Hoosiers open outdoor season

Some athletes throw spear-like objects, some throw weighted balls attached to long wires and others hurdle a pit of water more than two feet deep.\nWhile one can trace many of these events’ origins back to Britain and Greece in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, they are still part of competitive track and field today. They are the javelin, the hammer throw and the steeplechase.\nThe IU men’s and women’s track and field teams will participate in those events and more as they open up their outdoor season this weekend with the Alabama Relays in Tuscaloosa. \nJunior Courtney Freiberger has not competed since she finished eighth last year in the heptathlon at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships due to an Achilles injury. \nFreiberger will compete this season in the javelin, an event using a spear-like staff made of metal or fiberglass in which the athletes compete to see who can throw it the farthest. The Floyd Knobs, Ind., native said the event is one of her favorites.\n“It’s my fun event,” Freiberger said. “Even though I take it seriously, it is still a lot of fun.”\nAnother athlete who gets to launch objects through the air is sophomore Faith Sherrill. One of the events in which she competes is the hammer throw, in which she throws a nine-pound ball attached to a wire measuring almost four feet. Her career best in the hammer is 48.07 meters, set at the Billy Hayes Invite last year.\nAlthough the techniques used in the hammer are similar to the weight throw, Sherrill enjoys the hammer more because of the differences in the event and the shape of the object she throws. \nThe start of outdoor season brings changes to other events as well. Most of these changes are based on the facilities, in that most outdoor tracks are 400 meters, or about a quarter-mile, as opposed to the 200 meters of a normal indoor track. \nInstead of the 60-meter dash indoors, the 100-meter dash is run outdoors. Instead of the 60-meter hurdles, the 110- and 400-meter hurdles are run. In distance events, the 1500-meter run is in the place of the mile, which is 1609 meters, and the 10,000-meter race is also run.\nIU coach Ron Helmer said the changes from the indoor season to the outdoor season present another step for the Hoosiers, not a different progression.\n“It’s going to be one continuous challenge,” he said. “We will keep on working and getting better.” \nThe outdoor season will see some changes in the lineup of athletes, too. While junior Wendi Robinson will redshirt and not compete for the Hoosiers, the team will bring back three strong athletes that did not compete in the indoor season. \nSenior jumper and sprinter Kiwan Lawson will return to try to defend his Big Ten Championship in the long jump. He will be joined by fellow senior Courtney Johnson and graduate student Abbie Stechschulte. \nThe team will travel south this weekend where temperatures are expected to reach the 70s. \n“I hope the warm will help us do better,” Sherrill said. \nFreiberger was also excited about the possibility of warmer weather. \n“I hope I can get a tan,” \nshe said.