For the beginning of the season, IU women’s track and field has been trying to get into a groove. Last weekend at the Gladstein Invitational, the women took their biggest step forward yet. One of the keys to that turnaround is sophomore Kendell Wiles.
Wiles won the 400-meter dash in 56.04 seconds, a new career high. She also ran the final leg of IU’s second-place finish in the 4x400 meter relay, and she nearly snuck ahead at the very end, losing by just milliseconds. Wiles also competes in the 600- and 800-meter runs, although she didn’t do the 600 last weekend.
“Seeing her be an 800 runner and kill the 400 definitely influences my teammates and I,” sophomore Brittany Thomas said. “It just shows that if you keep working hard and doing the things like what she’s doing, you’ll be able to progress as weeks go on.”
Competing with a year under her belt has been big for Wiles this season. She said she was a little intimidated her freshman year, but this year she’s more stress-free.
“I think the body of work she did a year ago elevated her general fitness,” IU Coach Ron Helmer said. “She’s at a place now where she can handle the volume of work that we do with a decent level of quality.”
Helmer also said he has noticed Wiles taking more initiative to improve her performance lately, and on meet days, she’ll push herself sometimes beyond her own fitness. Thomas agreed, noting that Wiles will often be in the front of the group in practices working hard, and it’s making a difference in her meet results.
Wiles credited freshman Anevay Hiehle, juniors Kellie Davis and Olivia Hippensteel, and redshirt junior Taylor Wiley, her fellow middle distance runners, for pushing her in workouts and being great teammates. Before meets and her events, Wiles is known to talk to them repeatedly.
“I get nervous, and I talk a lot, and all my teammates can vouch for me on that,” Wiles said, with teammates laughing as they pass by. “They’re always the very serious type that just don’t ever talk, and I just keep talking. That’s what calms me down.”
Like so many others on the track team, Wiles has her sights set on the Big Ten Championships. She wants to contribute to the team long-term and hopes her team can eventually reach top five in the Big Ten.
“She has the ability to ultimately contend for Big Ten Championships and be a national level competitor,” Helmer said. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done, but if she can get to that point, she’ll be very valuable to us.”
This Friday and Saturday, the Hoosiers will compete against 12 other schools, including Alabama, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Notre Dame and Purdue, in the IU Relays.
