IU’s Bayer speeds to world’s best 3000-meter time

Sophomore Andy Bayer recorded the world’s fastest time this year in the 3000-meter race Saturday at the Gladstein Invitational.

Bayer finished with a time of 7:48.35 and was followed by IU teammate junior Andrew Poore with a time of 7:55.54, giving Poore the second fastest time in the world this year. Bayer’s run also marks the fastest 3000-meter time in IU history.

The IU track and field team wrapped up the two-day Gladstein Invitational, winning 19 events and earning five of the top nine performances on the national list.

“It is always cool to have teammates in the top 10,” Bayer said. “All the work we put in to pushing each other to get better is paying off, and it’s just showing how solid of a team we are.”

Poore, who congratulated his teammate after the race, said he feels he will have his time, but it was Bayer’s day to leave his mark on history.

“Andy (Bayer) is a one-of-a-kind talent,” Poore said. “Hopefully I can maybe give him a run for his money in the 5k (5000-meters), but overall he’s hard to beat.”

Poore said he believes adjusting to the track and field season after both of the runners ran for the IU cross country team made them closer and more adjusted to competition.

“Transitioning from cross country to track and field without taking breaks allowed us to build on that and get better for this season,” Poore said. “We became so close from cross country to now, and I feel as teammates, we’re compatible.”

IU sprinter Kind Butler and high-jumper Derek Drouin finished the meet still undefeated this season. Butler won both the 200 and 60-meter dashes, and Drouin finished first in the heptathlon with 5,315 points, good for 10 best in the world.

Senior Faith Sherrill led the IU women’s team winning the shot put with a throw of 17.39 meters as she went up against six throwers who were ranked top 20 in the world in marks this season.

The IU women’s squad also got a contribution from junior Chelsea Blanchard, who recorded the third-best NCAA time in the 3000-meter race this season at 9:24.41.

“I was excited, but I want to run faster,” Blanchard said. “I think to get better though, it is not doing more work but to race more so we can adjust to the season.”

IU coach Ron Helmer said it was very exciting to see the women starting to reach the same levels of success as the men.

“It was an all-around, high quality meet, for not only the men but the women as well,” he said. “The women don’t get some of the same recognition as the men do, and it was good seeing them overcoming the performances by the guys and holding their own.”