IU junior upsets field during Big Tens

A No. 16 seed has never beaten a No. 1 seed during March Madness. A runner seeded last going into the finals of a 600-meter run also had never beaten a No. 1 seed, especially when the No. 1 runner happens to be a former NCAA champion and five-time All-American.\nThree days ago, that changed. \nThat accomplishment belongs to IU junior sprinter Audrey Smoot, who won the 600-meter run at the women’s indoor Big Ten Championships in Minnesota during the weekend. \nWhile a ninth-place finish somewhat disappointed the Hoosiers, Smoot was excited to score points for the first time in a Big Ten meet.\n“It has not even set in yet,” she said. “It all happened really fast, but it’s great.” \nAlthough Smoot won the race, the circumstances surrounding the finish were unexpected. \nThe 600-meter trials were on Saturday, with the top five heat winners and the next four fastest times advancing to the finals the following day. Smoot won her heat in a time of 1:33.95, but was seeded last going into the final. Heather Dorniden, a Minnesota sophomore and former NCAA champion in the 800-meter run had the No. 1 seed with a time of 1:29.65 in the trials.\nSmoot won the first heat of the finals with a time of 1:31.59, good for a career-best and second all-time for IU in the event. She then stood by her parents to watch the second heat, thinking she could at least finish fifth overall. \nOn the last lap of the race with Dorniden leading, the Golden Gopher tripped and fell. After laying on the track for roughly three seconds, she picked herself up and made up a 20-meter deficit, winning her heat with a time of 1:31.72. \nSmoot, shocked at what happened in the race, looked up at the scoreboard and knew what Dorniden’s time meant. \n“Mom, I won,” she said, turning to her parents. “Mom, I think I won.” \nThe home crowd, however, did not know Smoot had won and erupted in applause thinking their runner had won. Dorniden was mobbed by cameras and reporters and thought she had indeed won the race. Even at the award stand she stood in the winner’s spot, \ncreating an awkward moment for Smoot who had to tell her she had gotten second in the race.\nIU assistant coach Rebecca Walter, while surprised at what had happened, was still very proud of what Smoot accomplished. \n“She went in there with the right attitude and displayed all the hard work she has done,” Walter said. \nSmoot wasn’t the only athlete to score points for the women’s team, as fellow juniors Molly Beckwith and Wendi Robinson finished fifth in their races — Beckwith in the 600-meter run and Robinson in the 5000-meter run. \nThe men’s team competed in a separate meet for the Big Ten Championship in Wisconsin and finished ninth. \nIU senior Kyle Jenkins finished second in the long jump with a mark of 15.66 meters, jumping just .20 meter short of his career best.\nFreshman De’Sean Turner ran to a third-place finish in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:53.35, while fellow freshman Andy Weatherford finished eighth in the mile run in 4:11.97. \nAlthough IU coach Ron Helmer said a lack of depth hurt both teams, he was still pleased with of some of what he saw this weekend. \n“For the most part I was really encouraged by the efforts and attitudes of a large number of people,” he said.