Hoosiers set to compete in Penn Relays

The IU track and field squads will participate in what is perhaps the nation’s most illustrious meet this weekend.
 
The Hoosiers will travel to Philadelphia to compete in the Penn Relays, which have been at Franklin Field annually since 1895.
 
IU Coach Ron Helmer said he believes having his teams participate in the meet comes with a few well-deserved perks.
 
“If the weather is good, there will be 30,000 people there on Thursday, 40,000 people there Friday and 50,000 people there Saturday,” Helmer said. “There’s the exposure we get to the whole world. Our kids have responded to the positive energy and the vibe really well when we’ve gone.

“What we talk to them about is that they have to put up with a bunch of stuff. You have to put up with standing around for 30 minutes waiting for your race. You put up with people pushing and shoving.”
 
Helmer said winning at the Penn Relays is a tall order and requires more focus than a usual meet due to the large crowd and high volume of athletes at the facility.
 
But the fifth-year head coach said earning a victory in Philadelphia is beyond sweet.
 
“To win at Penn is one of the coolest things in the sport,” Helmer said. “You’re very much appreciated by the crowd. We spend hours as a staff figuring out who to send because we want to send the right message: This is who we are, this is how we compete and this is what we’re all about.”

He is not short on experience at this prestigious event, either. Helmer has attended the Penn Relays for more than 10 years. That experience has significance not just to his assistant coaches, but to the athletes.

One IU athlete who will compete in the relays is freshman and Greenwood, Ind., native Nick Stoner, a dual-sport athlete for the Hoosiers.
 
Stoner also competes on the Hoosier football team, and Helmer said a crowd at Memorial Stadium on a Saturday is nothing compared to the Penn Relays.
 
“Not even the same thing,” Helmer said. “You can’t explain it. It’s just a different crowd. It’s a very appreciative crowd. It’s not ‘this team versus this team’. At the Penn Relays, the crowd appreciates whoever is winning. It’s a crowd that comes to root for the winners, and they’re right there on top of you.”
 
Regardless of how well his athletes perform on the track, Helmer said he remains concerned about their performances in the classroom with finals right around the corner.
 
“I’m worried more about the academics than whether or not they’re going to perform,” Helmer said. “I worry about how long it takes them to figure out that a trip back to the hotel room to prepare for finals is vital to what we do.”