Bad weather ends Alabama Relays

The weather mimicked the March Madness spirit this weekend in Tuscaloosa, Ala., as the IU men’s and women’s track and field teams competed in their first outdoor meet of the year.

The weather held off just enough at the Alabama Relays on Friday but wouldn’t let up on Saturday, and the meet was called before several Hoosiers were able to compete.

Despite the weather, Associate Head Coach Jeff Huntoon said he thought the majority of his athletes competed well.

“The weather made it a challenge for them to control what they could control and deal with what they couldn’t,” Huntoon said. “We got some good performances from some young athletes before they called the meet.”

While they couldn’t pull out a win on Friday, the Hoosiers posted eight top-four finishes on the day.

Sophomore Molly Winters took second overall in the women’s 5000-meter run but first among collegiate competitors. Her time of 17:02.42 was a personal record by almost 30 seconds.

“Yes, without a doubt, Friday was a success,” Huntoon said. “More than anything, I was proud of the attitude our kids showed. They weren’t complaining about the weather, they just went out and competed.”

Saturday, though cut short, provided the Hoosiers with their first individual victory of the outdoor season. Senior Caitlin Engel won the women’s 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:31.86. Second went to her teammate freshman Brianna Johnson, who was participating in her first collegiate steeplechase.

Sophomore Taja Moore competed in the discus, and her throw of 48.10-meters (157-feet-10-inches) was good enough for third in the competition.

The men’s distance medley relay, consisting of freshmen Jordan Gornall and Nathan Pierre-Louis and sophomores Rorey Hunter and Evan Esselink, took second with a time of 9:53.36. They were less than two seconds off Alabama’s winning time of 9:51.62.

Huntoon said while he was proud of his team’s performances, nobody stepped up and wowed him.

“There wasn’t really anyone that stuck out individually,” Huntoon said. “It was a situation where, as a group, we came together.

“I was really happy with the group of freshmen who came out and competed really well. But at the same time, they also showed why they are freshmen. There were some issues on handoffs that need work among other things.”

Huntoon said the most disappointing aspect of the weekend proved to be the weather that prevented several IU athletes from competing.

“We brought 49 athletes, and we had 30 of those ready to compete in the final 30 minutes on Saturday,” Huntoon said. “So when they finally cancelled the meet, it disrupted a lot of what we were trying to accomplish.”