Track and field sets new school record
The University of Indianapolis track and field team traveled to Taylor University on Feb. 4. Junior thrower Marcus Montgomery threw 17.63 meters. Freshmen distance runners Sean O’Brien and Kenny Brown placed first in the medley relay, finishing at 11:11.26 minutes.
ROYER
Senior thrower Matt Royer was named Great Lakes Valley Conference Athlete of the Week for his performance in the Wabash Little Giants Invitational on Jan. 21.
Royer won the weight throw and set the new school record at 20.98 meters. His toss also was an NCAA qualifying mark.
“It’s just all hard work. [You are] in the weight room when you’re supposed to be, doing the proper lifts like you’re supposed to do and then just trusting your technique,” Royer said.
Royer was also an All American and Conference Champion in weight throw last season. This season Head Coach Scott Fangman’s expectations are no different.
“I think he can be a national champion,” Fangman said.
Royer said he will continue to work hard and hopes everything comes together at the right time.
He’ll be pushed by his lifting partners, who, according to Fangman, may be some of his toughest competition.
Last season the UIndy men’s weight throw took the top three spots at the indoor conference championships.
“Our men’s weight program is going to dominate conference,” Fangman said. “I still have that faith that we’re going to take top six at conference.”
The UIndy women’s track team also plans to build on last year’s success in the conference.
“We’ve got a lot of incoming freshmen that will do really well,” said junior sprinter Haley Miller. “Hopefully, as the season goes on, we [will] start proving ourselves more and more.”
Fangman hopes the freshmen will contribute to the improvement of the women’s team.
“With the girls, it’s not so much about national points, but we do have a considerable number of conference points,” Fangman said. “And that’s just where we’re trying to get. We’re trying to get them to a national level.”
Fangman said he has faith in his female sprinters. He is counting on Miller and the relay team, and expecting the incoming freshmen to hit their stride as well.
Fangman is returning with what he believes is a better team than he had last year in both the women’s and the men’s track and field teams.
“The kids came back here [after Christmas Break] in the best shape [I’ve seen] since I’ve been here in 16 years,” he said.
Since the middle of January, the team has had to adjust to a new routine with the closure of the Athletics and Recreation Center. The ARC was turned over to the NFL in preparation for the New York Giants to use it as the practice site before the Super Bowl.
Fangman said that it has just made the team practice the old-fashioned way, but it should not affect the team’s performance.
“It should not affect our ability to win the conference or to do well in the conference. If we’re going to use that as a crutch, then shame on us,” Fangman said.
UIndy did not appear to be suffering from a lack of facilities during the meets on Jan. 29.
The Greyhounds sent two squads in different directions. One group headed to the Indiana Wesleyan Invitational while the other group drove down to the Indiana University Relays. Royer maintained dominance by throwing over 20 meters. Freshman jumper Josh Bass was second at the meet with a 7.03 meter leap. For the men’s squad at IU, junior sprinter/hurdler Jermel Kindred won the 400-meter dash with a time of 48.99.
On the women’s side, freshman thrower Carlynn Carter took second in both weight throw and shot put, with a mark of 13.15 meters in the first and 14.56 meters in the second.
The teams head to Bloomington on Feb. 10-11 for the Hoosier Hills Invitational.
