Around The Game

The IU men's tennis team traveled to Louisville in hopes of extending their winning streak to four matches but came up short against the Louisville Cardinals, 4-3. The loss dropped their record to 3-2 in the season.\nThe match got off to a rocky start for the Hoosiers, as they were swept in all of their doubles matches, which gave the Cardinals a 1-0 advantage to start the day. Things got better for the Hoosiers, as they were able to get back to winning by taking three singles matches. Unfortunately for the Hoosiers, the Cardinals were able to split the singles matches, which allowed them to prevail by the final score of 4-3.\nThe IU women's track and field team traveled to Fayetteville, Ark., to compete in the Tyson Foods Invitational, which took place Friday and Saturday. \nPrior to leaving for the meet, IU coach Randy Heisler said one of the main goals for competing in the Tyson Invitational was to produce some fast times on the banked track. This goal proved beneficial for the IU women distance runners, as two athletes set personal records in their respective events.\nIU senior Audrey Giesler not only ran the Big Ten's second-fastest time this season in the 3,000-meter run and finished second with a time of 9:34.70 minutes but also cut her PR time by 18 seconds. Giesler's previous PR was 9:52.87 minutes, set at the Tiger Invitational at the University of Missouri on Jan. 30.\nIU sophomore distance runner Kelly Siefker broke five minutes in the mile run with a seventh place finish and a time of 4:57.94. Siefker's previous PR in the mile was set last weekend in the Indiana Invitational when she ran 5:02.48.\nHigh hopes paid off as IU's distance medley relay posted an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Track and Field Championships and held off perennial powerhouse and hometown favorite Arkansas this weekend at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark.\nSophomore Eric Redman led off the relay with a 1,200-meter leg in 2:56. He handed off to sophomore David Neville, who blazed a 46-second 400-meter leg. From there, the baton passed to senior Rodney Hollis, who split the fastest 800-meters of his life in 1:47, putting IU in the lead ahead of home team Arkansas. Hollis handed IU's fate to sophomore All-American Sean Jefferson. Jefferson dueled with Arkansas miler Mike Taylor for 1,400 meters before finally overpowering him, silencing the home crowd in the last lap. Jefferson's 1,600-meter leg clocked 4:00, setting a 10-second school record in 9:31, a scant three seconds off the NCAA record, and capping a relay that currently ranks third in the country.\nNeville pulled triple duty as he also broke the provisional standard in the 200-meters, clocking 21.26, placing him ninth among collegians and won his heat of the 400-meters in 47.35. \nSunday, the IU women's tennis team went toe-to-toe with the No. 10 team in the land but came up short on their home courts, losing 6-1 to the visiting Blue Devils of Duke.\nJunior Dora Vastag and freshman Laura McGaffigan dropped the first doubles match of the day 8-6 before IU responded, winning the other two doubles contests in dramatic fashion. Senior duo Linda Tran and Karie Schlukebir downed the Duke team of Johnson and Smith 9-7, while fellow senior Martina Grimm and sophomore Sarah Batty won 9-8 (2). Grimm and Batty began the match up 7-2. After losing five straight games, the tandom rallied to secure the point.\nIU was swept in singles play but did not go down without a fight. Vastag, Tran, Batty and Schlukebir forced a loaded Duke lineup into three sets, with opportunities to win their respective matches.