IU team splits up before tourney

One Hoosier athlete will wake up Friday in her own bed in Bloomington. Another will wake up nearly 600 miles away in Fayetteville, Ark. Both, however, will have the same goal: to compete to the best of their abilities.\n“I want to leave knowing I did the best I could,” IU senior Kyle Jenkins said. \nJenkins, a 2007 All-American and Big Ten Indoor champion in the triple jump, is among 20 athletes on the IU track and field team who left Thursday to travel to Arkansas to compete in the Tyson Invitational this weekend. The remaining Hoosiers will stay home to compete in the Hoosier Hills Invitational Friday at the Harry Gladstein Fieldhouse.\nThe bigger of the two meets, the Tyson Invitational, will host 88 teams, including 15 men’s and women’s teams ranked in the top 25 by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. On the men’s side, three of the top five teams in the nation will be represented. On the women’s side, four of the top five teams will compete. \nBack in Bloomington, IU senior sprinter Kyndal Carr will look to improve on her times this weekend, competing in both the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes.\n“I have goals in my head,” she said. “I want to get times set for myself.” \nEven though the Hoosier Hills Invitational will be much smaller, with about 350 entries expected, IU coach Ron Helmer believes his athletes will remain focused.\n“I think some kids will run really well here,” he said. \nHelmer thinks the atmosphere at the Tyson Invitational will allow for his athletes to have the chance to race in an intense environment. “It will be an incredible opportunity,” he said. “We will see how they handle it.”\nIn addition to the large number of athletes that will be present, race organizers hope to break the attendance record at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, according to the event Web site. \nSpectators will have the opportunity to watch some of the best collegiate runners, as well as professional runners. In fact, some competitors could potentially be a part of the U.S. track and field team that will compete in the Beijing Olympics this summer.\nIU alumnus Stephen Haas, who runs professionally for New Balance, will compete Friday alongside a talented field in the 5,000-meter run.\nThe 5,000, along with several other events on Friday, will be taped and aired on ESPN Sunday from 5 to 7 p.m. \nEvents at the Gladstein Fieldhouse will begin today at 3 p.m. with the 60-meter hurdles. \nAlthough this season has sometimes been a struggle for Helmer, he said he feels like the Hoosiers are getting better and is excited to see what happens next. \n“We are on the verge of getting it to all come together,” he said.