Hoosiers Dominate in Gladstein Invite

Andy Bayer and Chelsea Blanchard blazed the track inside Gladstein Fieldhouse on their way to claiming Big Ten Track Athletes of the Week honors. Bayer recorded the fastest time in the world in 2011 thus far in the men’s 3000m invitational race with a time of 7:48:35. Blanchard recorded a time of 9:24.41 in the women’s 3000m race.

Other winners include Derek Drouin in the men’s heptathlon, Faith Sherrill in the women’s shot put, and Kind Butler took first in the men’s 60m and 200m races.

In total, the Hoosiers won 19 of the events over the weekend.

IU Heads Home After Road Struggle

Following a valiant effort in Madison in a 69-60 loss to the No. 17 Badgers on Thursday, Tom Crean’s troops were unable to bring the same intensity to Big Ten cellar dweller Iowa, losing 91-77 to the Hawkeyes. Indiana is now 1-23 on the road in Crean’s tenure.

The Hoosiers head back to Assembly Hall on Thursday to take on rival No. 20 Illinois in the season’s first “Red Out.” On Sunday, Crean returns to his home state of Michigan to face good friend and mentor Tom Izzo and his struggling Spartans in East Lansing.

Randle El Returns to the Super Bowl

Former Indiana quarterback and current Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antwaan Randle El will play for his second Super Bowl ring after the Steelers took down the New York Jets in the AFC Championship on Sunday. Randle El won his first ring in 2006 as the Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL. The former Big Ten Most Valuable Player threw a 43 yard touchdown to Hines Ward in the 21-10 victory.

In last year’s Super Bowl, former IU cornerback Tracy Porter played hero for the New Orleans Saints as he returned a fourth-quarter Peyton Manning interception 74 yards for a touchdown to seal the 31-17 win against the Indianapolis Colts.