Sophomore Tre’tez Kinnaird and senior Sophie Gutermuth shattered the record book, breaking top school records in the 800-meter run and pole vault, respectively.
Kinnaird stamped his name onto his third IU record in the 800-meter run with a victory at a time of 1:48.20.
He already sits atop the 600-meter list with his time of 1:17.42 and the Distance Medley Relay with the relay’s time of 9:27.72, also broken at Notre Dame’s speedy, 300-meter flat track, Lofton Sport Center.
“It feels really good to have this record,” Kinnaird said. “I’ve really been eyeing it since last year. I just had the determination to work through the offseason and get to this point.”
Kinnaird fell half of a second short of the 800 record in the 2014 Meyo Invitational before he went on to set the 600 and DMR records.
This time he upended the record by 0.85 seconds, running to seventh in the nation and second in the Big Ten.
“I figured he would break it,” IU Coach Ron Helmer said. “He’s been showing great determination this offseason, and, being at the faster track, I figured he’d be somewhere in that range.”
Not to be outdone, Sophie Gutermuth broke her previous indoor pole vault record by 0.06 meters, but only placed second with her mark of 4.26 meters in the Invitational event — behind the Big Ten’s top women’s pole vaulter from Illinois, Stephanie Richartz.
“It shows that Sophie is a great pole vaulter but also that she is a great competitor,” Helmer said. “She didn’t have a great week last weekend at the Relays, but she bounced back like a true ?competitor.”
Gutermuth no-heighted at 3.86 meters at the IU Relays, meaning she did not clear the necessary mark three ?consecutive times.
She came back Saturday and broke the school record that she had ?previously set at 4.20 meters.
“It’s great for Sophie,” Kinnaird said. “We love to see Hoosiers up there.”
Gutermuth vaulted to second in the Big Ten and 10th in the nation after coinciding results were posted. She also rose from 11th on the national qualifying list to 10th.
Freshman Andrew Miller also broke into the record book as he posted the fourth-best weight throw in IU history with a personal record of 20.03 meters, good enough for second place in the invitational and eighth in the Big Ten.
Senior Brie Roller also set a personal record in the women’s 600-meter run, the eighth-best run in Hoosier history.
She stands ninth in the Big Ten in the event.
Junior Terry Batemon won the invitational pole vault with a mark of 5.10, and he sits at third in the conference.
The Hoosiers return home next weekend, competing only on Friday for the Hoosier Hills meet at Gladstein Fieldhouse.
“We expect our athletes to compete like this every meet,” Helmer said. “Some excelled in tough competition and some didn’t, but we still need to continue to get better for Big Tens.”
