This weekend will prove more challenging for the Hoosiers as they stand to take on four ranked opponents including No. 23 Michigan, No. 22 Wisconsin, No. 16 Purdue and No. 10 Minnesota, along with the rest of the Big Ten.
IU is facing five new teams and eight they’ve competed against earlier in the season.
The Hoosiers have yet to face Maryland, Rutgers, Northwestern, Michigan State and Penn State this year. However, as a full team, they have faced Ohio State, Michigan and Purdue.
At the Iowa State Classic, three distance runners were also given the opportunity to race against Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Last year, the Hoosiers’ performances landed them in fifth place in the Big Ten Championships, totaling up 69 points.
Junior Katherine Receveur won the 5,000-meter race with a time of 15:28.89, breaking her own school record by about 20 seconds.
Senior Kendell Wiles earned bronze in the 600-meter race with a time of 1:28.81. This time remains as her personal best in the event coming into this meet.
Junior Kelsey Harris placed fifth in the 800-meter race with a time of 2:08.99. Since then, Harris earned a personal record of 2:06.08 at the IU relays on Jan. 26 and 27. She is currently ranked No. 23 in the event in the NCAA and second in the Big Ten.
Senior Brenna Calder, who is currently ranked fourth in the 800-meter in the Big Ten, also ran in the Big Ten Championships last year. She won the silver in the mile with a time of 4:42.33.
Calder improved her personal best this season to a time of 4:41.53 from her race at the Iowa State Classic on Feb. 9.
The biggest improvement the Hoosiers have seen since last year’s championships is sophomore distance runner Maggie Allen.
Allen finished the 5,000-meter race last year in eighth place with a time of 16:10.05. However, during the Iowa State Classic, Allen finished with a personal best time of 15:50.12, and is now ranked fourth in the event within the Big Ten.
Receveur is also currently ranked third in the 5,000-meter within the Big Ten with a time of 15:48.10. She clocked that time on Dec. 8 at the 2017 Hoosier Open.
The Hoosiers have made improvements since last year’s performances at the Big Ten Championship as shown by their faster personal bests, and it should likely be reflected in the by the way in which the athletes show out this weekend.
