Track teams exceed at Florida Relays, Stanford Invitational

The Indiana Hoosier track and field squads continued to succeed on a weekly basis, as the Hoosiers competed in both the Florida Relays and the Stanford Invitational.
 
Down in Gainesville, Fla., at the Florida Relays, junior pole vaulter Kelsie Ahbe was in the spotlight.

Ahbe was the collegiate winner in the pole vault, clearing 4.20 meters. The height was five centimeters short of her season best but still reigns as best in the Big Ten Conference this season.

The Hoosier team of sophomore Robbie Nierman and seniors Ryan Hindes, Danny Stockberger and Andy Weatherford took the distance medley relay title during Saturday’s competition with a time of 9:51.02. The time was more than half a second faster than the runner-up McNeese State squad.

Senior sprinter Kind Butler placed fourth in the 200 meters, recording a time of 20.43 seconds in the event. This time ranks as the third-fastest in IU history.

In the 1,500, Stockberger placed second with a time of 3:47.24. Teammate Weatherford finished ninth in 3:50.00.

On the women’s side, IU alumna Molly Beckwith was the winner in the 800 meters, finishing with a time of 2:03.63.

Out west in Palo Alto, Calif., junior distance runner Andrew Bayer placed sixth in the 5,000 meters in a time of 13:33.25. The mark was tantalizingly close to the Olympic Trials A Standard. Bayer’s time is also the second-fastest time in the event in school history.

Bayer’s teammate, senior Andrew Poore, finished 19th in the same event, recording a time of 13:48.15,  which placed Poore sixth in school history for the event.

Junior Kelsey Duerksen won the women’s 5,000 meters, clocking a time of 16:23.95, placing her fifth in the event in school history.

The Hoosiers will be back in action next weekend at the Border Battle in Louisville, Ky.

— Connor Killoren