Track and field goes to Stanford, focus on 5k

While part of the team is competing at the Texas Relays, another 11 IU men’s and women’s track and field athletes have headed to Palo Alto, Calif., for the Stanford Relays.

And they’ve got only one event on their mind — the 5000-meter run.

All 11 athletes being sent to the West Coast are entered in that event and only that event. Stanford Relays is consistently one of the fastest 5000-meter runs of the year and teams from all across the country participate.

Assistant Distance Coach Rebecca Walter said a big reason for the fast times is the reliably good racing weather around this time of year.

“Stanford is historically the nicest weather in the country in March,” Walter said. “It will be 60 degrees and, more importantly, no wind.”

Associate Head Coach Jeff Huntoon described a similar scene earlier this week.

“They’re going to run right at twilight, and there will be a mist in the air with temperatures around 50 to 60 degrees,” Huntoon said. “The runners love it.”

IU seniors Andy Bayer and Zach Mayhew are slated to run in the fastest heat of the 5000-meter. Walter hinted at those two being primed and ready for a big race.

Bayer ran 13:33 in this event last year and could become only the second IU collegiate runner to break 13:30 in this race, the other being Hoosier legend Bob Kennedy.

“Andy hasn’t had a personal record in over a year, so it will be fun to see what he can do,” Walter said. “Everyone going out there is PR capable so we’re looking for some good results.”

Right around this time last year, Mayhew began hitting his stride as an athlete. He finished second in his heat at the Stanford Relays last year despite falling down on the first lap. Since then, Mayhew’s improvement has been unprecedented, and he’s become one of the most reliable runners on the team.

The second heat will also see two IU runners competing. Graduate student Adam Behnke and sophomore Nolan Fife will look to start their own burst of improvement.
On the women’s side, senior Kelsey Duerksen and sophomore Samantha Ginther will also compete in the second heat.

Duerksen was in the middle of a great indoor season, twice winning Big Ten Track Athlete of the week honors before injuries slowed her down by the end of the season.

Ginther, on the other hand, picked up a lot of the slack when Duerksen was recovering. She finished ninth in the 3000-meter and 14th in the 5000-meter at the Big Ten Championship meet.

“We’re sending some experienced runners, but this is the first time out there for a bunch of them too,” Walter said. “So for the girls to get under 16:20 would put them in another tier of talent. For some of the younger guys, getting close to 14:10 is a big deal.”

All these athletes are looking to start off their outdoor season on the right foot.

“It’s not often that we go out and have a time-based race,” Walter said. “A lot of times it’s more about the competition. It’s not common that we just purely chase a time. And that’s fun for these guys.”