Distance medley relay clinches spot at NCAAs

If anyone was concerned about the IU distance medley relay team performing under pressure, their worries were assuaged Friday.

When the IU men’s and women’s track and field teams traveled up to Notre Dame last weekend for the Alex Wilson Invitational, everyone knew all eyes would be on the DMR.

Twenty-five teams entered the event, including every NCAA contender except Texas. The Longhorns felt their national leading mark of 9:31.82 would keep them in the nation’s top 12 after the weekend.

The teams were divided into three heats that meet management tried to make as even as possible. IU was sitting second nationally — right behind Texas. IU Coach Ron Helmer said he made the decision to run his team one more time to secure their spot.

The first heat produced the top five times in the NCAA this year and seven in the top 12 at that time. Five teams moved into the top 12 from the second heat.

As it stood, IU had been bumped out of the national top 12. Texas was sitting in 11th.
“It was nerve-wracking,” Helmer said. “We watched the first two heats put up some great times. It forced us into a corner and we knew we had to do more.”

They did more.

IU sophomore Rorey Hunter led off the event for the Hoosiers and had them in third after the first exchange at the 1200-meter mark. Freshman Nathan Pierre-Louis and graduate student Lance Roller kept that position before handing off to senior Andy Bayer.

Bayer took the last 1600 meters home in 3:59.4 to finish third. The Hoosiers finished with a time of 9:31.11, good for 11th nationally and a spot at the NCAA Championships.

“When you have an anchor like we have, anything can happen,” Helmer said. “We proved we can compete when the pressure is on.”

All twelve qualifying times were achieved at the meet and former national-leader Texas did not make the cut.

Helmer said he would have sat his relay if they were in Texas’ place as well. In this way, he said it was a blessing in disguise for the Hoosiers that they hadn’t had a better time coming into the weekend.

Another Hoosier competitor from Friday night included IU graduate student Scott Houston, who won the men’s pole vault, but failed to clear 5.42 meters (17 feet, 9.25 inches), the height necessary to qualify for the NCAA meet.

Saturday was highlighted by redshirt freshman La Toya Williams running 55.69 seconds in the women’s 400-meter run and junior Robby Nierman’s 10th place finish in the mile, clocking at 4:02.77. Williams’ time is the 10th best in the IU record book.

Helmer said even though a lot of people couldn’t get the heights and times that would get them an NCAA Championship Meet berth, he was still pleased with other parts of the meet.

“We had a bunch of season bests,” Helmer said. “Other than getting those people qualified, that was our goal for a lot of people.”