IU hosts Big Ten Championship

The IU men's and women's track teams are hosting the Big Ten Outdoor Track Championships this weekend at the Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex behind Bill Armstong Stadium for the first time since 1997.\nThe Championships start at 1 p.m. Friday, with the decathlon, and ends concludes at 3:45 p.m. Sunday with the men's 4X400-meter relay. \nIndiana held the Billy Hayes Invitational last weekend where the Hoosiers picked up a combined 10 individual wins between the two track teams, with the women capturing eight events and the men picking up two. The last conference match-up for the teams was at Purdue where the men fell 105-101 and the women were victorious 101-97.\nThe women's team is the defending outdoor conference champions, beating Minnesota 135-118 in last year's championships. The win was the first outdoor championship in the team's history. Wisconsin is the returning champion for the men. \nThe Indiana men's team is third in the conference with 12 team titles and the women's team is tied for fifth with one. The women's team also holds four women's conference records in the 4x400m relay, shot put, discus and javelin. The men also hold four conference championship records in the 1,500m, 4x400m relay, 400m hurdles, and triple jump.\nComing off a win in the 100m hurdles last weekend, red-shirt sophomore Danielle Carruthers said she is looking for another successful performance from herself and her teammates.\n"I think the team's chances are pretty strong this weekend," Carruthers said. "Everybody is looking to win."\nJumps coach Wayne Pate said the team has been "tapering off" in its preparation going into this weekend's championship.\n"We're just trying to keep our legs fresh," Pate said. "We back off so we can get some life back into our legs. We want to take full advantage of our natural abilities."\nPate also said every team in the Big Ten is going to be at an advantage this weekend compared to other tournaments, simply because the competition is full of familiar faces.\n"You go to these big matches and it's a bunch of bodies," Pate said. "(In the Big Ten's) you know a little about everybody, and you know how to respond (to their performances)."\nSophomore Hasaan Reddick will be competing in the jumps for Pate and the Hoosiers this weekend. After a battle with mononucleosis during the indoor season, Reddick is ready to compete against conference foes. \n"This is not business as usual," Reddick said. "This is the meet (the team) has been waiting for all season. I saw the list (of competitors) today, and even though it's not the final list, I'm really optimistic. In all honesty the entire team is optimistic. There are a lot of people who are in good positions (to win). Even if they didn't move up in their pre-tournament rankings, we would still score a lot of points. This is the time to get on your toes."\nUnlike Reddick, senior Aaron Gillen said he isn't too worked up about this weekend and doesn't have any worries about his team's chances in the championships.\n"Every meet is the same for me when it comes to preparing," Gillen said. "To win it, you just have to go out there and not think about what's going on. I don't see where it's any different from any other meet."\nCarruthers also said the homefield advantage in the championships will help the Hoosiers chances.\n"It's a lot calmer (at home)," Carruthers said. "You get to sleep in your own bed and eat your own food. It's more like a home situation. We know our track."\nGillen agreed and expressed confidence in his and the Hoosiers' chances.\n"I belong up there on the pedestal; it's normal for us," Gillen said. "I'm looking forward to going out there, have a great race and beating the other guys"