ONLINE ONLY:Hoosiers finish 6th, 8th in Big Ten Championships

Despite gathering five Big Ten champions, neither the men nor the women squads of IU track and field could bolster a top five finish at the outdoor Big Ten championships.\nThe women’s team was close, and an observer of the team noted they definitely are improving.\nFreshman Vera Neuenswander’s second place finish at the indoor Big Ten championships, where she battled sophomore Mallory Peck of Purdue for the highest step of the podium, was a surprise to everyone but Neuenswander and her coaches. This time around, however, everyone knew Neuenswander was going to put on a show.\nThe number one-ranking freshman in the nation, seventh overall, battled Minnesota’s standout freshman Alicia Rue. The two hit marks of 3.80 meters and 4.05 meters. Setting the height to 4.10 meters ­– two-hundredths of a meter shy of Neuenswander’s personal best of 4.12 meters, a school and Big Ten record – the pair missed their first two attempts. Rue was unable to clear the mark on her third attempt as Neuenswander did, earning the women Hoosiers its first Big Ten champion in the Pole Vault.\n“Coach (Jake) Wiseman and coach (Dave) Volz have to be the best pole vault coaching duo in the nation,” women’s interim head coach Judy Wilson said.\nIt is hard to argue with Wilson when sophomore Blayne Burkholder of IU was also crowned Big Ten champion in the pole vault. The competition was sent into a jump-off with Purdue senior John Porter. Burkholder cleared a mark of 5.15 meters in his last attempt as Porter failed to clear the bar, giving Burkholder the title.\nBurkholder’s classmate Jeff Coover finished in third. Both improved their regional qualifying marks to 5.15 meters.\nThe Hoosiers had a pair of Big Ten champions in another event. Seniors Kiwan Lawson and Lorian Price both climbed to the top of the podium to earn Big Ten long jump champion titles. \nLawson cleared 7.79 meters en route to a new personal best, his second Big Ten championship in the long jump this season and third Big Ten championship overall, as he also won the 200-meter dash championship at indoors.\nPrice won the competition, clearing 6.46 meters on her first attempt. The distance was a new personal best for Price, who currently ranks eighth in the nation and comes in at third all-time at IU.\n“Kiwan really competed well,” men’s interim head coach Wayne Pate said in a statement Saturday. “I was really happy and am very excited for him. ... Lorian went out on all cylinders. ... I knew that she was capable of going out and performing at that level.”\nSenior Jessica Gall finished her tremendous track and cross country careers by making a move from third with a lap and a half left in the 10,000 meter run to earn IU another Big Ten title. She finished the race with a time of 34.27.07.\n“An old coach used to say that championships call for championship performances, and we had those,” Wilson said. “That was exactly what Neuenswander, Price and Gall did. And then there are a lot of people in the supporting cast who did a great job. You have to be a good teammate.”\nThe men finished in eighth place, down from fifth place at the indoor Big Tens.\n“We had a bad day (Sunday) when we needed a good one to finish in third,” Pate said. “Our 4x1- disqualified in the first event of the day and that really knocked the wind out of are sails. The kids tried hard, but the chips didn’t fall into place.”\nAll was not totally lost for either squad this weekend, however. Both teams gathered even more regional qualifiers, bringing the total up to 15 athletes in 17 events and an additional three relay squads. The Hoosiers will participate in the Mideast regional meet in Columbia, Mo., on May 25-26, where they will be vying for spots in the NCAA national meet.\n“We had a lot of young kids come and do some things,” Pate said. “The future looks bright and I am excited to have them come through and move up the ranks.”