Jan., 2001

One Olympian...Five All-Americans...14 Big Ten Placewinners

Those are the returning numbers for the 2001 Illinois women's track and field program. The young Illini team of last season returns nearly all of its athletes that competed at the Big Ten Championships in 2000. Head Coach Gary Winckler and his assistants Michelle Byrne and John Baumann are directing a more experienced, battle-tested group this season. A group that enters the season with one common thing in mind: to compete for a Big Ten title.

"We're a year older now, primarily a sophomore-junior group, and I think this is really the year for us to put it all together," Winckler said. "They have now seen what it takes to be successful in the Big Ten, and I think the potential for this team is pretty exciting."

During his tenure at Illinois, Winckler has grown accustomed to being on top, as the Illini have won nine Big Ten Championships. The current athletes have been training hard throughout the fall to get Illinois back to that championship level this year.

"In talking with the athletes, they have expressed to me that they really want to do better in the conference as a team than we did last year, and they seem very serious about it," Winckler said. "They are hungry, and there's some anticipation on their part that I haven't seen in a while. And I think that attitude comes from competing at the championships, gaining that experience, and realizing what it takes to be successful. I see us as a much more mature and focused group this year."

Illinois' senior class is small in numbers, with just three seniors on the roster in Aleisha Latimer, Tara Mendozza, and Gia Lewis. But those athletes are proven at both the Big Ten and national level. Latimer, a reigning All-American in the 200m, headlines the sprinting corps, and Mendozza, a returning All-American in the mile run, will anchor the middle distance unit, although she will only be available during the outdoor season after already completing her indoor eligibility. Lewis, who competed in the NCAA's and U.S. Olympic Trials in the discus, leads the field events group. The Illini have also picked up an experienced athlete in graduate student Elizabeth Kampfe. Kampfe was an All-American in both track and cross country at Michigan. She is working on her MBA at Illinois and has one year of track eligibility remaining to use with the Fighting Illini.

Leading the junior class are Chequetta Bearfield, Camee' Williams, Jordana Meyer, and Ade Oshinowo. Bearfield, was a warrior for the Illini last year, scoring in a number of sprints at the Big Ten meets and leading off the UI's All-American 4x100m relay team that placed fifth at the NCAA Championships. Williams, Meyer, and Oshinowo are also multiple-time returning placewinners at the Big Ten level.

Headlining the sophomores are Crystal Riley, Amber Hunt, and Cecelia Williams. Riley had a strong freshman season, scoring in both the 60m hurdles and 100m hurdles in addition to her work in the horizontal jumps. Hunt and Williams were standouts as freshmen in cross country and track, and this past fall were again Illinois' top two runners in cross country as Williams earned first team All-Big Ten honors and both runners were named All-Region.

Standing in a class by herself is Perdita Felicien, who will be a freshman indoors and sophomore outdoors. Felicien had one of the greatest inaugural seasons in the storied history of Illinois track and field. She earned All-American honors in two events at the NCAA Championships, placing sixth in the 100m hurdles and running on the 4x100m relay. In the preliminaries of the 100m hurdles, Felicien ran a personal best time of 12.91, shattering the Illinois school record and running the fastest time ever by a freshman at the NCAA Outdoors. Over the summer, she won the Canadian National Championship in the 100m hurdles and was a participant in the Summer Olympic Games in Sydney.

"I think Perdita really exceeded everyone's expectations last outdoor season, including her own," Winckler said. "We've had many athletes improve a great deal over the course of a season, but no one that's come close to setting a school record in their first year. All the credit really goes to her, because she's very gifted and she listens well. From a coaching perspective, she goes out and tries to execute what you ask of her."

Illinois recruited another strong freshmen class, consisting mainly of middle distance/distance athletes. Breanna Wabick, Katie Hartmann, Erin Frakes, and Marcy Bice were all key contributors during the 2000 cross country season, scoring for the Illini at the Big Ten and Regional meets. The Illini also landed a standout pole vaulter in 1999 Jr. World Championships participant Angela Hilgers.

Always strong in the sprints and hurdles, through its recruiting efforts Illinois has added an influx of talent in the distance and field events over the past two seasons. Winckler and his assistants are following through on their goal to make the Illini program balanced and competitive in every event area.

"I think that's the real key to doing well in the Big Ten," Winckler said. "There's so much parity in this conference in track and field, that you cannot come in anymore with just a one dimensional team, or even a two dimensional team and realistically expect to win. We want to go in and score in as many events as we can, because that's what you need to do to have a successful program.

Another key to Illinois' success over the years has been the emphasis on training and instruction with each athlete individually. That has once again been the main theme of the coaching staff this season.

"We really spend a lot of time with our athletes, meeting with them, talking with them, and working with them on an individual basis," Winckler said. "Focusing on what we need to do, as each separate piece of the puzzle, is going to make us a good team. Our philosophy has been consistent from day one: `Work on the things that you need to do in the here and now, to make yourself a better athlete.' When I've coached that way in the past is when we have really succeeded, and that's what we've done this year."

SPRINTS AND HURDLES Sprinter Aleisha Latimer, a three-time All-American and four-time Big Ten Champion, is back to full strength after a hamstring injury limited her outdoors in 2000. Latimer placed second in the 60m, third in the 200m, and anchored Illinois' championship 4x400m relay at last year's Big Ten Indoor meet. Chequetta Bearfield, a national qualifier outdoors and two-time Big Ten Champion, will run a number of sprints, primarily the 200m. Olympian Perdita Felicien will compete in the 60m hurdles during her first collegiate indoor season, and the 100m hurdles. Winckler also plans to expand Felicien's work in the flat sprints and relays. Crystal Riley was one of Illinois' most versatile athletes a year ago and is a two-time returning placewinner in the high hurdles, while Camee' Williams also provides depth in the hurdles. Jordana Meyer and Carolyn Estes both scored in the 400m hurdles last season and will continue to focus on that event again this year. Indoors, Estes will run the 400m while Meyer will concentrate on the 600m.

MIDDLE AND LONG DISTANCE This season, the Illini unveil one of its strongest middle distance and distance group in years. Tara Mendozza, a two-time All-American in the 800m and mile, returns after an achilles injury forced her to redshirt the 2000 outdoor season. She will be striving for a Big Ten title in the 1,500m during her final outdoor campaign. Elizabeth Kampfe joins the Illini after earning All-American honors twice at Michigan. She will bolster Illinois' effort in the long distances, primarily the 5,000m and 10,000m. Amber Hunt, who scored for the Illini in both the 3,000m and 5,000m at last season's Big Ten Outdoors, and cross country All-Big Ten honoree Cecelia Williams will be conference contenders in the 3,000m and 5,000m. The talented freshman class will contribute in a range of events, beginning with Illinois high school state champion Tabitha Volling in the 800m. Breanna Wabick, who earned All-Region honors in cross country, and Becky Bullard will join Mendozza in the mile. Katie Hartmann, the Illinois Class A state cross country champion as a senior will concentrate on the 3,000m. Providing depth in the 5,000m and 10,000m are newcomers Marcy Bice and Erin Frakes.

FIELD EVENTS Crystal Riley and Camee' Williams will compete in the long jump in addition to their hurdles work, with Riley also triple jumping. Williams is a returning Big Ten placewinner in the high jump, while Jessica Bayne made great strides as a freshman in the high jump. Leading the way in the shot put, is Illinois' most versatile thrower, Ade Oshinowo, who has scored twice at the Big Ten level. Oshinowo is also a returning scorer in the discus, and will include the hammer in her outdoor duties while competing in the weight throw indoors. Gia Lewis, who came within two inches of the school discus record last season, looks to again qualify for the NCAA Championships in the discus, along with taking on additional work in the shot put. Tracy Moss will also contend for points in the discus, coming off of her appearance at the Jr. Nationals over the summer. The Illini bring in one of the top pole vault recruits in the nation in freshman Angela Hilgers, who was a U.S. Junior National Champion in 1999. Katie LeVanti will compliment UI's throwers after placing second in the discus at the Illinois state meet as a senior. Rounding out the field events is the javelin, where Audrea Wall and Bayne will carry the work load.