IU starts season off strong with win in first meet

Most times when a runner competing in her first meet of the season comes close to her personal record, she is satisfied. Most times when a runner laps another runner on her way to victory, she is satisfied that much more. \nThe Indiana Open on Saturday was not one of those times, and IU junior Wendi Robinson was not satisfied.\n“I’m happy, but not satisfied,” said Robinson, who finished first in the mile and lapped the field. “I would have liked to have run faster.”\nRobinson was one of several Hoosiers who won events at the Harry Gladstein Fieldhouse in Bloomington to start the men’s and women’s track and field indoor season.\nIU coach Ron Helmer also said he was not satisfied with the meet, but had an overall positive impression.\n“I like the way we competed,” Helmer said. “We were a little flat, but we are still working and training very hard.”\nThe men had four individual winners in the meet. Sophomore Jared Nuxoll won the high jump with a personal record jump of 2.10 meters. Joining him were senior Kyle Jenkins in the triple jump, senior Kiwan Lawson competing unattached in the long jump and sophomore Chris Sackman in the 60-meter hurdles. \nSackman set a personal record with a time of 8.10 seconds. He was impressed by the fact that he ran faster in this meet than he did at the Indoor Big Ten Championships last season.\n“It was pretty amazing for this time of year,” he said.\nHe also pointed out that the adjustments this year with the new coaching staff have been hard, but he said the team is working hard and getting better, bigger and stronger.\nThe IU men’s team had eight additional athletes or relays that placed in the top three in their respective events. They were freshman Cole Hardacre and junior Darryl Stevenson in the mile, junior Will Glover in the 60-meter dash, junior Martin Stephen in the 600-meter run, senior Keith Heerdegen and freshman Devin Pipkin in the 200-meter dash, the Hoosiers 4x400-meter relay and sophomore Patrick Dalton in the shot put. \nOn the women’s side, the team was even more successful with the women having more individual and team wins than the men. \nThe women had five individuals finish second to none in the meet. In addition to Robinson’s victory in the mile, junior Caitlin Lauer in the 600-meter run, seniors Lauren Keefe and Stacey Clausing both running unattached in the 800-meter run and 200-meter dash, respectively, and senior Molly Beckwith in the 400-meter dash all won their events. Beckwith set a personal record in the 400-meter dash and also anchored the women’s 4x400-meter relay team to a first-place finish.\nBeckwith said she was glad she set a personal record, even though she admitted there wasn’t a lot of competition at the meet. She said she is eagerly anticipating the Big Ten-SEC Challenge meet on Saturday where there will be plenty of talented athletes. \n“The faster they go, the faster I go,” she said.\nBeckwith was joined on the winning 4x400-meter relay team by freshman Lindsey Hartman, junior Britney Freiberger and Lauer. The Hoosiers had four other women finish in the top three in their races. These athletes were freshman Stephanie Chin in the pole vault, sophomore Sarah Pease in the mile, junior Audrey Smoot in the 600-meter run and senior Maura Ratcliff in the 3000-meter run.\nHelmer said he was happy with the meet but ready to get to work in preparation for what is to come. \n“We have lots of work to do, but we have the direction we want to go,” he said.