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(02/06/04 5:14am)
The drive to the Big Ten Indoor Championships begins this weekend at Harry Gladstein Fieldhouse as the Hoosiers host the two-day Indiana Invitational, beginning Friday and concluding Saturday. \nThe meet serves as a simulation of the Big Ten Indoor meet, particularly by adding qualifying rounds and preliminary heats to several events, thereby spreading the competition over two days. \n"We're going to have qualifying rounds in the throws on Friday before the finals on Saturday," said senior Mike Minton. "Coach Heisler wants us to get used to competing over two days so we aren't surprised by anything at Michigan."\nThe Indiana Invitational serves as preparation for tough competition at next weekend's Tyson Invitational at Arkansas, which features a top-flight facility complete with a banked track and a fast surface. Arkansas has held the NCAA Indoor Championships since the new track was installed and will do so again this season in early March. \n"It'll be nice to get on the track before NCAAs to kind of get a feel for it," said sophomore Sean Jefferson. "Plus, it'll be nice to be in a race that's guaranteed to be fast so I can just compete instead of worrying about time; fast times will come with winning, and I want to start winning fast races."\nJefferson will be one of the key competitors in the meet's featured event, the invitational mile, set for just after 7 p.m. Each year, IU assistant coach Robert Chapman puts together a small field of elite athletes to take a crack at one of the biggest of all track accomplishments, the four-minute mile, or else produce an NCAA Indoor qualifying time. \nThis year, Ohio State's Rob Myers, who has ran a 3:58 mile, will be in the field. The winner has consistently run 4:03 or better and qualified for NCAA's. IU competitors will include Jefferson, sophomores Eric Redman and Stephen Haas and senior All-American Chris Powers, fresh off a fieldhouse record last weekend in the 3,000 meters at Missouri. \nFormer Hoosier and current assistant coach Chris Ekman will handle pacing duties, with a goal of leading the athletes through the first half of the race just under 2:00. \n"My job is to run on pace for a sub-4:00 effort," said Ekman. "It's a lot easier for the other runners to gut through the last half if they don't have to worry about staying on pace early."\nMen's and women's heptathlon competition begins at noon Friday. The bulk of the meet starts at 4 p.m. and concludes with the distance medley relay at 9:50 p.m. \nCompetition resumes at noon Saturday and comes to a close at 3 p.m. Athletes to watch include junior thrower Ryan Ketchum, who set new personal bests in the shot put and weight throw last weekend at the Tiger Classic, freshman sprinter David Neville, freshman 60-meter hurdler Stephanos Ioannou, currently ranked third in the Big Ten, and freshman long and triple jumper Kiwan Lawson, filling in admirably for All-American Aarik Wilson, who is redshirting due to injury. \n-- Contact staff writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(02/05/04 5:48am)
When it comes to injuries, athletes will tell you the same thing: there are few more devastating than knee injuries, and the bigger the athlete, the more crippling the injury. \nJunior shot thrower Ryan Ketchum knows this all too well. He spent the summer battling back from two incapacitating knee injuries -- a torn ACL and meniscus. He knew a complete recovery would not be enough; he would also have to make changes to prevent re-injury. \n"This summer, I focused a lot on losing extra pounds and getting quicker through rehab, which really improved my speed in the ring" said Ketchum.\nThe young indoor season finds Ketchum much improved. His 17.18 meter shot put performance from last weekend's meet in Missouri, where he finished second among collegians, ranked him eighth on the Big Ten list. \nConsistently strong early season performances are generally followed by a significant improvement the next meet, and senior teammate Mike Minton believes Ketchum's best is yet to come.\n"Ryan's been consistently throwing past 56 feet (17.10 meters)," said Minton, "That's a good indicator that with this strength training and ability to make technical improvements, he'll be ready to put it all together." \nKetchum is optimistic, but knows improvement is always necessary, and there are always challenges to overcome. \n"In an event like the shot there are always barriers to be broken before the next level. In my case it's distance," said Ketchum, who also competes in the weight throw.\n"I'm fighting to break those barriers every time I step in the ring. Everyone knows how far you're throwing, so a lot of it is mental." \nSince Ketchum arrived at IU, there has been pressure for him to throw with the Big Ten's best, a daunting task considering the tendency for new foreign talent to show up each year. He expects a lot out of himself on each throw, which can be hard to handle.\n"When things don't go well it can be tough," Ketchum said. "I've had to learn a lot, and I'm still learning how to move past bad throws and push myself to throw farther." \nAssistant coach Adam Judge said he thinks Ketchum handles pressure well.\n"The great thing about Ryan is that he doesn't let anything get to him. He gets in the ring and gives it all he's got, regardless of pressure," Judge said. "He's so strong mentally and physically that if he gets the timing right, even in the weight throw, he could be in the top five in the Big Ten."\nKetchum credits Coach Randy Heisler and the strength coaching staff with the opportunity to come to IU from Hutchinson, Kan. to throw for the Hoosiers, and the motivation to continually strive for improvement. He's excited about the outdoor season, planning to contribute to a team that could grab a top Big Ten spot. \n"As far as Big Ten's go, I should be competing for the top four spots in the shot," said Ketchum. "Indoors I'd like nothing better than to qualify for nationals, and outdoors one of my most challenging goals is to be All-American and qualify for the Olympic Trials."\n"We're coming off a high outdoor finish last year, and we can use that momentum to finish even higher both indoors and out," he said. "If everyone stays healthy and competes at a high level we can compete for a Big Ten title"
(01/30/04 5:44am)
After finishing second between Ohio State and Purdue in Columbus, Ohio, last Saturday, the men's track team is heading south to Missouri to compete against the Tigers, Nebraska and Wichita State. Each team has individual strengths the Hoosiers will have to contend with.\nMissouri, traditionally a strong team in the middle distances, provides several events IU athletes don't run very often, including a 1000-meter. The meet will also feature an 800-meter and a 600-meter. Senior Rodney Hollis took the bronze medal in the 600-meter at last year's Big Ten Indoor Championships but will compete in the 800-meter at Missouri.\n"So far, I've just been running 800's," Hollis said. "I won last weekend, but I didn't have to run very fast. After this weekend, we'll know which event I'm going to focus on. If I don't run the 600 at Big Tens, my brother Russell will take care of it."\nMissouri will also offer a pair of distance runners their first opportunity to race. Newly-minted cross- country All-American junior Chris Powers and sophomore Stephen Haas are slated to run the 3,000, while most other distance runners will get the weekend off in preparation of a fast invitational mile at the Indiana Invitational. \n"We're planning on just going out and seeing what he can do," says Haas. "It's our first race, but we've been running some phenomenal workouts, so we should be ready to run pretty fast. After the race, we'll have a better idea of what we're capable of." \nNone of the teams IU will race against are exceptionally strong in the distance events. While Powers and Haas will race for the first time, others will run atypical events. Junior Charlie Koeppen will take a crack at the mile, an event he rarely runs. \n"I haven't raced a mile since my senior year of high school," says Koeppen,. "So, since I don't have a clue what I can do, and it's more for training, I'm just going to have fun with it and see if I can get a personal best." \nBoth Missouri and Nebraska are perennial powerhouses in the throwing events, with Nebraska's Carl Myerscough the reigning NCAA indoor and outdoor shot put champion. The IU throwing corps is determined and ready for a spirited competition. Freshman IU hurdler Stephanos Ioannou, fresh off a win in Columbus, will also have his hands full with three solid Nebraska 60-meter hurdlers.\n"Missouri and Nebraska are serious powers in the throws," senior thrower Mike Minton said. "We know they're going to be tough, and we're expecting the level of competition to bring out the best in us."\nAfter the Missouri meet, IU returns home for the Indiana Invitational at the IU indoor track, located in the Gladstein Fieldhouse. \n-- Contact staff writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(01/29/04 5:19am)
Sophomore Sean Jefferson has always been fast. In middle school he fancied himself a sprinter. By his senior year of high school, he discovered there were few people he couldn't out run over longer distances. \nIn distance running, coaches say speed kills, and Sean has speed.\n"If you have natural speed, all you have to do is get basic fitness under your belt," said IU coach Robert Chapman. "Then, in races you can relax and open a big can of whoop-ass." \nSpeed is the deciding factor in indoor racing.\n"Sean has 'tactical speed' indoors, the ability to change gears and accelerate almost instantaneously," Chapman said. "With tight turns on indoor tracks, he's especially dangerous."\nBut Sean's expertise can also be his curse. \n"A lot of guys with great natural speed are chronic sit-and-kick specialists," Chapman said. "If you're not careful, it can make you a one-dimensional racer."\nJefferson resolved this weakness in cross country, rebounding from finishing in 21st at the Big Ten championships to a stellar third place at regionals. At the NCAA championships, Jefferson used the same strategy, running within himself the first 5K in 15:11. The last half he let loose his speed and ran 14:46 for one of the fastest second 5Ks in the field. Shaking his legs out of an early pace in zero temperatures, far removed from his Floridian high school climate, Jefferson passed forty runners to finish All-American in no. 19, the highest IU finish since U.S. 5K record holder Bob Kennedy won the meet in 1992. \n"Sean really matured into a national level competitor at Regionals and NCAA's," Chapman said. "It shows a lot of maturity and confidence in a runner to let the pack go in the early stages, knowing you can run them down at the end."\nSean is in some respects on unfamiliar ground, as his lifelong training partner, and his twin brother John, also an All-American, has been sidelined since summer. John aches to get back on the track in light of Sean's success.\n"It's sweet to see Sean running so well," John said. "I can't wait to get back -- we could get in great shape for the Trials. We've always worked together, so it hurts to not be able to train and race with him." \nFlying solo, Sean is set for a strong track season, the ultimate test waiting at the Olympic Trials in Sacramento in July. Yet to find his best distance, Jefferson is flexible enough to qualify for the trials in both the 1500 and 5000-meters. His maturity will be an asset in late-season meets as he will balance training and racing for seven months. He capped outdoor track last year by finishing 11th place in the 1500-meters at the USATF Championships against professionals. Sean also holds the freshman 5K record at 13:58. \nJefferson has easily won his first two indoor races, including a mile in 4:12, simple considering his personal best is 4:06. Jefferson views his best times as unremarkable and looks forward to racing in one of the nation's toughest distance conferences. \n"I'm more confident this year," he said, "I can't wait for fast races the next few weeks, like Arkansas. The entire mile field has run as fast or faster than I have."\nOutdoors, Jefferson will race sparingly, in fewer relay carnivals, concentrating on peaking at the Olympic Trials.\n"With good timing, Sean can be a major player at NCAA's indoors and still meet his goals for outdoor and the trials," Chapman said.
(01/22/04 4:47am)
The Hoosier trackmen continued early-season success in fine form Saturday. In their first full-squad effort, the men scored a convincing win as their 117.5 points beat Kent State (98.5) and Indiana State (98.5). \nSeveral athletes notched individual wins. In the sprints, sophomore David Neville, a top youngster in international ranks, took a second-straight 400m victory in 48.82, and sophomore Andre Grimes took the 200m in 22.62. Neville also anchored the Hoosiers' winning 4x400 relay. \nThe field events offered more points in the form of senior Mike Minton, who won the shot put with a heave of 16.42. Despite the win, Minton left the competition with improvements in mind.\n"It was just another warm-up meet," he said, "I'm going to keep building-up through the early meets to be ready to throw my best at the close of the year. I definitely could have thrown better today, but it's good to get a win and know you can improve."\nIn the distance events, senior Rodney Hollis bested the 800m field in 1:54. Senior Tom Burns held off Kent State steeplechase rival Peter Weisz in winning the mile in 4:22. The time tells little about the race, however, as a 2:22 first half guaranteed a sprint finish, led by Burns and senior Nathan Purcell, who finished third. \n"Coach Chapman told us not to go out faster than 2:07 for 800 or take the lead until then," said Burns, "A Kent guy led, and we took over at 800. All we had to do today was win the race."\nSophomore Sean Jefferson and Eric Redman took the top two spots in the 3,000 at 8:24 and 8:31, solid times given the fact they did an abbreviated workout for warm-up.\n"It was weird racing after a workout. My legs felt strange until about the last 400m when I started kicking," said Jefferson, "Changing gears snapped me out of it, and I felt better at a faster pace."\n"We're exerting a lot of energy and putting in a lot of work right now. We want everyone to peak at the same time for Big Tens and the NCAAs. We're six weeks away from the Big Ten meet and I saw a lot of positive things today. We had some strong performances for it being this early in the season."\nThe Hoosiers return to the track Saturday, when they are set to battle Purdue and Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. \n-- Contact staff writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(11/03/03 6:49am)
Being on his feet all day and coming to practice to run for miles used to concern senior Chad Andrews about his performance for the IU men's cross country team.\n"I'm just glad to be done with student teaching and back in the mix, racing up front," he said.\nAndrews, an education major, just completed his student teaching, which caused his schedule to be a little awkward. \nThe senior posted IU's best men's finish at the 2003 Big Ten Cross Country Championships at Michigan State University, helping propel the Hoosiers to a third place finish in the Big Ten. His time of 24:31 placed him ninth, just in front of fellow senior Chris Powers, who was two seconds back in 10th.\n"I started hurting around 4K, halfway into the race, and from there I had to will myself through it," said Powers, nursing a minor illness.\nA pair running strategy propelled the No. 19 Hoosiers into third place ahead of rival No. 7 Ohio State. IU's second pair, sophomores Eric Redman and Sean Jefferson finished 19th and 21st, respectively. Junior Tom Burns closed up the men's team score in 31st. Sophomore Charlie Koeppen followed in 32nd, sophomore Stephen Haas in 36th, senior Nathan Gooden came in 40th, and freshman Marcus Aguilar was 65th. Wisconsin sophomore Simon Bairu won the men's race in 23:58, and his team took the team victory.\nWidely predicted to finish fourth, the men were glad to get past Ohio State but said they feel they still have not put together the kind of race they are capable of.\n"The guys found the sand to get after it today," said men's coach Robert Chapman said. "Once we get a couple of them back on track, we'll be ready to roll." \nThe women's team also competed Sunday in East Lansing and finished fourth overall. Hobbled by injuries all season, they came into the race unsure of how they compared to the rest of the conference.\n"I honestly didn't think we would finish higher than fifth," coach Judy Wilson said after the race. "To finish fourth and beat Wisconsin helps us for later since they have some wins over some good teams." \nSenior Audrey Giesler led the team with a ninth place finish at 21:22, which earned her second team All-Big Ten honors. IU sophomore Kelly Siefker led the Hoosier pack in 31st, followed by junior Mindy Peterson in 35th, sophomore Larra Overton in 44th, freshman Kristin Whitezell in 48th, junior Julie Shields in 58th, junior Heidi Crowley in 67th and sophomore Allison Miller in 83rd. Given the early season losses of top runners senior Becky Obrecht and sophomores Lindsay Hattendorf and Jessica Gall, the women performed above expectation.\nBoth squads will be back in action in two weeks at the Great Lakes Regional meet in Terre Haute. The meet serves as the qualifying round to the NCAA Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the Monday before Thanksgiving.\n"We have got two more weeks before districts, a month until NCAAs, but we've still got to get there," Chapman said. "So let's do things right, recover, and get ready to roll."\nThe women will take a slightly different approach to prepare for the final races of the season.\n"We're going to get some solid work out in during the next couple of weeks for most of the girls," Wilson said. "We need to make sure and stay strong. For a couple of others, especially the younger ones, we're going just going to rest"
(10/09/03 5:26am)
This weekend a large number of former Hoosiers will be making their way back to Bloomington. \nSome come to visit their children, others hope to run into old friends, brothers, sisters and professors. They come in search of IU's 2003 Homecoming festivities, and they all have one thing in common -- they will need something to do.\nThe Student Athlete Advisory Committee is hosting a bonfire at 7 p.m. Friday in Dunn Meadow to help.\nSince last year's bonfire was ruined by inclement weather, the SAAC has taken measures to attract parade spectators.\n"We're really hoping for a big turnout this year because the weather is supposed to be marvelous, and last year we got rained out," said SAAC President and senior Mike Minton. "That literally rained on our parade, which was inconvenient." \nThis year the SAAC will have live music from Jenn Christy's Paradox and the Beatniks, which consists of IU cross country runners and seniors Chris "Long John Silver" Powers and Jeff "Yee-ha" Zeha, and a one-name prodigy dubbed simply "Randall." There will also be free cider and popcorn. \nSAAC member and senior Nathan Purcell said he is looking forward to the entertainment at the event.\n"Jenn Christy headlines Jenn Christy's 'Paradox.' She's a former IU swimming standout, so she gels nicely with the Athlete Advisory Committee hosting an event," Purcell said. He said Christy has played with local rocker John Mellencamp.\nThe Student Athletic Board coordinated the bonfire with the SAAC, and it said it believes it will become a cornerstone of Homecoming.\n"We hope the bonfire can be the sort of tradition where students, faculty, coaches, athletes and members of the Bloomington community can come together to have a good time and show school spirit," SAB special events chair and senior Alicia Webb said.\nThe groups aim to emphasize community with the bonfire, which is why the SAAC and SAB invited the Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington to attend. \n"SAAC is striving to get more involved with the Bloomington community, so we could think of no better way to do so than reaching out to the Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington," Minton said. "We'd just like to extend an open invitation to everyone, and say thanks for all of the support that IU athletics receives from members of the IU and Bloomington communities. It's going to be a good time."\n-- Contact staff writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.
(07/17/03 12:46am)
"Forty-three years -- it's a long time." \nAfter 21 years of service to IU's track and field teams and 22 more spent coaching high school track and cross country in Illinois and Indiana, men's head coach Marshall Goss has decided to retire from coaching. \n"It is with some reluctance that I am leaving the program just shy of our goal of men and women's Big Ten championships in the same year," Goss said in a press release. "However, the recent wins by the women's team and this year's third place for the men clearly indicate that the program is moving in the right direction and that our goal cannot be far away."\nIt was only a matter of fate that IU did not come away with the title at the 2003 Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships, as several key performers suffered untimely injuries. Despite the injuries, Goss said that it is simply time for something new.\n"It's time to move on, to do something different," Goss said. \nGoss will stay on as the Campus Landscape Coordinator, where he will continue to organize the various horticultural installments that bring out the beauty that attracts so many to IU's campus. \nAthletes said they will remember Goss for his kind words, honorable stature and occasional unconventional pep talks. A sudden tap on the shoulder during practice could quickly turn into a good-natured headlock and a few inspirational words. \n"Coach Goss always seemed to know which guys to pick out for a quick pick-me-up and who would have the best team spirit slogan," senior Nathan Purcell said. "This year's was 'Don't Touch It (Because It's Hot)' since our team was on a hot streak -- I'll never forget that one." \nWhile Athletic Director Terry Clapacs looks for Goss' successor, he said he realizes the spikes will be hard to fill. \n"Marshall has been a strong nationally recognized coach in track and field. We will miss him. He had a wonderful coaching career here at Indiana," Clapacs said. "There is no one better at organizing a track meet than Marshall. Of his many strengths it is work ethic that stands out the most."\nWhile Goss will be difficult to replace, he will be available for advice in his new position as assistant athletic director. He plans to continue working with the track and field programs, particularly on improvements to the facilities. \nGoss has a long history at IU, as he came to the campus in 1982 initially as an assistant track coach specializing in the pole vault and the hurdles. He took the helm as the head of the program after the retirement of legendary Hoosier coach Sam Bell five years ago, and in his final season he orchestrated IU's third place Big Ten finish, the highest since 1992's victory. \nIn Goss' specific event areas, several Hoosiers stand out as national champions, such as Dave Volz, Glenn Terry, Mark Buse and DeeDee Nathan, IU's first women's track Olympian. Goss' most recent successes include the highly successful pole vault combination of Dino Efthimiou and Ian Curry at the 2003 Big Ten Outdoor Championships and the career of senior hurdler Danielle Carruthers. \nPrior to his stint at IU, Goss had an illustrious high school coaching career at Paris High School in Illinois and also at Bloomington High School South. His honors include 1982's National High School Cross Country Coach of the Year, and he was inducted into the Indiana High School Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1994.\nAn accomplished athlete himself, Goss also had a career outside of coaching, as author of "Goss' Cross Country Trivia," a collection of historical questions about past and present Indiana cross country. He also has been editor of Hoosier Trackman, a publication devoted to Indiana high school track and field and cross country and has had several articles published in Track & Field Quarterly Review. \nIn addition to his Indiana exploits, Goss was the head track and field official at 1984's Olympics in Los Angeles, an assistant coach with the U.S. team at the first World Junior Championships in Greece in 1986 and named honorary referee at the 92nd running of the prestigious Drake Relays in 2001, at which IU was a fixture for the majority of his years with the program. \nAside from his new responsibilities as assistant athletic director and campus landscape coordinator, Goss said he simply intends to keep in touch with his former team.\n"I'm not quite sure what I'll be doing," Goss said. "But I'll certainly be staying in touch with the program"
(06/19/03 1:27am)
IU is sending a promising group of athletes to the USA Track and Field Championships June 26 in Palo Alto, Calif. Stanford University will play host to the meet, which is slated to end June 29. \nFor some IU athletes, the meet is their last competition in an Indiana uniform; for others, it is an opportunity to gather elite competitive experience to use in their continuing careers at IU. For more, the meet serves as a prep for next year's Olympic Trials. The USATF Championships serves as the Olympic Trials in Olympic years, like 2004. \nFor senior hurdler Danielle Carruthers, who was the top American in her runner-up NCAA finish last weekend, the meet is a chance to qualify for the World Championships and also to add to the experience she gained in limited international competition on the European circuit last summer. She will be looking to grab one of the top three spots next year in attempting to make the Olympic team. \nRanked eighth in a tie with former Ohio State runner Donica Merriman, Carruthers has an excellent chance at improving upon her performance at the NCAAs, where she finished with a 12.89. \n"I'd like to go 12.7 next week," Carruthers said after the NCAA meet. "And with the competition that will be there, I'll need to go that fast." \nShe will face stiff adversity in the likes of such stars as two-time 100-meter Olympic Gold Medal winner (1992, 1996) Gail Devers and Miesha McKelvy, the current U.S. leader. \nSenior sprinter Rachelle Boone has the option of either or both of two events. She can compete in the 100-meter event, where her NCAA Regional time of 11.22 has her ranked 11th. The current U.S. leader is Kelli White with a time of 10.96. \nHigh school phenom Allyson Felix leads the nation (22.11) in Boone's other option, the 200-meter, where she is ranked ninth nationally with a time of 22.87 from Big Tens.\nThe distance group is sending five athletes to Palo Alto. Freshmen Jessica Gall (5,000-meter) and Kelly Siefker (3,000-meter steeplechase) will make the trip to run in the USATF Junior Championships. To compete in the Junior sections, an athlete must not be older than 19 in December. \nOn the men's side, Tom Burns will compete in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Among the athletes to watch in the steeple is IU school-record holder Tom Chorny, who graduated in 1999 and won this meet in 2001. Burns and the other men's distance qualifiers, twins Sean and John Jefferson, opted to avoid stressful travel and stayed out West this past week, spending time in Lake Tahoe, prepping their legs with easy runs and fast strides. They explained that before the final meet of the year, rest is the biggest factor. \n"We've been tapering down for the meet," Burns said, "We did a 400-meter repeat session the other day, and that's all we'll do, besides a few strides before the meet."\nSophomore All-American John Jefferson is ranked ninth in the 1,500-meter and looks to improve on his disappointing finish at NCAAs. He is one of the men's brightest hopes for a top finish. With only three seconds separating him and national leader Jason Lunn, John has the potential to hunt for a top spot. His twin brother Sean, a freshman -- due to redshirting last year's outdoor season -- recently learned that he had qualified in the 5,000 meters on the strength of his 13:58 at Mt. SAC in April. With sizzling finishing kicks in their repertoire, the twins have the tools to wreak havoc. \nIU also has several athletes in the field events. Senior All-American and Big Ten Champion hammer thrower Adam Judge is ranked 14th with his Big Ten record throw of 68.09 meters and will aim for 70 meters, which could place him in the top five. \nThe IU athlete with perhaps the best chance of advancing to the IAAF World Championships in Paris is 2003 NCAA Champion spearchucker Irina Kharun. Her winning 202-foot hurl vaulted her to fifth in the world. In attempting to qualify for Worlds through her native Ukraine, she will also look to add to the legacy of her father, one of the most celebrated javelin throwers in Soviet history. \nThe IU jumping corps also is scheduled to send two athletes on the men's and women's sides. Senior Rose Richmond, the 2002 NCAA runner-up in the long jump, is tied for sixth nationally and will be searching for redemption after her frustrating finish at NCAAs. \nSophomore All-American triple jumper Aarik Wilson seeks better fortune after the NCAA meet, where he twice jumped far enough to make the final, only to have the jumps called back after taking off just past the allowable board. He holds the fifth best jump in the nation in his indoor 16.99 meters and will aim to improve on his seeding despite a stress fracture in his foot. Senior Hasaan Reddick will join Wilson in Palo Alto and attempt to improve upon his seasonal best, a wind-aided 15.79 meters. \nIf any of these athletes finish in the top three in their event, they will earn a trip to the IAAF World Championships in Paris at the end of August.
(06/16/03 1:19am)
Senior Irina Kharun lived up to her top-seed billing Friday at the NCAA Championships in Sacramento, Calif., by dominating the javelin event and setting an American collegiate record. Kharun said she remembered her father's advice and dedicated her final throw to Coach Randy Heisler.\n"My dad has always told me that the last throw of a competition is for the coach," Kharun said in a press release. "You should give it your best on your last throw to show your coach how much you respect them." \nApparently Kharun met her goal of showing respect, as her coach said he was very impressed with her throws. Kharun's first throw came in at 197-feet-6-inches, her second throw weighed in at 179-feet-2-inches, her third throw came in at 193-feet-9-inches, and her record-breaking final throw reached 202-feet-10-inches.\n"I was really relaxed after her first throw. She was just so focused," Heisler said. "The 202 feet? That's ridiculous. I mean, she is throwing 60 feet farther than when she came here as a freshman. And she was pretty good then." \nHer record-breaking throw also moved her into No. 5 in the world this year, not to mention No. 1 in the U.S. This will bode well for her come next weekend, where she will compete at the USA Track and Field Championships. If she finishes in the top three, she will earn a place at the IAAF World Championships in Paris. She also became only the second women's track and field athlete to win a national title. Current IU strength and conditioning coach Katrin Koch won the shot put in 1992. \nKharun carried a sizable lead throughout Friday's competition. Any of her four legal throws would have won the event handily; her top mark of 202-10 broke the American collegiate record and solidified her dominance. The throw landed more than 30 feet farther than the runner-up's best effort. \nKharun was not the only Hoosier thrower to earn All-America status. IU hammer thrower Adam Judge also earned the honor by finishing 11th with a toss of 205-feet-8 1/2-inches. To be an All-American, an athlete must finish among the top eight Americans in his or her event. With several foreigners ahead of him, Judge easily earned that distinction. \nThe IU women's sprinting corps also produced excellent results. Against a headwind, senior All-American Rachelle Boone grabbed fourth in the 100 meters in a time of 11.36 seconds. Later in the meet, she posted a fourth-place finish in the 200. She joined with sophomore Ara Towns, junior Rose Richmond and fellow senior Danielle Carruthers to take fifth in the 4x100-meter relay in a time of 43.53, good for a new IU record. Their performance marked only the second time in history that IU has won All-America honors in the same event for four straight years. \nCarruthers had some individual honors of her own, earning her ninth All-America award with her second-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles in 12.89. Her place equaled her highest finish at an outdoor NCAA Championships; she also finished second as a junior in 2001. Her efforts, combined with those of Boone, Towns, Richmond and Kharun placed IU sixth in the meet, quite a feat considering IU brought only seven athletes to the event and scored only five. \nUnfortunately, the women's strong performance did not rub off on the men. Other than Judge in the hammer throw, no IU athletes reached their event finals. A painful stress fracture in his foot prevented sophomore Aarik Wilson from achieving a second-straight All-America finish in the triple jump. \nThe men did, however, have a bit of silver lining inside the gloom. Junior steeplechaser Tom Burns learned that he had earned a spot in the USA Track and Field Championships next weekend at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif. \nBurns will join Carruthers, Boone, Richmond, Kharun, junior Audrey Geisler, Wilson, Judge, sophomore John Jefferson and two triple jumpers, senior Hasaan Reddick and junior Lauren Chestnut next weekend. If any of them finish in the top three in their event, they will earn a trip to the IAAF World Championships in Paris.
(06/12/03 1:20am)
IU's anthropology department suffered a tragic loss Monday. James H. Kellar, director emeritus of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, died at home. \nKellar was a long-standing member of the anthropology department since beginning his career in 1960 until his retirement in 1986.\nKellar was the first full-time IU archaeology professor. He is credited with building the program and was responsible for the conception and fulfillment of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, located on Indiana Avenue near 10th Street. \n"Professor Kellar and Glenn Black, along with Eli Lilly, are the makers of modern understanding of prehistory and historical archaeology in Indiana. He was a lovely, kind man and a fine scholar," said Christopher Peebles, the current director of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory and close friend of Kellar. He is also responsible for the conservation by his own efforts of the Great Lakes Ohio Valley Ethnohistory Archive, according to Peebles. \nKellar's wife, Patricia, remembers her husband living an active recreational life, enjoying canoe trips, opera, theater, travel and, among other sporting loves, the Chicago Cubs. He and his wife, upon the retirement of both, embarked on a canoeing trip in Canada that lasted 37 days and traversed 250 miles of paddling with just two small packs. After this trip, the pair fell in love with the outdoors. IUTV still occasionally runs the resulting video the two created, "Canoeing the Quetico." \nAnother of Kellar's loves was cooking. \n"Jim was a gourmet cook," Patricia Kellar said. "He liked nothing better than to have family or invite friends and cook a wonderful meal. He never wanted anyone to leave the table; he always wanted to stay and socialize." \nHe also followed a robust travel schedule that took him all over Europe, particularly Spain, Greece and Italy. "In Italy, we used to rent a villa and take a car and explore the countryside. Jim fell in love with Italy during the war," Patricia Kellar said. \nKellar occasionally performed in operas, an interest drawn from a love of opera and theater, something he and his wife shared. \nHe graduated from Indiana's Plymouth High School and went to Ball State University. His studies were interrupted by a three-and-a-half year stint in the Mediterranean Theater during World War II, where he served on Landing Ship Tank, often in combat zones. He later researched the history of an Evansville shipyard that built 167 LSTs; this work resulted in a publication about the shipyard. \nAfter the war, Kellar moved to Bloomington, where he enrolled in IU, earning his undergraduate degree in anthropology. He split his graduate studies between Berkeley and IU, from where he received an M.A. degree and also a Ph.D. \nKeller held several positions around the country at archaeological projects and museums before joining the sociology and anthropology department at the University of Georgia in 1957. In 1960, he returned to Bloomington and joined the anthropology department. \nKellar also participated in excavating a network of caves in Greece, and acted as a consultant to the architect of the Angel Mounds State Memorial Interpretive Center in southern Indiana. One of Kellar's proudest accomplishments, according to a statement released by his son, James J. Kellar, was "saving the lovely Circle Theater in Indianapolis" while serving for nine years on the Indiana Professional Consulting Committee to the National Register of Historic Places. \nKellar was often the recipient of awards from various state and national organizations, including Sagamore of the Wabash, Lilly Endowment, Foreign Study, and Distinguished Service Award from the Indiana State Museum. He had innumerable professional affiliations, including fellowships with multiple archeological, anthropological and science societies. He also consulted for many state and federal organizations. \nAt the time of his death, Kellar was engaged in a project to catalog a photo collection of Indian pots from the Bone Bank site on the Wabash River. He had indexed the pots and written background information on the region, work that still may be finished by his younger son, James, and Cheryl Munson, an archaeologist with the department of anthropology at IU.
(06/05/03 1:20am)
Prior to leaving for the NCAA Regional meet at Ohio State University last weekend, few gave juniors Pat Miller and Tom Burns more than an outside shot at qualifying for the NCAA Championships in Sacramento. Good thing predictions are useless. Instead, both ended up with bids to the final collegiate meet, where they will vie for All-America status. \nMiller, a Bloomington native, entered the meet seeded No. 10 after a second runner-up finish at the Big Ten Championships. Hoping for good weather, Miller awoke Saturday to relentless wind and foreboding skies, both of which persisted throughout the competition. Rain caused a half-hour delay and left a lackluster crowd. After barely qualifying for the finals, Miller sat in the worst spot, sixth place, as the top five finishers received automatic berths to the championships. Earlier, Miller had pointed out the sixth platform on the awards podium and he said it was humiliating. \nWith the howling wind pushing spectators to shelter, Miller dodged irony by uncorking a 224-foot-4-inch throw that vaulted him out of danger into second place. The throw was his best during the 2003 campaign by 10 feet and shattered his old personal record by more than two feet. \nMiller later said that the wind was not a factor in his mind during his best throw of his collegiate career. \n"I don't even remember it," Miller said. "It wasn't against me, and that's all that mattered." \nBurns, another Indiana native, also endured the horrific weather to fight for a berth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. After posting a 10-second personal best of 8:50 in a close second at Penn Relays, Burns turned his focus to the Big Ten, where he finished sixth for the second time. Disappointed and exhausted after the race, he took drastic action and quit his job as a painter in favor of rest before the regional. \nDuring the regional, Burns was given two days to strategize his run as the steeplechase was the last individual event of the meet. Burns said he planned to run an even first 2,000 meters, and kick all-out to the finish. The high-quality field prompted coach Robert Chapman to advise avoiding getting overextended in an overly ambitious early pace. \nThe race went exactly as expected, and when he neared the 2,000-meter mark, Burns found himself in eighth place. With one lap remaining, he could see the top two finishers from the Big Ten. He passed the runner-up, sprinting between barriers to close the gap. In his charge for the finish he picked off several more runners and finished only one shy of an automatic berth. Burns had the dreaded sixth place finish, and was left to wait and see if he would receive an at-large bid, given to athletes in tough regions based on their seasonal best.\nBurns didn't have to wait long. During the drive home, he got a call and found out that he had received an at-large bid. Chapman said he is optimistic about his chances. \n"I think it would be a tremendous achievement to make the NCAA final steeple in his first trip to the meet," Chapman said. "If Tom runs as he can, he'll be an All-American." \nBurns is also excited about his chances in the upcoming meet. \n"If I make the final, my time should be close to good enough to hit the USATF qualifier," Burns said. "Both of which have been career goals of mine."\nMiller and Burns were both surprises the last time they competed but they said to not count them out on the NCAA's biggest stage, the NCAA Championships, which is scheduled June 11-14 in Sacramento, Calif.