May 13, 2007
Results
University Park, Pa. - The Fighting Illini men's track & field team claimed three titles on the final day of the 2007 Big Ten Outdoor Championships on the campus of Penn State University. Sophomore Lesiba Masheto won the 400m and senior Adrian Walker took home the 400m hurdle crown, while the 4x400m relay of Walker, senior Tramell Smith, junior Paul Johnson and Masheto closed out the meet with a bang by winning at the tape. As a team, the Illini finished in sixth place, up one spot from yesterday.
"I'm very proud these guys," said Illini head coach Wayne Angel. "We came up short of our goal (top-three) but we scratched and clawed and turned in some great performances all-around. Only 13 points separated third and sixth place so we were right there, there just wasn't any margin for error."
Masheto claimed the Orange and Blue's first gold medal of the day in the 400m dash. The Botswana native ran a 45.54 to edge Minnesota's Aaron Buzard (45.80) for the title, just off of his nation-leading time of 45.41 set back on March 17 and narrowly missing the 23-year old track record of 45.48. The win gave Masheto his second career Big Ten title, as he won the 600m crown indoors, and made him the first Illini outdoor 400m champ since Lee Bridges in 1989. Masheto, who hadn't run the 200m outdoors until this weekend, also claimed third in that event with a regional qualifying time of 21.11, and anchored the winning 4x400m relay.
"Masheto is now starting to get back into the form he was in early this season," Angel said. "He is just an amazing quarter miler and he opened a lot of eyes in the 200. He had a heck of a day."
Walker, meanwhile, cruised to Illinois' second victory of the day by running a blazing 50.29 in the 400m hurdles, setting a new track record in the process by bettering the old mark of 50.39 set back in 1981 by Penn State's Paul Lankford. It was the fourth individual Big Ten crown for Walker, who would add a fifth gold medal later in the day by running lead-off on the 4x400m relay. Walker also became the third Illini in the last four years to win gold in the 400m hurdles, as Abe Jones took home the titles in 2004 and 2006.
"Adrian finally put it together," Angel said. "The last couple meets I thought he was going out too fast. The 400 hurdles are a rhythm race, and today he figured it out and relaxed. He won it easily and set a track record."
The Championships ended with a bang in a thrilling 4x400m relay, as Masheto made up a 10-meter deficit in the final 150 meters to again edge Minnesota's Buzard, this time by just .06 seconds, and give Illinois its third title of the day. The winning time of 3:07.32 by the team of Walker, Smith, Johnson and Masheto was just off the track record of 3:07.25, set back in 1982. It is the second time in the last three years that Illinois won the 4x400 crown.
"Winning the mile relay (4x400) was a great way to cap off the Championships," said Angel. "It was an unbelievable race; Masheto ran an incredible 44.9 split to come-from-behind and win at the tape. I'm encouraged that this team can run 3:04 or 3:05 down the road."
Other stand-out performers for the Illini on day three were Smith, who took second in the 800m run with a season best time of 1:48.85, and junior Nick Brown, who placed third in the triple jump with a leap of 51'1.5". The Illini also got points from freshman Joey Hodges' fifth place finish in the 400m hurdles (51.72) and in the 110m hurdles as senior Bryan Pratt placed seventh with a time of 14.31. Senior Jason Bill (14:20.75) and junior Trent Hoerr (14:23.57) took seventh and eighth, respectively, in the 5,000m to add points, while the 4x100m relay of junior Pierre Bush, Hodges, Johnson and senior Anthony Young finished seventh.
"The guys wanted to redeem themselves after the 10th place finish at indoors, and they certainly did that today," Angel said. "I can't say enough about our guys, they went out and competed today, and like I said, I'm extremely proud of them. We've got our pride back and now we can focus on regionals and getting to nationals."
Wisconsin easily claimed its fifth-straight Big Ten Outdoor title with 145.5 points, outdistancing second-place Minnesota (100.5) by 45 points. Michigan was third with 94 points, followed by Penn State (93.5), Purdue (92.5) and Illinois (81.5) in the top-six. Iowa (74), Indiana (56), Ohio State (52) and Michigan State (28) rounded out the team standings.
Illinois will now look forward to the 2007 NCAA Mid-East Regional Championships, which take place May 25-26 in Columbia, Mo.
2007 Big Ten Outdoor Championships Day 3 Illinois Results // Sunday, May 13, 2007
Shot Put FINAL
None
Pole Vault FINAL
9. Andrew Zollner 16'2.75" (4.95m)
13. Matt Ragusa 15'11" (4.85m)
17. James Keller 15'7" (4.75m)
18. John Adamczyk 15'1" (4.60m)
Triple Jump FINAL
3. Nick Brown 51'1.5" (15.58m) R 6 pts.
13. Fred Jackson 46'10.75" (14.29m)
Javelin FINAL
12. Andrew Zollner 173'8" (52.94m)
4x100m Relay FINAL
7. Illinois 41.68 2 pts.
(Bush, Hodges, Johnson, Young)
1,500m FINAL
None
110m Hurdle FINAL
7. Bryan Pratt 14.31 2 pts.
9. Joey Hodges 14.61
400m FINAL
1. Lesiba Masheto 45.54 R 10 pts.
100m FINAL
None
800m FINAL
2. Tramell Smith 1:48.85 R 8 pts.
400m Hurdle FINAL
1. Adrian Walker 50.29 R F 10 pts.
5. Joey Hodges 51.72 R 4 pts.
200m FINAL
3. Lesiba Masheto 21.11 R 6 pt.s
5,000m FINAL
7. Jason Bill 14:20.75 2 pts.
8. Trent Hoerr 14:23.57 1 pt.
10. Jon Houseworth 14:28.25
12. Jacob Nachel 14:34.55
4x400m Relay FINAL
1. Illinois 3:07.32 R 10 pts.
(Walker, Smith, Johnson, Masheto)
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS (21 events)
1. Wisconsin 145.5
2. Minnesota 100.5
3. Michigan 94
4. Penn State 93.5
5. Purdue 92.5
6. ILLINOIS 81.5
7. Iowa 74.5
8. Indiana 56
9. Ohio State 52
10. Michigan State 28
F - Indicates facility record
R - Indicates regional qualifying time
