Indoor track season begins with success
The University of Indianapolis track and field teams competed on Feb. 5 at the IU Hoosier Invitational and Division II Challenge at Findlay with portions of the team participating in each meet.
At the Findlay meet, the men’s 4×400-meter relay team of seniors Nick Brittain and Carl Smith, junior Jerel Flournoy and sophomore Jermel Kindred ran an NCAA Provisional qualifying mark of 3:19.72. The time currently places them seventh in all Division II programs.
At the IU Hoosier Invitational, Senior Matt Royer, the back-to-back GLVC Field Athlete of the Week winner, won the weight throw with a mark of 19.45 meters. Freshman Zach Little took first place in the high jump at 2.00 meters.
For the women, sophomore Valerie Wagner took first place in the long jump at 5.38 meters.
Sophomore Kathleen Watson finished first in the weight throw with a toss of 14.40 meters and second in the shot put with a mark of 12.92 meters.
The Greyhounds competed Jan. 29 with part of the team traveling to the Indiana Wesleyan Invitational and the rest heading to the IU Relays.
Freshman Blaze Hurley won the pole vault with a jump of 4.25 meters and Royer again took first in shot put with a throw of 15.84 meters and in the weight throw with 18.95 meters at the Indiana Wesleyan Invitational.
At the IU Relays, the women’s 4×400-meter relay team of senior Kierra Allen, juniors Delta Martin and Angelique McNeal and sophomore Haley Miller broke the UIndy record and finished in the top 10 with the time of 3:53.22 which provisionally-qualified them for the NCAA Championships.
At the annual Wabash Little Giant Invitational on Jan. 23, Watson led the Greyhound women’s team, winning the shot put with a throw of 11.98 meters and taking second place in weight throw with 13.70 meters.
The UIndy 4×200 meter relay team of Brittain, Flournoy, Kindred and sophomore Robert Gardner won with a time of 1:29.39 and also ran the top two times in the 4×400 meter relay. Sophomore Jacob Aldrich won pole vault with 15 meters while sophomores Royer and Shane Wyant won first and second in shot put, respectively.
According to senior Chelsea Chang and head coach Scott Fangman, one of their struggles is not having a place to practice.
“We currently practice in five different places throughout the city and state,” said Coach Fangman. “We literally go to other universities so that we can practice, and because of the cost we have to limit their practice. It’s like taking a class with only the textbook, but no instruction. You can learn, but so much of it is truly left up to your God-given ability.”
However, with the new dome, the indoor track team will have a place to practice in the future, which will wield enormous benefits according to Chang and Fangman.
“They’ll now be able to be coached in a mannered way that they’ve deserved,” said Fangman.
UIndy will also be able to host indoor meets once the surface is down.
Fangman and Chang both have the same goals for the season: to win conference on both men and women’s side for indoor and outdoor track.
“Since our team is bigger, we have a lot of opportunities to gain extra points,” said Chang. “I would love UIndy to do a sweep in men and women’s indoor and outdoor.”
The Greyhounds continue their season on Feb. 12 at the Hoosier Hills Open and on Feb. 13 at the DePauw Indoor Invitational.
The University of Indianapolis indoor track team runs from the first Saturday in December and goes through spring break.
Outdoor track will start a week later after nationals.
