5 Hoosiers win Big Ten individual titles

The Hoosiers bettered their 2009 Big Ten Championship result in just one day, winning three events Saturday and two events Sunday.

In 2009, both the men’s and women’s teams won only one individual title apiece and finished sixth and fourth, respectively, in the team standings.

The women did not improve their team finish from 2009, finishing in fourth place again, but the men’s team moved up one spot to fifth. Minnesota won the men’s overall team championship, while Penn State won the women’s overall. But the Hoosiers, still a fairly youthful team, are not disappointed by their finish.

“I’m thinking a top-five would be good,” sophomore high jumper Derek Drouin said on Saturday. “I think we would be happy with that.”

On Saturday, the Hoosiers battled through a torrential downpour and even an event stoppage for at least 30 minutes because of the weather. However, the weather
did not stop two Indiana athletes, Drouin and senior Faith Sherrill, from winning individual field events.

Drouin’s accomplishment is even more impressive considering he had issues with weather interference in prior events.

“I’ve had some bad luck in the rain before,” Drouin said. “Last year at nationals, it was raining and I just couldn’t handle it. I was worried I was slipping. But today I just tried not to worry about it, and it worked out really well, and I didn’t slip at all.”

Drouin’s win marks his third consecutive Big Ten title in the high jump, including this year’s indoor title and the 2009 outdoor title. But this year was different, as Drouin did more than just win — he dominated.

Drouin jumped 3.5 inches higher than the second-place finisher and was the only athlete to clear seven feet. It is his goal to continue having success into nationals.
 
“I want to try to win again, and I think that today I showed myself I can jump in the rain,” Drouin said. “At nationals, whatever the weather conditions, I think I’ll set myself up to do pretty well.”

Thrower Faith Sherrill did more than succeed Saturday, as she recorded a personal best. In the shot put, her distance of 17.03 meters was 10.25 inches better than the defending champion and former record-holder, Illinois’ Aja Evans. All of this was accomplished despite an inhuman foe: the weather. 

“Makes you have to get more mentally together,” Sherrill said. “Instead of thinking about the rain and how much worse it could be, you have to think positive and that whole situation. So it’s basically a whole mental bout you have to take out with the rain and just go for what you’re doing.”

Sherrill’s accomplishment of throwing more than 17 meters is no minor feat, as only two shot-putters this season have bettered that mark, the other being defending national champion Mariam Kevkishvilli of Florida. Sherill is only the second Hoosier to ever throw the shot more than 17 meters, and her title marks the first time Indiana has won a title in the women’s shot since 2001. 

Sherrill has high hopes for the rest of her season: Her goal is to get to nationals and perhaps win the event.

The Hoosiers continued their success on the track Saturday when junior De’Sean Turner won the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 8:43.72. Turner’s time is the fifth-fastest in IU history, and his time ranks him among the top-10 in the nation. Hoosier Andrew Poore took second in the steeplechase, and both his and Turner’s finish earned the Hoosiers 18 points. Also earning second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase was junior Sarah Pease, who set a new school record with her time of 9:59.16. Pease is the first Hoosier female to break 10 minutes in the event.

On Sunday, the Hoosiers won two events. However, they still dropped considerably in the standings.

Senior Molly Beckwith continued her dominance on the track, winning the 800-meter in 2:04.11. Beckwith and Sherrill brought home the only two individual wins for the Hoosier women during the championships.

The third individual win for the men’s team came in the second-to-last event of Sunday — one of the longest events. Sophomore Andrew Poore ran the 5,000-meter in 13:49.23. Poore defeated the second-place runner by about three seconds and was one of only four runners to finish under 13 minutes.

The Hoosiers will continue the road to the NCAA Championships with the regional event, May 27-29, at North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, N.C.