Indiana University Athletics
Indiana Track and Field: Distance Update
2/8/2023 1:00:00 PM | Track and Field
Heading down the homestretch of the indoor season, the Indiana distance crew has continued to put up strong performances across the board in 2023.
Following a Cross Country season that saw breakout stars in Gabriel Sanchez and Mariah Wehrle, the Hoosiers have turned to their veteran crew to help spark a big start to the Track and Field season.
Still awaiting the debut of its full Distance Medley Relay teams, IU has the pieces to score big points at the Big Ten Indoor Championships and turn that into positive momentum heading into the outdoor campaign.
A quick look at the 2023 season so far:
Athletes
Jenna Barker
Season Bests:
800m: 2:08.91 , Mile: 4:42.74, 3000m: 9:21.46
Jenna Barker has taken the 2023 season by storm, turning in personal best after personal best across three different distances. Primarily a mid-distance runner during track season, Barker has shown her flexibility by running anywhere from 800 to 3000 meters.
She has won all five races she's run this season including a then-Big Ten leading time of 9:21.46 at 3000 meters. The Richmond, Ind. native has taken her game to a whole new level and features among a trio of graduate students in herself, Maddie Dalton and Sarah Schmitt.
Maddie Dalton
Season Bests
800m: 2:12.29, Mile: 4:43.66, 3000m: 9:26.18
Maddie Dalton has joined Barker in enjoying a tremendous start to the 2023 season. After earning All-Region honors in Cross Country in the fall, she has run personal bests at three different distances on the track including a big improvement of 9:26.18 at 3000 meters.
The Carmel, Ind. native has run alongside Barker all season long and has the potential to score points in her event of choice at the Big Ten Indoor Championships.
Jake Gebhardt
Season Bests:
800m: 1:51.85, Mile: 3:59.18, 3000m: 7:52.97
Another graduate student enjoying big success is Jake Gebhardt. Since the turn of the calendar year, he's won every event he's run and turned in a pair of top-10 times in program history in two different events.
At the Commodore Challenge, he broke the 4-minute barrier in the Mile (3:59.18) alongside teammate Camden Marshall for the first time. He moved into No. 9 in program history with that mark. Following that run, he came back an hour later and lowered his personal best to 1:51.85 at 800 meters.
That performance in Nashville earned him the honor of Big Ten Men's Track Athlete of the Week. He also earned weekly honors from the conference during Cross Country season.
At the Indiana Relays, he ran a massive personal best of 7:52.97 in the 3000 meters which still stands as the conference's leading time this year.
He's expected to play a part in the Hoosiers' Distance Medley Relay team and will have a say at the Big Ten Indoor Championships, likely in the 3000 meters.
Camden Marshall
Season Bests:
800m: 1:48.83, Mile: 3:59.30
One of the top mid-distance runners in the Big Ten, Marshall already holds claim to a Big Ten title and will look to add to the collection this season.
Marshall joined Gebhardt in breaking the sub 4-minute barrier in the Mile at the Commodore Challenge, moving into No. 10 in program history with his run of 3:59.30.
He's also one of seven athletes, the other six coming from Penn State, to break 1:49 in the 800 meters this year, running an indoor personal best of 1:48.83 at the Meyo Invitational.
The Corydon, Ind. native will run on IU's best Distance Medley Relay team and will be a contender to repeat at 800 meters in the Big Ten.
Other Top Performers:
Parker Raymond
800m: 1:49.98
Maddie Russin
800m: 2:09.36
Sarah Schmitt
Mile: 4:45.71
Phoebe Bates
3000m: 9:33.49
Following a Cross Country season that saw breakout stars in Gabriel Sanchez and Mariah Wehrle, the Hoosiers have turned to their veteran crew to help spark a big start to the Track and Field season.
Still awaiting the debut of its full Distance Medley Relay teams, IU has the pieces to score big points at the Big Ten Indoor Championships and turn that into positive momentum heading into the outdoor campaign.
A quick look at the 2023 season so far:
Athletes
Jenna Barker
Season Bests:
800m: 2:08.91 , Mile: 4:42.74, 3000m: 9:21.46
Jenna Barker has taken the 2023 season by storm, turning in personal best after personal best across three different distances. Primarily a mid-distance runner during track season, Barker has shown her flexibility by running anywhere from 800 to 3000 meters.
She has won all five races she's run this season including a then-Big Ten leading time of 9:21.46 at 3000 meters. The Richmond, Ind. native has taken her game to a whole new level and features among a trio of graduate students in herself, Maddie Dalton and Sarah Schmitt.
Maddie Dalton
Season Bests
800m: 2:12.29, Mile: 4:43.66, 3000m: 9:26.18
Maddie Dalton has joined Barker in enjoying a tremendous start to the 2023 season. After earning All-Region honors in Cross Country in the fall, she has run personal bests at three different distances on the track including a big improvement of 9:26.18 at 3000 meters.
The Carmel, Ind. native has run alongside Barker all season long and has the potential to score points in her event of choice at the Big Ten Indoor Championships.
Jake Gebhardt
Season Bests:
800m: 1:51.85, Mile: 3:59.18, 3000m: 7:52.97
Another graduate student enjoying big success is Jake Gebhardt. Since the turn of the calendar year, he's won every event he's run and turned in a pair of top-10 times in program history in two different events.
At the Commodore Challenge, he broke the 4-minute barrier in the Mile (3:59.18) alongside teammate Camden Marshall for the first time. He moved into No. 9 in program history with that mark. Following that run, he came back an hour later and lowered his personal best to 1:51.85 at 800 meters.
That performance in Nashville earned him the honor of Big Ten Men's Track Athlete of the Week. He also earned weekly honors from the conference during Cross Country season.
At the Indiana Relays, he ran a massive personal best of 7:52.97 in the 3000 meters which still stands as the conference's leading time this year.
He's expected to play a part in the Hoosiers' Distance Medley Relay team and will have a say at the Big Ten Indoor Championships, likely in the 3000 meters.
Camden Marshall
Season Bests:
800m: 1:48.83, Mile: 3:59.30
One of the top mid-distance runners in the Big Ten, Marshall already holds claim to a Big Ten title and will look to add to the collection this season.
Marshall joined Gebhardt in breaking the sub 4-minute barrier in the Mile at the Commodore Challenge, moving into No. 10 in program history with his run of 3:59.30.
He's also one of seven athletes, the other six coming from Penn State, to break 1:49 in the 800 meters this year, running an indoor personal best of 1:48.83 at the Meyo Invitational.
The Corydon, Ind. native will run on IU's best Distance Medley Relay team and will be a contender to repeat at 800 meters in the Big Ten.
Other Top Performers:
Parker Raymond
800m: 1:49.98
Maddie Russin
800m: 2:09.36
Sarah Schmitt
Mile: 4:45.71
Phoebe Bates
3000m: 9:33.49
Players Mentioned
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