Drouin to compete in Moscow for Canada, signee to compete for Team USA

In Derek Drouin’s actual final appearance in an IU uniform, he won again.

Drouin won the Canadian national title in the high jump Saturday in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. It is his fourth national title.

The title earns Drouin a spot on Team Canada for the International Association for Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships in Moscow, Russia, August 10-18.

Drouin, who had taken to Twitter after his appearance in the NCAA Outdoor Championships June 8, said, “I’m going to miss wearing this. #IUTF #Hoosiers” with a picture of his IU jersey. He then tweeted on Saturday “Okay okay. One last time. #IUTF #hoosiers” with a picture of his jersey once again.

In his last competition for Team Canada in the high jump, Drouin won the bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Drouin leaves IU as a five-time NCAA high jump champion, the first person to ever win five NCAA high jump titles.

While Drouin is on his way out, Bethany Neeley is on her way into the IU track and field program, and is also advancing to national team competition.

Neeley, an incoming freshman from Eastern High School in Greentown, Ind., ran the third fastest time by a U.S. high school student in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at 10 minutes, 19.83 seconds Friday in Des Moines, Iowa.

It was Neeley’s first race in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

She finished second in the event to Syracuse’s Brianna Nerud, who set the high school record time last year.

The second-place finish qualifies Neeley to compete for Team USA in the Pan-American Junior Championships in Medellin, Colombia, August 23-25.

Neeley’s time was an Indiana high school state record, her fourth in the last two weeks.

She also broke records in the 4x800 relay, 1,600-meter and 2,000-meter steeplechase.

Her sister, Brittany, who will join her on the IU track and field team in the fall, finished .22 seconds away from joining her in Colombia.

Brittany finished the 800-meter in 2 minutes and 6.68 seconds, finishing third. She missed winning by .33 seconds.

Her time is also a new Indiana high school record.

Former IU athletes De’Sean Turner and Andrew Poore finished third and fourth respectively in the 3,000-meter steeplechase final.

Turner advances to Moscow to represent Team USA in the event.

—Robby Howard