Big Ten Track and Field Breakdown: February 14

BIG TEN WEEKEND RECAP
One more weekend remains on the schedule for the Big Ten convenes on Geneva, Ohio for the Indoor Track and Field Championships.

This final competition is used mostly as a qualifier for athletes and relays who are finally getting healthy late in the season.

The Hoosiers will take both a Men's and Women's Distance Medley Relay team up to Notre Dame for the Alex Wilson Invitational. A selection of individual runners is also set to run.

In the USTFCCCA's latest Conference TFRI, a ratings index calculating projected scoring based off of results to date this season, IU is ranked fourth on the men's side and 10th on the women's side.

IU has a selection of event squads ranked among the top-10 in the nation including its Men's Weight Throw (7th, 19.62m/64-4.35), Men's 800 meters (10th, 1:50.27), Men's Pole Vault (8th, 5.12m/16-9.75) and Women's Long Jump (4th, 6.02m/19-9) groups.

Nationally ranked teams in the conference include Nebraska and Iowa on the men's side and Nebraska and Wisconsin on the women's side.

IU ATHLETES AND WEEKEND RECAP
One of the biggest weekends of the year saw Hoosiers run at three different meets including the Windy City Invite in Chicago, the Hoosier Hills Meet in Bloomington and the David Valentine Memorial in Boston.

Sean Mockler and Noah Koch threw personal bests of 21.57m/70-9.25 and 20.90m/68-7 respectively in the Weight Throw in Chicago. Jayden Ulrich did the same on the women's side, launching a lifetime best of 19.38m/63-7. All three strengthened their hold on their respective spots in the program's top-10 list.

Antonio Laidler had a strong weekend on the track, running to personal bests of 6.68 (60m) and 21.01 (200m). He became the third Hoosier in program history to break 6.7 seconds at 60 meters and now has sole possession of third place on the program's all-time list in both events.

Camden Marshall threw down a near two-second personal best in the Mile, running 3:57.56 to finish as the second-fastest collegian at the Windy City Invite. He now takes over third on the program's all-time list, trailing just Sean Jefferson (3:56.44) and Jim Spivey (3:57.04).

Mahogany Jenkins cleared a season's best of 1.81m/5-11.25 in the High Jump at the Windy City Invite, matching her indoor personal best.

Sarah Schmitt had a solid season's debut at 3000 meters, running 9:16.98 which ranks sixth in the Big Ten this season. Jake Gebhardt improved on his personal best in the same event, running 7:52.67 to finish second in the Windy City.

BIG TEN EVENTS TO WATCH
Men's 800 Meters
• One of the most competitive events in the entire Big Ten features 10 kids that have run under 1:49 this year and 13 kids that have gone under 1:50. Indiana's Camden Marshall is the defending Big Ten Champion indoors in the event and possesses a season's best of 1:48.83. He's also run a 3:57 Mile this year and has great versatility.

Women's Long Jump
• Nebraska's Lishanna Ilves and Indiana's Paola Fernandez-Sola have jumped 6.48m and 6.39m respectively at the Texas Tech Open and lead a strong contingent of jumpers in the conference. Nine different athletes have been past six meters this year including a trio of Hoosiers.

Women's Shot Put
• The Big Ten has produced some of the most prolific throwers this year, especially in the Shot Put. Nine athletes in the nation have thrown 17.5+ meters this year with four of them hailing from the Big Ten. Indiana's Jayden Ulrich ranks ninth nationally and fourth in the Big Ten. Nebraska's Axelina Johannsson is the Big Ten leader and comes in second nationally.

IU ATHLETES IN THE TOP 8 OF THEIR EVENT
Men:
• Antonio Laidler (3rd), 60m
• Christopher Grant (7th), 60m
• Antonio Laidler (5th), 200m
• Camden Marshall (4th), Mile
• Jake Gebhardt (7th), Mile
• Jake Gebhardt (2nd), 3000m
• DMR (4th)
• Nathan Stone (2nd), Pole Vault
• Tyler Carrel (8th), Pole Vault
• Robert Blue (4th), Long Jump
• Alex Smith (7th), Long Jump
• Robert Blue (8th), Triple Jump
• Noah Koch (7th), Shot Put
• Sean Mockler (6th), Weight Throw
• Noah Koch (7th), Weight Throw

Women:
• Sarah Schmitt (6th), 3000m
• Mahogany Jenkins (6th), High Jump
• Jessica Mercier (7th), Pole Vault
• Paola Fernandez-Sola (2nd), Long Jump
• Serena Bolden (6th), Long Jump
• Hope Purcell (6th), Long Jump
• Mahogany Jenkins (8th), Triple Jump
• Jayden Ulrich (4th), Shot Put

Indiana University Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Robert Blue

Serena Bolden

Tyler Carrel

Paola Fernandez-Sola

Jake Gebhardt

Christopher Grant

Mahogany Jenkins

Noah Koch

Antonio Laidler

Camden Marshall

Jessica Mercier

Sean Mockler

Hope Purcell

Sarah Schmitt

Alex Smith

Nathan Stone

Jayden Ulrich

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