Four IU All-Americans, Poore third in Steeple
June 10, 2011
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Indiana's stellar national meet continued on Friday, with four Hoosiers earning All-America laurels with top-eight finishes. Andrew Poore headlined the day for IU with third place in the 3,000m steeplechase, and De'Sean Turner was also in the points, taking sixth. In the women's pole vault, Vera Neuenswander capped her collegiate career with fourth place, and sophomore Kelsie Ahbe climbed the awards stand for the first time in sixth.
Photo by Mike Dickbernd/IU Athletics
Indiana finished the day with nine points on the men's side and is in 26th place. The women have eight and are tied for 25th place.
Poore clocked a time of 8:36.40 for third, his best finish ever at an NCAA meet and the best finish in the steeplechase ever by a Hoosier, bettering Mark Gibbens' seventh-place finish in 1968. Turner also finished better than Gibbens, taking sixth in 8:39.12 to earn All-America laurels in the event for the second-straight year. The pair of Hoosiers earn Indiana's fifth and sixth All-America certificates all-time in the event. Andy Weatherford will take second-team All-America honors in the event, having finished 10th in 8:47.72. The Hoosiers scored nine points in the event
Neuenswander and Ahbe both cleared 4.30m (14-1.25) for All-America honors. Ahbe joins Neuenswander as the only All-Americans for IU in the women's pole vault and the only two women to clear 14 feet. Neuenswander cleared the bar on her first attempt after going down to a third attempt at 4.20m (13-9.25). Ahbe cleared the 4.20m bar on her first and the 4.30m bar on her third. Ahbe adds an inch and a half to her PR, which ranks second all-time at IU behind Neuenswander. The pair scored eight points for the Hoosiers.
Saturday is the final day of the NCAA Championships, with the men's 4x100m relay, Faith Sherrill and Monique Riddick in the women's shot put, Sarah Pease in the women's steeplechase and Poore and Ben Hubers in the men's 5,000m run left on the docket for IU.
The Hoosiers return to action at the NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday, June 11.
