June 12, 2010

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EUGENE, Ore. - Sophomore Andrew Riley capped off an outstanding season by winning the 110m hurdles national title on Saturday afternoon at the NCAA Championships. The Kingston, Jamaica, native clocked a personal-best and school-record time of 13.45 to earn the crown in front of nearly 13,000 fans at a sold-out Hayward Field, giving Illinois its first NCAA champion since 1996 when Marko Koers took home the 1,500m title. Illinois also had its best team finish in 14 years, as it tied for 27th overall with the 10 points from Riley.

"I can't believe my dream has finally come true," Riley said. "Today, I just went out there and focused on my race, my lane, my hurdles and that got the job done. The false start was pretty nerve-wracking, but coach Bailey had worked with me on holding my start in practice and that just paid off today. I just want to thank God, my family, friends and everyone that has been working with me."

After a false start disqualified South Carolina's Johnny Dutch, the competitors were brought back to the line for a restart. On the second start, Riley burst off the blocks in lane three and got out to an early lead. He maintained the advantage over each flight of hurdles and held off a late charge by runner-up Barrett Nugent (13.49) of LSU and the defending champion Ronnie Ash (13.51) of Oklahoma, who took third.

"I am speechless," interim head coach Mike Turk said. "What an outstanding race by Andrew. We talked about focus and maturity, and Andrew kept his composure, which made the difference today. This is an outstanding moment, and I am so happy for him. (Hurdles) coach Tonja Buford-Bailey did a great job of preparing Andrew and deserves all the credit."

Riley's victory came in front of a standing room-only crowd of 12,812 at Hayward Field, which sold out for the second straight day. It marks the 45th national title in school history and the first-ever first-place finish by an Illini in the 110m high hurdles. Three former Illini took home the top spot in the 120-yard high hurdles, with Dave Nichols (1944), George Walker (1945) and Willard Thomson (1954).

"I'm most proud that Andrew executed his race plan on the biggest stage of his career," Buford-Bailey said. "He had run that pace in practice, so I knew he could do it, but it was just a matter of getting it done in the race situation. Andrew is one of the best starters in the field, and he had a great start today. He just stayed calm and relaxed while focusing on his technique."

With the win, Riley also earned the fourth All-America accolade of his career. He finished fifth in the 110m hurdles as a freshman at last year's NCAA Championships, and is also a two-time indoor All-American in the 60m hurdles. His time of 13.45 broke his own school-record mark of 13.53, which he set at the LSU Alumni Gold Invitational on April 17. For the year, Riley won the 110m hurdles title at five meets, including the Drake Relays and at the Big Ten Championships.

"I am happy about the win, and I feel like I fully used my speed today," Riley said. "I ran under no pressure, just for fun. I am going back to working hard now. This championship really motivated me."

110m Hurdles Final Results at the NCAA Championships

1. Andrew Riley, Illinois - 13.45 *NCAA champion
2. Barrett Nugent, LSU - 13.49
3. Ronnie Ash, Oklahoma - 13.51
4. Oscar Spurlock, Southern California - 13.58
5. Jeffrey Julmis, Kansas State - 13.61
6. Lehann Fourie, Nebraska - 13.68
7. Keiron Stewart, Texas - 13.97
FS Johnny Dutch, South Carolina