Because of its fast track, the invitational has seen at least six DMR teams qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships each of the last four years, all averaging a time of 9:31.65.
The Hoosiers ran 9:38.28 Saturday.
“There was little room for error,” IU Coach Ron Helmer said. “We had to do a lot of things right to match last year’s effort, and we just didn’t do it.”
IU ran the DMR at last year’s Alex Wilson Invitational in 9:27.72, the fifth-fastest time in NCAA history and a new program record. After failing to win the Big Ten title in the event, the men’s DMR team went on to claim third in the national meet.
Three of the original members remain on this year’s DMR team, including sophomore Tre’tez Kinnaird and seniors Derrick Morgan and Rorey Hunter. Freshman Daniel Kuhn, who sits just outside of the IU top-10 list in the 800-meter run, took the 800 leg of the relay, leaving Kinnaird in the 1200-meter leg, a position he has not ran in his career.
“Tre’tez got off to a slow start,” Helmer said. “He had to catch up with the pack, and that’s not his style. He doesn’t trail in races often.”
Kinnaird’s slow start set the Hoosiers up for a need to play catch up in a race that featured six national qualifiers, a seemingly doomed position.
“Derrick (Morgan) and Daniel (Kuhn) ran the fastest races of their lives out there,” Helmer said. “It just wasn’t enough after we got out of that margin of error.”
With their 11-second regression, the Hoosiers finished sixth in their heat and stand 25th in the nation, 13 spots out of national qualification.
If the Hoosiers do not place in the top 12 in the nation next weekend at the Big Ten Championships, they will miss DMR national qualification for the first time in seven years.
“We’re going to run to win the Big Ten title,” Helmer said about the DMR team’s qualification hopes. “We’ll just let the time take care of itself, and if we qualify then great.”
Even though there is one remaining opportunity to qualify, the Alex Wilson Invitational was the most opportune point to set a time. DMR’s rely heavily on pack running. This means the lead team sets the pace, which is not always the national qualifying pace that was guaranteed this weekend.
The Hoosiers are third in the Big Ten behind Penn State and Illinois, respectively.
IU also sent three junior pole vaulters, Sophie Gutermuth, Sydney Clute and Terry Batemon, to maintain momentum heading into the Big Ten Championships.
