The Women’s Track and Field team intends to divide and conquer this week, sending its distance runners to the Iowa State Classic this weekend while the rest of the team remains at home.
The Hoosiers will host 10 teams, including recurring competitor Butler, this weekend for the annual Hoosier Hills meet.
The team was also intending to send sophomore jumpers Leah Moran and Jenna Jungles and junior Aaliyah Armstead to Arkansas for the Tyson Invitational. However, due to inclement weather, the group will be competing at home for the weekend.
Four Hoosiers will be racing at Iowa State this weekend, including senior Brenna Calder and juniors Katherine Receveur, Kelsey Harris and Maggie Allen. Calder will be racing in the 1-mile, and the group of juniors will be racing in the 3000-meter, the 800-meter and the 5000-meter races respectively.
At home, IU Assistant Coach Mike Erb said he expects to see solid performances this week.
“On the women’s side, I think, in particular, looking at Aaliyah Armstead and Leah Moran, they’ve both been very consistent at marks that are lifetime bests, so I’m interested to see which one of them, if not both, breaks through with really high-level marks,” Erb said.
Sophomore Jenna Jungles has also shown her full abilities this season, and although she placed lower than normal in last week’s meet, Erb cited travel and new facilities as having an impact on her performance.
The events for the three women have not yet been revealed due to the change in plans.
Competing in the high jump this week will be juniors Ashley Hash and Taylor Pennington, as well as senior Rachel Mather. Mather will also be competing in the pole vault.
As for the throwing events, sophomore Khayla Dawson, who is ranked in the Big Ten, will be competing in the shot put, as well as freshman Madison Pollard.
In the weight throw, freshmen Princess Brinkley and Madison Pollard will compete along with junior Nycia Ford. Pollard earned her personal best in the weight throw event at the last home meet.
The Hoosiers will be participating in the 200-meter dash this week, and will feature freshman Natalie Price, sophomore Megan Grabowski and junior Jaela Gay.
Grabowski earned a personal best in the 200 last weekend at the Power Five Invitational in Michigan on Feb. 3 with a time of 24.59.
Grabowski will also be competing in the 60-meter dash this weekend alongside senior Maya Caudle.
Caudle took the last two weeks off, but she competed in the Gladstein Invitational during the weekend of January 19th.
The Hoosier Hills meet will begin at 4 p.m. Feb. 9 in the Gladstein Fieldhouse.
This meet should prove to be successful as the No. 23-ranked Hoosiers are set to take on a slew of unranked competitors this weekend.
