Indiana women’s track and field competed in its second home meet of the season this weekend, welcoming athletes from all over the country to compete in the Indiana University Relays at Harry Gladstein Fieldhouse.
Athletes from twelve schools across the country competed in the biggest meet Indiana has participated in so far.
“I felt like we got effort the entire weekend across the board from the women,” Helmer said. “I was really pleased. We can’t go chasing that level of performance every weekend but when we do we need to rise to the occasion.”
Indiana is ranked first in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Great Lakes region poll. Michigan, Wisconsin and Michigan State are also ranked in the top six. Indiana faced these schools and others this weekend at the IU Relays. Multiple Indiana athletes finished in the top three in a variety of events.
Thanks to freshman Mahogany Jenkins, Indiana was successful in the high jump and the triple jump. Jenkins finished in first place in the high jump, going over the bar at 1.77 meter,s and jumped 12.28 meters in the triple jump for another first-place victory.
“I’m pretty happy with (my performance) this weekend,” Jenkins said. “It just shows that I’m getting closer to where we expect me to be, and I’m ready for the next meet.”
Jenkins also said her success with the high jump has been an unexpected surprise.
“The high jump was just magically good this season,” she said. “We weren't expecting it to be a 5 '11” jump off the first meet. For it to be consistent is what we are happy for.”
Indiana also had three top-six throwers in the shot put. Senior Madison Pollard finished in first place with a 17.01-meter throw, freshman Jayden Ulrich placed third with 16.56 meters and freshman Makayla Hunter placed with 15.37 meters.
[Related: Indiana men’s track and field notches consistent top-three finishes in IU Relays]
In the women’s 60-meter dash preliminaries, sophomore Alyssa Robinson and freshman Morgan Snow both qualified for the finals. Robinson automatically qualified for the finals with her heat win and a time of 7.50 seconds. Snow qualified for the finals with the fifth best time of 7.63, tying her personal best time in the event.
Robinson came in second place in the finals with a time of 7.49 seconds, and Snow finished in fifth place with a time of 7.64 seconds.
Snow also ran in the 200-meter dash event and took home second place after finishing with a time of 24.47 seconds. Freshman Olivia Gee finished in tenth place, crossing the finish line at 26.45 seconds.
Sophomore Kaylee Lane finished in first place in the women’s 400-meter relay with a time of 56.55 seconds, just shy of her personal best by 0.14 seconds.
Thirty athletes competed in the one-mile run, and two Hoosiers finished in the top three. After not competing last weekend, junior Bailey Hertenstein finished in first place with a new personal best of 4:42.10. Senior Hannah Stoffel finished in third place in the event with a time of 4:43.99. Sophomore Jenna Barker finished in 15th place with a time of 4:54.44.
Indiana took first and second place in the women’s 600-meter run when freshmen Maria Anderson finished with a time of 1:31.90. and sophomore Elizabeth Stanhope followed at 1:32.64. Freshman Shynae Deas also competed, finishing with a time of 1:35.16 to place fourth in the event.
Indiana also participated in two team races in the meet. In the 4x400-meter relay, Indiana’s top team — made up of Lane, Snow, Anderson and Robinson — finished in first place with a time of 3:45.09. In the distance medley, Indiana’s top team finished in second place with a time of 11:05.53, with runners Hertenstein, Robinson, Mindak and Stoffel participating.
Indiana will next travel to South Bend, Indiana, to participate in the Meyo Invitational on Jan. 4-5.
