Both men’s and women’s cross country teams finished first against Miami University in their first meet of the season.
The Hoosiers swept the RedHawks in the men’s 8k. Senior Jason Crist and sophomore Bryce Millar finished first and second, followed by senior Mark Chandler, junior Jeremy Coughler, senior Matthew Schwartzer and sophomore Kyle Burks. In eighth place was sophomore Jackson Bertoli, and finishing two places behind him was sophomore Joe Murphy.
Sophomore Brenna Calder finished first overall in the women’s 5k of the Indiana University Open and led the team to a first-place finish, with sophomores Margaret Allen and Haley Harris placing fourth and fifth. Junior Corinne Cominator rounded out the top 10.
IU Coach Ron Helmer decided to run all freshmen unattached Saturday morning. As this race was more of a tune up for the season, he said he wanted to see the freshmen perform and how well he could keep them under control.
“I think it’s a good confidence boost for (the men’s team), and we want them under control,” Helmer said. “If we keep them under control, then we can have a better recovery for next week’s training, and at this time of the year, that’s what is most important.”
Both teams are young, and Helmer said he wants to see them grow as runners and watch them improve as the season goes along.
“I love watching teams develop,” he said. “On the guys’ side, it’s a nice mix of older and mature guys and younger talented runners too. On the women’s side, it’s almost all freshmen and sophomores. If we can coach and have the team come together to develop chemistry and trust in one another, then that’s what I’m really looking forward to.”
One experienced runner will be absent for the start of the 2016 season. Senior Amanda Behnke is coming back from injury, and Helmer says he is excited for her return.
“We’ve got to get Amanda back. She’s training again, and I’m pretty confident that she can be in our top five,” Helmer said. “If she can come back and be a stabilizing force with a bunch of young girls, then that will be huge for us.”
Finishing first in the Indiana Open two years ago and a second-team All Big Ten Performer last season, Behnke is a veteran on the team who will only help the team improve. Helman says he is confident that both teams can reach the National Championships this year and has a lot to look forward to in the coming years.
The Hoosiers’ next race will be the Indiana Intercollegiate Meet on Sept. 16 in Bloomington.
