Hoosier track and field teams start indoor season

The Hoosiers’ track and field team opened the indoor season by playing host to their first of five home indoor competitions Friday and Saturday in the Hoosier Open at Gladstein Fieldhouse in a non–scoring event.

IU Coach Ron Helmer said he saw runners competing hard even though their performances were not necessarily outstanding performances.

“I saw a lot of places where we competed hard,” Helmer said. “The result of the performance maybe didn’t mirror the level of the intensity of the competition.”

There were some performances on Friday that will be recorded in the IU record books. Senior Arianne Raby, who finished fourth in the 3,000-meter run at the Gladstein Invitational last year, set a school record in the 1,000-meter race this year.

Raby won first place with a time of 2 minutes and 48 seconds. The previous record for the women’s indoor 1,000-meter race was set by former IU runner Collette Gourdreau in 1987. Gourdreau ran a time of 2 minutes and 49 seconds, and after 27 years, Raby set a new record.

“I didn’t even know I had the record until some people told me,” Raby said. “I just wanted to PR (personal record) today. I PR’d at 2:50, and I ran faster today, so yeah. I was pretty happy about it.”

Between the men’s and women’s races, the Hoosiers had multiple competitors making Indiana’s top 10 all-time list. Sophomore Nina Gutermuth placed first in the women’s pole vault. Gutermuth entered IU’s top 10 placing on Friday by clearing 12 feet and 5.5 inches, the ninth best in Indiana history.

The Hoosiers took first and second place in the women’s 5,000-meter run. Senior Erica Ridderman took first by crossing the line in 17 minutes and one second.
Freshman Amanda Behnke finished 16 seconds later with a time of 17 minutes and 17 seconds to take second place.

Another top 10 title for the Hoosiers came out of the women’s throwing event.
Freshman Nakal McClinton finished fourth overall with a throw of 56 feet and 11.75 inches. That’s the 10th best throw in the school’s history as a freshman.

“The day went pretty well,” McClinton said. “It felt good to compete again, and I’m glad I am competing for IU.”

Sophomore Jordan Gornall also made the Indiana record books in his 1,000-meter race. His second-place finish at two minutes and 24 seconds was the second fastest all time for Indiana. Sophomore Zach Bray finished fifth in the 60-meter hurdles, placing him at No. 10 for the all-time fastest in Indiana history. Bray finished in 8.29 seconds.

Saturday’s competition was the men and women’s pentathlon. Sophomore Dylan Anderson was the top-place finisher for the Hoosiers, finishing second overall in the men’s pentathlon.

“We’re not this high-level track-and-field team right now,” Helmer said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, but the spirit is there, and the want to is there and the work effort is there. Tonight the effort was there. We’ve just got to keep pushing and keep working.”

Follow reporter Frank Bonner on Twitter @Frank_Bonner1.