Hoosiers break records on the track at Notre Dame

Another weekend, another strong showing from the IU men’s and women’s track and field squads.

Such is the life for the Hoosiers, who took part in the Alex Wilson Invitational during the weekend at Notre Dame.

Earlier in the week, IU Coach Ron Helmer said he was planning to send a 4x400 relay squad to the event in the hopes that it would run a qualifying time for next weekend’s NCAA Indoor Championships.

Helmer was not anticipating the school record in the event to fall, but the 4x400 squad consisting of junior Chris Vaughn, freshman Nick Stoner, senior Ryan Hindes and senior Kind Butler did just that, recording a time of 3:07.84.

The time broke the IU record that had stood for seven years by 1.75 seconds.

Vaughn got things started in the 4x400, recording a leadoff split of 47.2 seconds. From there, Stoner zoomed his way to a career-best split of 47.7 seconds and passed the baton along to Hindes, who clocked a 48-second split. Butler brought home the record for the Hoosiers, running the final 400 meters in a split of 44.7 seconds.

Setting the record was not the only good news of the day for that 4x400 relay squad. Its time in the event moves the squad into 12th on the Division I list, giving it a chance of being selected to participate in the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Also shining for the Hoosiers was senior distance runner De’Sean Turner, who recorded his first-ever sub-four minute mile. Turner’s official time was 3:59.81, making him the sixth IU distance runner, as well as sixth Indiana native, to record a time of less than four minutes in the mile.

Turner now stands alone in sixth place on the list of the school’s fastest indoor mile times.

Joining the record-breaking party was senior distance runner Danny Stockberger, who broke the IU indoor 800 meter record, clocking 1:49.05 in the event.

Stockberger took down a record that had stood firm for 24 years. The previous record holder in the event was Keith Allen, who set the mark in 1988.

On the women’s side, sophomore Kyla Buckley and junior Kelsey Duerksen had outstanding performances at the Alex Wilson Invitational.

Buckley recorded a career-best mark of 16.12 meters in the shot put, moving her into fifth place on the all-time school record list. Buckley’s teammate, senior Monique Riddick, placed second in the event, recording a throw of 15.27 meters. Redshirt freshman M.J. Doan placed fifth, throwing 14.78 meters.

On the track, Duerksen clocked a career-best time of 4:42.22 in the mile. The mark moved Duerksen into sixth place in school history.

Duerksen’s teammate in the mile, senior Breanne Ehrman, placed 19th in the event with a time of 4:48.57.

In the pole vault, junior Kelsie Ahbe launched herself to 4.09 meters, good for third place in the event.

The Hoosiers will be back in action next weekend at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Boise, Idaho.

— Connor Killoren