200- and 400-meters. Last weekend at the Penn Relays, Neville snatched the baton from a hobbled teammate and came from behind to win IU's heat of the 4x200-meter relay. \n"David was absolutely flying in that 200," Heisler said. "Every time he races you sort of hold your breath because you never know what he'll do -- he could run 45-point in the 400 and it would be no surprise."\n-- Contact staff writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(04/21/04 5:00am)
The coming weekend will find the IU track team dividing its athletes between three different meets. Several will head east to compete at perhaps the NCAA's most-famous competition -- the Penn Relays -- held at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Another set will go west to the equally-esteemed Drake Relays -- held at Iowa's Drake University. All other healthy athletes, except those who competed last weekend at Mt. SAC, Calif., will compete at Purdue.\n"We're going to run two sprint relays at Penn," IU coach Randy Heisler said. "We're also sending a few distance guys, two jumpers Kiwan Lawson and Aarik Wilson, and our throwers."\nOne of IU's top events of the weekend will be its 4x400-meter relay. Freshman All-American David Neville will be joined by junior Rodney Hollis, senior Ryan Sarbinoff and sophomore Andre Grimes on a squad set to take on several of the nation's top teams. Lawson will replace Hollis in the 4x200-meter relay.\n"If our guys show up like they can, and run fast in the prelim," IU sprinting coach Ed Beathea said, "We'll have a good shot of getting into the hot heat for the final."\nAmong the distance athletes competing at Penn is senior Nathan Gooden, who will run the 10,000-meters. Gooden returns to the site of his personal best, a 30 minute 24 second mark he achieved while finishing 11th at the 2003 Penn Relays. \n"It's an athlete's dream to run at Franklin Field," Gooden said. "My season's focus is the Big Ten 10K. Penn should be a good prep for that."\nAlso competing at Penn are IU's steeplechasers, freshman Marcus Aguilar, senior Matt Sweetman and junior Charlie Koeppen. \nThe IU throwing corps will also be in action at Penn. Junior Ryan Ketchum will compete in both the shot put, where he currently ranks 14th nationally, and the discus, where he currently ranks 49th, nationally. Senior Mike Minton will also compete in both events, while senior Wil Fleming will compete in the hammer throw -- where he ranks 51st, nationally. \nIU vaulting coach Phil Henson also serves as an official at the Drake Relays -- which offered IU the opportunity to send its pole vaulters to Drake. In addition to the vaulters, IU junior Jake Wiseman will compete in the Drake Relays decathlon in preparation for the Big Ten Outdoor Championships. \nIn other track news, Sean Jefferson was named this week's Big Ten Athlete of the Week.\n-- Contact staff writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(04/16/04 5:40am)
The men's track team will compete in two different meets this weekend. The bulk of the team will compete at Nebraska in a quadrangular meet, and IU distance runners with a shot at qualifying for the NCAA regional will travel to California to compete in the Mt. SAC Relays -- a traditional gathering place for top-flight distance competition. \n"We're going to travel just about everyone this weekend," said IU coach Randy Heisler. "The meet out at Mt. SAC is one where our distance athletes can get some good competition and hopefully post some qualifying times."\nAthletes taking a shot at qualifying or running fast times at Mt. SAC include junior 800-meter specialists Rodney and Russell Hollis, senior 1500-meter specialist Nathan Purcell, sophomore Stephen Haas and senior All-American Chris Powers. \n"I had wanted to take a crack at the 10K," said Powers, whose season-best 14:00 5K mark ranks him ninth, nationally. "But if I want to be sure I get into NCAA's, I need to run faster in the 5K, and Mt. SAC is always fast."\nSophomore NCAA mile champion and current NCAA 1500-meter leader Sean Jefferson will look to better his personal best of 3:42. \n"Mt. SAC usually has a solid field for the 1,500," said Jefferson. "Basically what I need is a time that will qualify me for the Olympic Trials. I'm close, but faster can't hurt."\nMeanwhile, at Nebraska, national triple-jump leader Aarik Wilson will be back in action, looking to remain undefeated this outdoor season. He and freshman sprinter David Neville, fresh off a personal best in the 400-meters at the Indiana Relays, will lead the Hoosier attack. \n"The goal for Aarik is to make the Olympic team, and we're therefore going to be careful with his schedule," Heisler said. "For David, he's young, and he needs to race. He needs the experience."\nLikely to face stiff competition is junior thrower Ryan Ketchum, who has qualified for the NCAA regional meet in both the shot put and discus and is currently ranked 12th nationally in the shot put. \n"We're still in the training phase of the season," Heisler said.\n-- Contact staff writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(04/12/04 1:51pm)
The men's track team is holding the first outdoor meet of the season this weekend with the Indiana Relays, starting at 5 p.m. today at the Robert C. Haugh Track and Field complex and at 10 a.m. Saturday. IU welcomes Indiana State, Central Michigan and University of Southern Illinois Carbondale in its first scored meet of the young season. The meet will also feature athletes from nearly nine high schools and will be IU's first use of the newly-erected lighting apparatus at the track. \nThe two-day meet will showcase the strengths of IU's early season, including Big Ten Athlete of the Week and All-American Aarik Wilson. \n"Aarik's going to take a couple of jumps. We want to make sure and keep him healthy," said IU coach Randy Heisler. "The goal for him is to make the Olympic team."\nWilson, thus far undefeated in 2004, was named Big Ten Athlete of the Week after his nation-leading performance in the triple jump at the Texas Relays, a 16.85 meter personal best, which placed him atop the NCAA list. \nAlso in action will be freshman All-American David Neville, who has already posted NCAA Regional qualifying marks in both the 200-meters and 400-meters. He ranks third nationally outdoors in the 200-meters. \n"We're going to run David in a couple of events," Heisler said. "He's young, and he needs to race."\nA pair of national-caliber juniors will also compete. Rodney Hollis will run the 800-meters, where he ranks fifth nationally with his 1:48.69 performance at the Stanford Invitational two weeks ago. Junior Ryan Ketchum, who currently ranks No. 11 nationally in the shot put, will compete in the throws. \nIU's distance runners look to build speed and strength. Sophomore NCAA indoor mile champ Sean Jefferson will run the 5,000-meters. \n"I usually concentrate on the 1,500, so running the 5K for me is for strength," said Jefferson. "The goal is to get a solid workout in and win the race."\nThe longer distance athletes will conversely use the meet to work on their speed. Senior All-American Chris Powers and sophomore Stephen Haas will race the 1,500-meters along with senior Nathan Purcell. \n"This is my final year, so I want to run hard and fast every time I step on the line," said Powers, who ranks ninth nationally in the 5,000-meters. "That means this weekend I run the 1,500."\nIU will play host to the Indiana High School State Championships later this spring. The meet serves as a good primer to introduce the top high school talent to the newly-lit, top-flight facility.\n"We want to win the meet, and we want to look good doing it," Heisler said. "We've got all the high school kids in town, so it's important to put on a good show."\n-- Contact staff writer Rob DeWitte at \nrdewitte@indiana.edu.
(04/12/04 6:21am)
The men's track team won its first home meet of the outdoor season, putting its talent on display over two days for the home crowd and high schools from across the state. IU finished 167.5 points ahead of second place Central Michigan. \n"There were a lot of really good things on the men's side today. We expected to win the meet, and we did," IU coach Randy Heisler said. "David Neville is going to be ridiculously fast."\nNeville, a freshman All-American from Merrillville, Ind., stole the show Friday night in clocking a substantial personal best in the 400-meter with a time of 46.18 seconds, which vaulted him from 20th nationally into the top 10. Neville also took home the 200-meter title, running 21.21 into a stiff headwind, and anchored the winning men's 4x400-meter relay. \n"I got out good in the first 200, so I knew I was going to run fast," Neville said of his 400-meter win. "It was a big-time personal best; it feels great."\nJunior Rodney Hollis also excited the home crowd by winning the 800-meter in 1:48.83, just ahead of Indiana State senior Jason Briggs, second with 1:48.89. Third in the race was Rodney's twin brother, Russell Hollis, who lowered his personal best to 1 minute, 51.29 seconds.\n"I've been improving every race out by about a second," Russell Hollis said. "Next race I want to skip 1:50 and go right to 1:49."\nIU took first and fourth in the 5,000-meter with sophomore All-American Sean Jefferson winning in a season-best 14:18, taking his time running down the early leaders. Senior Nathan Gooden notched a personal best at fourth in 14:30.\n"I didn't want to have to sprint at the end, so I just moved up gradually," Jefferson said. "By the end, I felt like I was jogging."\nA number of other Hoosiers claimed wins at the Indiana Relays.\nNational triple-jump leader Aarik Wilson won both the long jump (7.73 meters) and triple jump (15.75 meters). \nSenior All-American Chris Powers used a final-lap kick to win the 1,500 meter in 3:51.55. Sophomore Stephen Haas (second, 3:51.81) and senior Nathan Purcell (fourth, 3:52.48) followed.\nIn the throws, junior Ryan Ketchum set an outdoor personal best in the shot put, winning with 18.51 meters, and also took the discus title with a throw of 51.56 meters. Senior Wil Fleming won the hammer throw with a mark of 59.61. \n-- Contact staff writer Rob DeWitte at \nrdewitte@indiana.edu.
(04/12/04 6:17am)
Just before the final event of the day, the 4x400-meter relay, IU coach Randy Heisler thought a team victory was in jeopardy. The relay squad responded, however, turning back Indiana State, Central Michigan and Southern Illinois with a regional qualifying mark of 3 minutes, 42.14 seconds, giving the Hoosiers a one point 182-181 victory over Central Michigan. \n"Things didn't go quite as well as I thought they could," Heisler said. "But at the same time, we had some good performances as well."\nThough IU had a number of wins, it was a pair of distance runners that put on the best show. \nSenior Audrey Giesler won a hotly contested 5,000-meter race, besting the field with a time of 16:44.58, which dipped under the regional qualifying standard. Sophomore Jessica Gall also qualified for the regional meet with her second place time of 16:51.01, and sophomore steeplechaser Kelly Siefker followed in fourth with a final time of 17:00.53.\n"We went out with a plan to alternate leaders for the first half of the race," Geisler said. "The second half of the race, I just felt good."\nFreshman Kristin Whitezell took the 3,000-meter steeplechase title, winning easily by a large margin in 10:48.75, which qualified her for the NCAA regional meet. \n"I'm excited to have my first steeple race go that well and qualify for regionals," Whitezell said of her steeplechase debut. \nThree other Hoosiers notched victories, as freshman Courtney Johnson won the 100-meter hurdles in a regional qualifying time of 13.84 and sophomore thrower Andrea Dalla Rosa won both the shot put (14.65 meters) and the discus (45.31 meters). Senior Jennifer Cobbina won the long jump with a mark of 5.92 meters.\nThe women also had a number of second place finishes. Freshman sprinter Stacey Clausing took second in both the 200-meter (24.26) and 400-meter (55.26). Junior Ashley Groth was runner-up in the 800-meter with a time of 2:14.73. Freshman Michele Huber was runner-up in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:03.18. Senior Lauren Chestnut was second in the triple-jump with a regional qualifying mark of 12.34 meters. Senior Ellison Tipton was second in the pole vault, clearing a height of 3.65 meters. \nIU returns to action next weekend at Nebraska. \n-- Contact staff writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(04/02/04 6:24am)
After a highly-successful weekend split between the Stanford Invitational and the Florida Relays, the men's track team will compete this weekend as one at the 77th-annual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, a meet perennially attracting top collegiate and professional talent. \nThe Texas Relays is typically quite strong in the sprints, which should provide tough competition for IU sophomore All-American David Neville, who will race in the 4x400-meter relay and 4x200-meter relay. \nAnother of the meet's strengths are the jumps, where junior All-American Aarik Wilson is entered in both the triple and long jump. Wilson currently leads the nation in the triple jump.\nSeveral Hoosiers look to continue early outdoor success. At Florida, junior Ryan Ketchum notched a shot put victory and also threw regional qualifying marks in both the shot put and discus. Senior thrower Mike Minton got back on track in Gainesville, Fla.\n"It was nice to come out of a meet feeling good about my performance," Minton said. "I felt good about the disc, and finally threw over 60-feet in the shot again, so I'm hoping to use Texas to gain some momentum for this -- my final season."\nA number of athletes will compete in their season debut. Senior sprinter Contrell Ash will run the 100-meters and also a leg on the 4x100-meter relay. Senior hurdler Daniel Martin returns from an injury that kept him out of competition indoors to run the 400-meter hurdles. \nIU also opens its season in the longest hurdle event, the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Sophomore Marcus Aguilar, junior Charlie Koeppen and senior Matt Sweetman will open their seasons with hopes of nearing the regional qualifying standard of 9:08. Sweetman has the fastest returning time, just off the standard at 9:10. Koeppen, a first-year transfer from Northern Arizona, will race the event for the first time.\n"Since I've never run it before, I really don't know what to expect," Koeppen said. "I've been working on hurdling, and training has been a little better than indoors so I'm optimistic."\n"Texas is a solid opening race for the steeplers," IU assistant coach Robert Chapman said. "It's always small enough that there is room to hurdle in a season debut, but fast enough that if someone's ready they can run a fast time."\n-- Contact staff writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(03/26/04 5:44am)
The IU men's track team plans to split the weekend between Stanford, Calif. and Gainesville, Fla. The team's distance runners will head to Stanford, perennially a prime spot given that its weather is typically conducive for fast distance races. The bulk of the team will travel to Gainesville to compete at the Florida Relays, a solid meet in all other events.\n"We've had one week of outdoor practice now," said IU coach Randy Heisler. "Basically, we're just going to see where we're at." \nThe meet will see one significant season debut in the return to competition of junior All-American and 2003 NCAA Indoor runner-up triple jumper Aarik Wilson. Wilson is slated to compete in the long jump, triple jump and even contribute a leg on the 4x100-meter relay. \n"I'm strong and ready to go," said Wilson. "I'm just a little nervous after not competing for so long."\nJunior thrower Ryan Ketchum also has a busy weekend ahead of him. He left for Florida Wednesday and will compete in the shot put, discuss and hammer throw.\nStanford provides several athletes with an early opportunity to get NCAA Regional and even Olympic Trials qualifying marks out of the way. The regional qualifying times are slower than the NCAA Indoor qualifying times due to the one-year-old Regionals-Nationals format. Athletes must first qualify to run in an NCAA Regional meet, where they earn the chance to race for a spot at the NCAA Championships. \nNewly-crowned NCAA mile champion sophomore Sean Jefferson will race the 1,500-meters, aiming to feed off his big victory for energy to propel his legs to an Olympic Trials qualifying time. \n"If I run 3:41 or so, I should get into NCAAs no matter what else happens," said Jefferson. "Plus, it'll get both the NCAA and Olympic Trials qualifying marks out of the way."\nJunior All-American Chris Powers will compete in the 5,000-meters, while training partner sophomore Stephen Haas, who qualified provisionally in the 5,000-meters for the NCAA Indoor Championships but fell short of the final cut-off, will shift gears slightly and race the longest track event, the 10,000-meters.\n"If I can run what I'm seeded at, 29:10, I should get in to NCAAs," said Haas. "Last year, 29:18 got in, but it'll probably take faster."\n-- Contact staff writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(03/24/04 5:40am)
Rarely is an NCAA mile won in as decisive a fashion as the one sophomore Sean Jefferson claimed March 14. Grabbing the lead with just over 600 meters left, Jefferson crushed the field -- including reigning 2003 champion, hometown favorite Arkansas' Chris Mulvaney. \nCrossing the line with arms raised in 4:00.16, Jefferson gave IU its first individual track title since 1993. \nAs he shot a glance up at the massive monitor on the final turn of the NCAA Championships mile, he couldn't believe what he saw. \n"They were showing the second pack," Jefferson said. "I wasn't even in the picture. I had no idea how far ahead I was until then. I still can't believe it. It hasn't really set in." \nAt Atlantic Community High School in Delray Beach, Fla., Jefferson and twin brother John broke the national record for fastest twins in the mile, running 4:05 and 4:07 in a national class race. Sean also ran a state-record two-mile in 8:59, his third straight title at the distance. The pair arrived at IU with grand aspirations, convinced they could accomplish great feats. \nThe two have traded off success since. John earned All-American status his freshman year in the mile, while Sean sat out with an injury. Last year, John rallied for second place to Mulvaney in the final lap at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Outdoors, Sean set an IU freshman 5,000-meter record in 13:58, while John ran 3:41 for 1500-meters, then the year's best American mark. \nJohn has fought an injury since July, and Sean began their junior year alone. In cross country, Sean grabbed 19th place at the NCAA Championships, earning the twins' first cross country All-American accolade. Early in the indoor season, he blazed 4:00.83 in the mile just behind the U.S.A. indoor mile champ Rob Myers. \nTrackside at NCAAs, as Sean's victory became apparent, John crept closer to the track where he took second the previous year, watching his brother claim the family's first NCAA title.\n"No one's going to catch him," he said. "Sean's got it!"\nIU assistant coach Robert Chapman was similarly impressed.\n"All I have to do is not crash the van on the way to the meet," Chapman said. "I know when he gets here that he'll get the job done. His acceleration around the tight indoor turns is a serious advantage."\nSean has been the team's go-to guy all year. After leading the cross country team to 12th place, he anchored IU's school-record distance medley relay team to a stunning victory at the Tyson Invitational -- missing the world and collegiate record by a scant three seconds.\nNow Jefferson shifts his attention to the outdoor season. This coming weekend, he will compete at the Stanford Invitational in the 1500-meters -- the outdoor track equivalent to the indoor mile -- where he hopes to post an Olympic Trials qualifying time.\n"My main goal is to make the final at the Olympic Trials," Jefferson said. "The experience of that race will be very valuable for my future. The race is always wild, so I'll have a chance at making the team."\n-- Contact staff writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(03/09/04 4:39am)
The men's track team has a strong horizontal jumping tradition which has scored crucial points in Big Ten Championship meets and qualified for NCAA Championship meets. Freshman long jumper Kiwan Lawson is the latest addition to this distinguished lineage. \nA decorated athlete at Marion-Franklin High School in Columbus, Ohio, Lawson was twice a high school Nike All-American. Faced with his choice of championship schools, Lawson chose IU for its combination of top-flight coaching, an elite training group and a vibrant campus life.\n"Not the parties, but the cleanliness of the school, the workforce's respect for IU's academic success and the beauty of the campus," Lawson said, explaining his reasons for choosing IU. "I'm from Ohio -- I didn't see limestone buildings until I got here."\nLawson has in some ways already made his mark -- finishing third with a personal best 7.36 meters in the long jump at the Big Ten Indoor Championships. Though his indoor campaign was limited to jumping, IU assistant coach Wayne Pate expects Lawson to step into the starting blocks during the outdoor season.\n"We hoped to have Kiwan running indoors," said Pate. "But an early season injury slowed that progress."\nMany successful long jumpers also compete in the triple jump. However, the two events require different types of athletes, and balancing both disciplines can be difficult.\n"Right now, Kiwan is a 24-foot long jumper," said IU coach Randy Heisler. "I'd hate for him to become a 23-foot long jumper just to become a 48-foot triple jumper. My view is that unless you're topped out or have obvious potential in another event, you stick with your strength."\nFor now, Lawson's strength is the long jump, an event in which he demands excellence from himself in every competition -- a challenging task considering the pending return of IU junior All-American Aarik Wilson.\n"I do not like placing second to anyone -- even if it's Aarik," Lawson said. "He'll be back outdoors and I look forward to jumping with and against him."\nPate said he also expects Wilson's return to further Lawson's development. \n"Both Aarik and Kiwan are very competitive, and to have that in practice everyday only makes them both better," Pate said.\nLawson's ambition -- early development and success, only further illustrate that his heart pumps the blood of a champion. \n"I tend to get upset with myself when things don't go right, because I am capable of jumping farther," Lawson said. "Everyone keeps saying that I am only a freshman, and things will take time to grasp. I want to win now. Indiana University brought me here to win, and that is what I'm going to do." \n-- Contact staff writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(03/02/04 4:14am)
This past weekend, the men's track team took on its conference rivals in the Big Ten Indoor Championships at the University of Michigan, finishing sixth as a team with 58 points, four points out of fourth place. \nIn a conference stacked with distance running power, IU performed impressively, amassing 31 of its points in the distance events. \nOne of the meet's biggest surprises was junior Rodney Hollis, who grabbed second place at the start of the 800-meters and never let go, giving Michigan's defending NCAA Champion Nathan Brannen a tough race. \nHollis, whose previous season best was 1:51.56, fought off late race fatigue to ensure a silver medal with a mark of 1:49.59, just short of the IU school record. \nThe mile run, perhaps the meet's most anticipated event, delivered a good deal of excitement. Easy preliminary heat victories for sophomore All-American Sean Jefferson and U of M's NCAA mile leader Nick Willis prefaced a spectacular final. A slow first half mile left it up to Jefferson and Willis, who dueled over the final three laps, gapping the rest of the field. Willis crossed the finish line in 4:04, outlasting Jefferson's 4:06. \nIU sophomore Eric Redman finished a strong fifth in 4:08. \n"I did everything I could today," said Jefferson. "When Willis has that kind of speed, what was I going to do? I'm looking forward to NCAAs now."\nThe 3,000-meters was perhaps the meet's deepest event, teeming with seven All-Americans, all of whom finished in the top seven and dipped under the NCAA provisional standard. IU senior All-American Chris Powers took sixth in a personal best 8:07.68. Michigan's Willis won in a meet record 7:57.10. \nFast from the gun, the top finishers ran together until the final lap.\n"I knew coming in that this was going to be a race of attrition," Powers said. "I just had to latch onto the pack and hang on as long as I could." \nIU's distance medley relay also dueled with Michigan, exciting the crowd in a preview of the NCAA Championships. Tom Burns' bold lead-off leg brought IU into second place. Juniors Ryan Sarbinoff and Russell Hollis held position in their legs, turning over the baton to sophomore Stephen Haas in a close third. \nAs leaders Minnesota and Michigan slowed to prepare for a finishing sprint, Haas slowly crept up and grabbed the lead, making a valiant attempt to hold off Michigan's Brannen, eventually finishing second in 9:51 with a 4:07 anchor leg.\n"I knew he was coming, so I just tried to get as much distance between us and the rest of the teams," said Haas. \nFreshman David Neville rose to meet a stiff challenge, facing a member of the U.S. 4x400-meter relay World Championship gold medal team, Minnesota's Mitch Potter, in the 400-meters and 200-meters. Neville took second in the 400-meters and third in the 200-meters, provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Championships in both events. \nRounding out IU's scoring was freshman long jumper Kiwan Lawson, who grabbed a solid third place with a season best of 7.36 meters. Freshman Stephanos Ioannou took fourth in the 60-meter hurdles in a season best 8.07. Junior Ryan Ketchum also dipped under the provisional standard in the shot put with a throw of 17.80 meters. \n -- Contact staff writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(02/27/04 5:44am)
"This is what we train for." \nAssistant track coach Wayne Pate summarized the team's upcoming weekend at the University of Michigan, the site of the 2004 Big Ten Indoor Championships. \nThe men's team enters the meet with nearly every one of its entries in position to score in their particular event. \n"Things are really starting to come together," said IU coach Randy Heisler. "We've got so many guys that are ranked seventh or eighth in the conference that are capable of placing higher. If they place even one or two spots higher, they change the whole dynamic of the meet because it gives us more points and at the same time takes points away from other teams."\nThe Big Ten conference is very competitive and the championship meet should be evidence of that. Reigning NCAA Champions turn up in several events. Minnesota returns two of the top-three 400-meter runners in the NCAA. Michigan boasts two of the top-three milers in the NCAA, one of which is also last year's NCAA 800-meter champion. \nThese events happen to be three of IU's strongest, as freshman David Neville ranks fifth in the conference in the 400-meters, sophomore All-American Sean Jefferson ranks third in the mile and junior Rodney Hollis' split from IU's record-setting Tyson Invitational Distance Medley Relay ranks him third in the conference. \n"David has no pressure on him, and he's still learning how to run indoors," Heisler said. "The national champ is going to be in his race, so he has a great chance to run fast and qualify for NCAA's."\nJefferson looks to keep the mile title in his family, as twin brother John won the event at last year's meet. Depending on final entry lists, Sean, who finished eighth last year, could enter the meet as the favorite. \n"My last two races have been set up to try to hit a time," Jefferson said. "Now that qualifying is out of the way, it'll be fun to just race. This year I'm going for the win, not the upset."\nHollis will change events from last year's championships, where he took third in the 600-meters and ran on IU's third-place distance medley relay team. This year he will compete in the 800-meter. \nOther individuals crucial to IU's success include freshman long jumper Kiwan Lawson, junior shot putter Ryan Ketchum, junior heptathlete Jake Wiseman, senior All-American Chris Powers, junior Tom Burns and sophomores Eric Redman and Stephen Haas. \n"Kiwan could win the long jump," Heisler said. "There isn't anybody that's way out front, he's confident and he's been jumping well all season."\nBurns and Haas will likely share relay duties on the distance medley, while Powers will race the 3,000-meter and possibly the 5,000-meter.\n"The 3K is going to roll," Powers said. "It's Big Ten's. It always rolls."\n-- Contact staff writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(02/23/04 5:35am)
The men's track team finished its final preparations for next weekend's Big Ten Indoor Championships Friday at the Hoosier Hills Invitational. With a number of slots on the Big Ten roster still up for grabs, the meet provided some athletes with a final chance to claim a spot. \nAmong Friday's successes was IU's throwing corps, which turned in an impressive 1-2 finish. Junior Ryan Ketchum, who is currently ranked seventh in the Big Ten in the shot put, took the day's top spot with a throw of 17.58 meters, just off his personal best. Finishing second was senior thrower Mike Minton, who threw a season-best 16.69 meters in the shot.\n"I threw my best of the year," said Minton, "So in terms of momentum, that's a good sign heading to Ann Arbor (Mich.) next weekend."\nThe Hoosiers continued to build on gathering momentum. Heading into the Big Tens, the team's athletes are starting to fire on all cylinders. \nOther highlights included the return from injury of senior sprinter Ryan Sarbinoff, who finished third overall (first collegian) in the 400-meters with a time of 49.44. Freshman Nick Kruse finished a close third in the mile, turning in a time of 4:20.9. Junior Kris McAloon finished fourth in the 800-meters in 1:55.81. Junior Casey Friske added a third-place finish in the pole vault, clearing a height of 4.70 meters. Sophomore Wil Fleming finished fifth in the weight throw with a heave of 17.51 meters. \n"I should've kicked harder than I did," said Kruse of his third place finish, "I could've won the race. The winner was right in front of me." \nThe meet sets the Hoosiers up nicely for the coming battle in Ann Arbor, Mich., which was exactly the goal, according to IU coach Randy Heisler. \n"We ran a lot of athletes tonight with the intention of tuning up for Big Tens," said Heisler. "Coming in, we hadn't decided on everyone that we'll be taking to Big Tens, so this meet was a situation that will help determine who will go."\nThe men are back in action Friday and Saturday at the Big Ten Indoor Championships at the University of Michigan. \n-- Contact staff writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(02/20/04 5:46am)
The IU men's track team returns home Friday for the Hoosier Hills Invitational at the Harry Gladstein Fieldhouse. The meet begins at 4 p.m. with the women's 5,000 meters and concludes after the men's 4x400 meter relay, set to start at 9:30 p.m. \nWith the Big Ten Indoor Championships looming next weekend, many of the athletes will sit the meet out, opting instead to get in some final sharpening workouts. As a result, Hoosier Hills allows lesser-known athletes a chance to compete. \nOthers will get their fine-tuning in the form of one final competition before next weekend's Big Ten clash in Ann Arbor, Mich. The meet is a brief one-day affair, and has, and has been used in the past as a platform for "last-chance" qualifying efforts. \nHowever, given the weekend between the Big Ten Championships and the NCAA Championships, many athletes will wait to take their last shot at qualifying at a meet at Notre Dame in two weeks, as Notre Dame's oversized track attracts solid competition, all in search of qualifying times and performances. \nSophomore Stephen Haas, whose 14:06 5K has him sitting on the bubble for entry into the NCAA Championships, is in this category.\n"I'm resting this weekend, and running just in the distance medley at Big Ten's," said Haas. "We want to be sure and have fresh legs to take a shot at a better time at Notre Dame."\nAmong the athletes who will be competing is 2002 Indiana High School state mile champion Nick Kruse, who will race in the mile, an event he has run already in 4:20. Kruse has been plagued by the injury bug indoors after a successful freshman cross country debut. \nMany of the athletes competing will jump right back into tough training after the meet to prepare for the outdoor season, which starts March 26 with the Florida Relays. \n"After this meet I've got five or six weeks to train," said Kruse. "This is really just to run faster than I did at the Indiana Invite."\nAn athlete who will use the meet as prep for the Big Ten Championships is senior thrower Wil Fleming, who has been somewhat frustrated this season. He is looking for a big improvement in the coming two weekends, and a decent competition at Hoosier Hills. \nFleming said the meet should provide good throwing competition as Purdue usually sends its throwers to compete.\n-- Contact staff writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(02/19/04 5:17am)
In decades past, IU's strength in track rested with the distance program. But over the last half of the 1990s, the program's luster faded, with the team finishing no higher than fifth in the Big Ten from 1993 to 1998. \nThe resurrection of its traditional strength began in 1999 and has accelerated each year. One factor in this rejuvenation has been one of the team's pillars of consistency, senior Tom Burns, who came to IU as a walk-on. This past weekend, Burns made a monumental career breakthrough, running a 4:07.23 in the mile at the Tyson Invitational, which shattered his previous personal best by five seconds. \n"At Arkansas, Tom was the slowest guy in a field that included six sub-four (minute) milers. Yet he goes out there calm, confident, relaxed and beats half the field," said IU coach Robert Chapman. "Another thing that really helped him there is the maturity and experience he gained last year at NCAAs and USAs."\nIn many ways, Burns is a metaphor for IU's distance program- standing on the precipice of greatness, fighting each day to reach the next level. Until last weekend, most of Burns' successes came outdoors, where he narrowly missed earning All-American status in the 3,000 steeplechase and also ran in the USATF Championships. A dedicated, hard worker, Burns takes pride in IU's storied tradition. \n"IU is right now reverting to the distance powerhouse it once was," said Burns. "The combination of a great coach and training group has affected me tremendously. Running with Sean and John (Jefferson), (Eric) Redman, (Stephen) Haas and (Chris) Powers has sharpened my abilities to the point where I believe I could be one of the best distance runners in the country, not just a good steepler."\n"Burns took advantage of a great meet and a great track," said senior All-American Chris Powers. "Our program has evolved to where we flat-out expect to run fast and win races, and he showed that last weekend."\nBurns' recent breakthrough in the mile makes him a candidate for the mile leg of IU's NCAA-bound distance medley relay and alters his training plan slightly. \n"I think we could potentially get him down to 4:02 or so for the 1,600-meter leg," said Chapman. "Since he's redshirting outdoor, we have a bit of a luxury since we can focus on speed work." \nHigh mileage to a distance runner can mean 90 miles per week. Tom attributes most of his success to logging these weeks, which often include 18-mile Sunday runs. Since he has already run 8:50 in the steeplechase, his goal is within reach. \nA disciplined athlete, Burns doesn't view his running commitment as a sacrifice. \n"We're trying to be elite, and we handle our lifestyle accordingly," Burns said. "Sure we miss some of the social events, but those can't compare to national and international competition."
(02/13/04 6:02am)
The IU track men face their toughest competition of the season this weekend in Fayetteville, Ark., at the Tyson Invitational. The meet is one of the centerpieces of the USATF Golden Spike Tour and will feature a mixture of top-notch collegiate athletes and both American and foreign professionals. \nIt is set for broadcast from 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Saturday on ESPN2. Arkansas' track facility features one of the best indoor tracks in the world, a 200-meter banked oval surrounded by bleachers perennially packed with spectators. \nThe men's team is set to send a more limited roster than usual, as the entry standards are stiffer than typical collegiate meets. \nThe featured athletes on the men's side include sophomore All-American Sean Jefferson, fresh off a 4:00.83 mile ranking him fifth, collegiately (2nd American), and will run the 1600-meter leg in the Distance Medley Relay with sophomore Eric Redman running the 1200-meter leg, freshman David Neville running the 400-meter leg and senior Rodney Hollis on the 800-meter leg. \nThe team hopes to qualify for the NCAA Championships. The automatic qualifying time is 9:35. The provisional standard is 9:45. If too few teams dip under the automatic standard, the remaining slots are filled with teams under the provisional standard.\n"I want to run faster than my best time this year in my leg," said Hollis, "I think it will take at least 1:51 to qualify."\n"With Neville below 48 seconds, Redman able to run under 3:00, Hollis in the 800 and Sean at or under 4:00 on the 1600, which is about a second faster than a mile," said distance coach Robert Chapman, "you've got to think we've got a shot at going auto if the guys are ready."\nA number of Hoosiers will compete individually, many with an eye on qualifying for the NCAA Championships, held at Arkansas in just over a month ago. Senior All-American Chris Powers will run the 5,000-meters along with sophomore Stephen Haas and senior Nathan Gooden. Powers, who ran an IU indoor record 13:59 in qualifying for NCAA's two years ago, will chase the automatic standard of 13:54.\n"We've had great workouts lately, and I think that showed in our mile last weekend," said Haas, "All we have to do now is prove ourselves nationally. I don't think 13:54 is out of reach, and I definitely think 14:16 (the 5,000 provisional standard) is doable."\nJunior thrower Ryan Ketchum will compete in the shot put, where he ranks seventh in the Big Ten, along with senior Mike Minton. Freshman Stephanos Iaonnou will compete in the 60-meter hurdles. Kiwan Lawson, a freshman making noise in the horizontal jumps in the Big Ten with the absence of IU junior All-American Aarik Wilson, will compete in the long jump. \nSenior Tom Burns will run the mile, while senior Nathan Purcell and junior Charlie Koeppen will run the 3,000-meters. Junior sprinter Andre Grimes will run both the 60 and 200-meters. Senior jack-of-all-trades, Jake Wiseman, will compete in the heptathlon. \n-- Contact staff writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(02/12/04 5:48am)
For several years, the IU men's track team has had a handful of athletes fighting to join the national ranks. Each year, these athletes step closer to the summit, training tirelessly to reach the top. One of these athletes is IU 600-meter record holder and current 800-meter threat senior Rodney Hollis. \n"Rodney is like several guys in our group -- right on the cusp of a big step in his career -- making the NCAAs. It's really helped him to see the guys in the distance group that are doing it," said distance coach Robert Chapman. "Rodney knows he has the talent to be on the starting line at nationals, and watching Sean Jefferson run four-flat in the mile just motivated him to make it happen."\nTeammates know the potential that Hollis holds.\n"If Rod can run 1:52 or better on his leg," said sophomore Eric Redman, "we'll have a great chance at running a fast qualifying time."\nHollis will join Jefferson, Redman and sophomore David Neville this weekend in the Distance Medley Relay at the Tyson Invitational at the University of Arkansas. Not contested at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, the DMR is a showcase event indoors. Despite producing several wins, including two 1:51 800-meter efforts this season (just shy of his personal best of 1:49), Rodney knows he has to deliver a top-notch effort for the team to qualify.\n"It will take a 1:51 in the 800-meter leg for the relay to make it," he said. "I want the relay to make it to the Indoor NCAAs and earn All-American honors." \nHollis almost always draws 4x400-meter relay duties as well. Whereas multiple events string out some athletes to the point where it affects their performance, some of Hollis' best performances have come after tough earlier races.\n"My fastest times in the 600-meter dash and the 800-meter were run on heavy legs. Also, I enjoy the 4x4," he said. "Sometimes I can't believe that I am running as fast as I am on the relay."\nHollis is one half of one of IU's two sets of twins, along with the Jeffersons. Rodney and his brother Russell are training partners, a fact he feels is crucial to his success.\n"Having my brother to train with is good because he can do anything I can," Hollis said. "I want to set a school record in the 800-meters during indoor. I'm close to it already, and we have four more weeks to go. I think Russell has a chance at it, also."\nHollis sets the bar high in his personal goals. Outdoors, he plans on personal bests in the 800- and 400-meters, aiming for 1:47 and 46.5, respectively. \nHis ambition does not end on the track, however. He plans on attending graduate school in neurobiology with an interest in researching the regeneration of an injured spinal cord, which could lead to a cure for paralysis. Despite his personal goals, Hollis emphasizes the importance of representing his hometown, Michigan City, in every race. \n"I feel like every time I succeed, I want my old teachers and coaches to know because it's a reflection of their hard work, time and effort," Hollis said. "The success of my peers from high school at IU inspires me to keep working. They're leaders in everything they do, and hopefully, I reach that level on this team"
(02/10/04 10:18pm)
Perhaps track and field's most hallowed barrier -- the four-minute mile -- is something every runner dreams of eclipsing. Each year, IU distance coach Robert Chapman sets up an elite heat of the mile, with runners included specifically to set a hot pace and a gathering of IU and neighboring distance talent. The race is consistently one of the top events of the meet. \nThis year's edition didn't disappoint. \nSophomore All-American Sean Jefferson electrified the home crowd, finishing second at the Indiana Invitational Friday, running 4:00.8 in a mile race won by former Ohio State All-American Rob Myers in 4:00.1. Jefferson used a 28-second final lap to post the year's fastest collegiate time and a six-second personal best, which qualified him for the NCAA Indoor Championships.\n"My legs were heavy all day before the race, I think I was nervous," Jefferson said. "I felt fine once the race started, I just wish I'd gone nine-tenths of a second faster." \nThe race saw three other Hoosiers dip under 4:09: senior All-American Chris Powers (4:07), sophomore Stephen Haas (4:08) and sophomore Eric Redman (4:07). Senior Tom Burns also clocked 4:12. \nSaturday's focus shifted to the sprints, where freshman phenom David Neville provided the thrills, posting two NCAA provisional qualifiers in the 200 meter (21.44) and 400 meter (47.34). Neville also anchored IU's winning 4 x 400 relay.\nThe performances of both Neville and Jefferson changed the team's plans for next weekend's meet at Arkansas, which boasts a fast, state of the art, 200-meter banked track.\n"Now that Sean's qualified for NCAA's, we can go to Tyson next weekend and try to qualify a distance medley relay," Chapman said. "Combining Sean, Neville, Hollis and Redman, we can send a relay team to NCAA's, too."\n"I'm excited to run the DMR now," Redman said. "I think we can put up a time that will automatically qualify."\nProving the trend that a few weeks of consistently solid throws foretell a significant improvement, junior thrower Ryan Ketchum heaved a lifetime best 17.36 meters in the shot put to finish second behind Ohio State's NCAA record holder Dan Taylor.\nThe Hoosiers return to action at the site of the NCAA Indoor Championships this weekend when Arkansas hosts the Tyson Invitational. \n-- Contact staff writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.