Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Confident Ahead of NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships
3/8/2023 10:00:00 AM | Track and Field
The Indiana Track and Field teams will head to Albuquerque, N.M. this weekend as the best collegiate athletes in the country gather to contest the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.
IU will send athletes in the Women's Long Jump and Women's Shot Put as well as a quartet of runners to race in the Men's Distance Medley Relay.
A mix of returning All-Americans in Camden Marshall and Parker Raymond join debutants at the indoor national meet in Jake Gebhardt, Shaton Vaughn, Jayden Ulrich and Paola Fernandez-Sola this weekend.
Before heading out to New Mexico, we caught up with our national qualifiers to get their thoughts heading into the NCAA Indoor Championships.
What does it mean to qualify for the national meet in one of the most competitive indoor years in NCAA history?
Ulrich: "It means a lot because I know all my hard work is paying off. To be able to go with some of the top throwers in the nation is very special to me."
Fernandez-Sola: "I'm certainly excited. Being on the cut makes it more fun because it tells me I'm as skilled as the others, but I needed that little extra help to get in. I thank God for the opportunity and don't want to take that for granted."
How special is it to represent run the DMR for Indiana, a legacy event developed under Coach Helmer?
Gebhardt: "It's going to be a special moment. It's always been a goal of mine to be at the national meet whether it be individually or on this DMR. Just excited to get out there and run with the best athletes in the country. I know the guys are going to get me the baton in the right spot and just going to put my nose in there and try and get us as high up on the podium as we can be."
Raymond: "The DMR is extremely important here. It's the legacy that Coach Helmer has built and part of the team culture. To come together and put out a good group of guys, it means a lot."
Second time around at the national meet in the DMR, what lessons do you take from last year into the race this weekend?
Marshall: "Last year, I went out towards the back of the pack and tried to close down late. It's hard to do on that track. I've learned to just get out and go for it. I am a lot better than I was last year so I'm just more confident all around."
Raymond: "First time around was just battling nerves. There's nothing like it. This time around, I'm more prepared and mentally ready to go."
To represent the university and the program on the biggest stage, what does that mean to you?
Fernandez-Sola: "I'm flattered to be joining them because they are amazing. Even though we are a little group, it's a quality group. We take are colors with pride. I know we are going to have a very good presentation."
Gebhardt: "When you're at Indiana, your goal is to get on the DMR team. Any leg, it's pretty special to be on the DMR. To be in this group that's always at the national meet, running well and representing the university, it means a lot to me."
How are you feeling heading into the weekend?
Ulrich: "I've been building on some really consistent throws and having some mid-17 numbers coming out of not just the Big Ten's but meets before that. That's a big deal to me. I feel pretty good going into it."
Competition Schedule:
Women's Long Jump: Friday, March 10th (4:00 PM MST/6:00 PM EST)
Men's Distance Medley Relay: Friday, March 10th (8:45 PM MST/10:45 PM MST)
Women's Shot Put: Saturday, March 11th (4:00 PM MST/6:00 PM EST)
IU will send athletes in the Women's Long Jump and Women's Shot Put as well as a quartet of runners to race in the Men's Distance Medley Relay.
A mix of returning All-Americans in Camden Marshall and Parker Raymond join debutants at the indoor national meet in Jake Gebhardt, Shaton Vaughn, Jayden Ulrich and Paola Fernandez-Sola this weekend.
Before heading out to New Mexico, we caught up with our national qualifiers to get their thoughts heading into the NCAA Indoor Championships.
What does it mean to qualify for the national meet in one of the most competitive indoor years in NCAA history?
Ulrich: "It means a lot because I know all my hard work is paying off. To be able to go with some of the top throwers in the nation is very special to me."
Fernandez-Sola: "I'm certainly excited. Being on the cut makes it more fun because it tells me I'm as skilled as the others, but I needed that little extra help to get in. I thank God for the opportunity and don't want to take that for granted."
How special is it to represent run the DMR for Indiana, a legacy event developed under Coach Helmer?
Gebhardt: "It's going to be a special moment. It's always been a goal of mine to be at the national meet whether it be individually or on this DMR. Just excited to get out there and run with the best athletes in the country. I know the guys are going to get me the baton in the right spot and just going to put my nose in there and try and get us as high up on the podium as we can be."
Raymond: "The DMR is extremely important here. It's the legacy that Coach Helmer has built and part of the team culture. To come together and put out a good group of guys, it means a lot."
Second time around at the national meet in the DMR, what lessons do you take from last year into the race this weekend?
Marshall: "Last year, I went out towards the back of the pack and tried to close down late. It's hard to do on that track. I've learned to just get out and go for it. I am a lot better than I was last year so I'm just more confident all around."
Raymond: "First time around was just battling nerves. There's nothing like it. This time around, I'm more prepared and mentally ready to go."
To represent the university and the program on the biggest stage, what does that mean to you?
Fernandez-Sola: "I'm flattered to be joining them because they are amazing. Even though we are a little group, it's a quality group. We take are colors with pride. I know we are going to have a very good presentation."
Gebhardt: "When you're at Indiana, your goal is to get on the DMR team. Any leg, it's pretty special to be on the DMR. To be in this group that's always at the national meet, running well and representing the university, it means a lot to me."
How are you feeling heading into the weekend?
Ulrich: "I've been building on some really consistent throws and having some mid-17 numbers coming out of not just the Big Ten's but meets before that. That's a big deal to me. I feel pretty good going into it."
Competition Schedule:
Women's Long Jump: Friday, March 10th (4:00 PM MST/6:00 PM EST)
Men's Distance Medley Relay: Friday, March 10th (8:45 PM MST/10:45 PM MST)
Women's Shot Put: Saturday, March 11th (4:00 PM MST/6:00 PM EST)
Players Mentioned
Jumps
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Distance
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Mid-Distance
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Mid-Distance
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Throws
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Sprints/Hurdles
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