Former Franklin distance standout Andrew Bixler has found success running the 3,000-meter steeplechase for the University of Indianapolis.
Submitted photo
Gone are the times in which perspiration was the only thing that could soak Andrew Bixler’s track uniform.
Water, it appears, is gaining fast.
Bixler, a University of Indianapolis senior, is in his second season representing the Greyhound men’s squad in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, seven and a half lung-searing laps of running and jumping with the occasional splash mixed in.
“I started steeplechasing one week before our conference meet last season,” said Bixler, a former cross country and track standout at Franklin. “I was in a position where I was on the edge of making it to conference in a lot of events, so my coach (Brad Robinson) said, ‘What about trying the steeplechase?’
“Two days later, I was out practicing hurdle jumps, and probably three or four days after that I ran my first meet. My time wasn’t terrible (10 minutes, 16.95 seconds at Indiana State’s Sycamore Open), and was quick enough to qualify for conference.”
Bixler went on to place 10th at the Great Lakes Valley Conference meet in Bolivar, Missouri, his time significantly better (9:54.97). This season, Bixler won the steeplechase at Indiana Tech’s Warrior Open in 10:13.77.
He will be part of today’s steeplechase field at the Indiana Little State Championships at Indiana Wesleyan.
Bixler, a two-time state cross country finalist while in high school, never anticipated his somewhat uncustomary change of race-day priorities and the type of training it would entail.
Uncertainty, combined with the challenge of trying something new, made for a powerful combination.
Though Bixler had taken part in five other track events in his UIndy career — the others being the 800, 1,500, 3,000, 5,000 and 10,000 runs — there was no guarantee he would have a fast enough time to qualify for the conference meet.
“We were having a conversation last season … it kind of started as a joke a little bit,” Robinson said. “Andrew’s got the range, he’s got some speed. The fact you have to jump over a barrier every 80 meters, you’re not able to zone out.
“It keeps him a little more dialed in that way. And when you start having success, it gives you a little more confidence. A little more purpose.”
The 3,000-meter steeplechase features five barriers per lap, each 36 inches high, as well as a pit of water. The pit has an upward slope, meaning the depth of water becomes shallower the further out an athlete can jump off the barrier positioned in front of it.
As a result, Bixler completes competition with soggy shoes. And, at least in one memorable instance, with his entire uniform soaked.
This season’s GLVC outdoor meet is scheduled for May 4-6 in Rolla, Missouri. It may or may not signal the conclusion to Bixler’s time as a college athlete. He still has one season of eligibility remaining due to the COVID-19 outbreak his freshman track season, but he has yet to commit to another year.
Bixler has already received his bachelor’s degree in math at UIndy and is currently in pursuit of his master’s in secondary education.
Academically and athletically, he continues to clear barriers.
“Steeplechase is such a hard event. The first time I ran it, with two laps left, I was like, ‘I don’t know if I can finish this race,’” said Bixler, who twice has been named academic all-conference. “Now I want to score at conference, which is the top eight.”
