IU Track & Field in the Lead for Program of the Year
IU Track & Field in the Lead for Program of the Year
March 19, 2012
Track and Field contact - Kyle Johnson (krj@indiana.edu)
IU Track & Field in the Lead for Program of the Year
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - IndianaÂ’s menÂ’s track and field and cross country program leads the standings for the John McDonnell Program of the Year Award for NCAA Division I. The Hoosiers hold a tight lead with 13 points, accumulated in tallying a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in the fall and a sixth-place showing at the indoor track & field championships on March 10. IndianaÂ’s previous best showing in the Program of the Year race was fourth a year ago.
Stanford, runner-up for the award a year ago, currently sits second in the award standings with 16 points (5 XC, 11 ITF). BYU and Texas are tied for third with 18 points apiece. The Cougars of BYU finished third in the final standings for the 2010-11 school year. Florida State – the award winner from a year ago – sits in fifth place with 21 points (12 XC, =8 ITF). Reigning cross country champion Wisconsin (1 XC, 30 ITF) is tied with national indoor champ Florida (30 XC, 1 ITF) for seventh with 31 points.
Indiana Director and Head Coach Ron Helmer said that since arriving in Bloomington in 2007-08, his coaching staffÂ’s focus has been on fielding competitive teams in all three seasons, and that ranking high in the program of the year standings is a sign of success.
“The goal we have set for our program is to compete for championships in all three seasons,” said Helmer. “We have made the decision not to sacrifice one season for a pay off in another, and we’ve been able to post five top-10 finishes at NCAA meets in the past three years because of it. The Program of the Year award is a good barometer of what we’re trying to accomplish at IU. Our student-athletes have bought in, and to be in this position is a testament to their hard work. Obviously we need to stay on task and finish the year off with a great outdoor meet giving us a chance to secure the award and the associated recognition for our program.”
The Program of the Year Awards are awarded annually to the most outstanding cross country/track & field programs. The award honors the institution that has achieved the most success in each academic year (spanning the cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field seasons) based on the institutionÂ’s finish at the NCAA Championships.
In order to be eligible for the award, teams must qualify for each of the NCAA Championships. Scoring is based on the teamÂ’s finish at each NCAA Division I Championship in cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field (i.e. 1st = 1 point, 2nd = 2 points, 31st = 31 points) with the lowest total score for all three championships combined determining the award recipient. Ties among schools split points for positions taken.
Indiana opens the outdoor season this weekend, visiting Mississippi State for the Big Ten/SEC Challenge on Fri., March 23. For complete coverage of all things IU track and field, stay tuned to IUHoosiers.com.