Feb. 23, 2001

Champaign, IL - The University of Illinois men's track & field team travels to State College, Pa. to compete in the Big Ten Indoor Championships on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 24-25. The meet, hosted by Penn State University, will be held at the Multi-Sport Complex on a 200-meter, banked track. The Illini got a preview of the facility earlier this season, when the team competed at the Penn State USTCA on Feb. 9-10.

This is the 91st anniversary of the Big Ten Men's Indoor Championships. Here is a breakdown of the team championships won by each school:

1. Michigan 26 (includes one co-championship)

2. Illinois 21

3. Wisconsin 15 (includes one co-championship)

Indiana 15

5. Ohio State 5 (includes one co-championship)

6. Iowa 3 (includes one co-championship)

Michigan State 3

Chicago 3 (left Big Ten in 1947)

9. Minnesota 1

10. Purdue 0

Penn State 0

Northwestern 0 (discontinued sport in 1988)

Illinois ranks second behind Michigan with its 21 indoor conference titles. During Head Coach Gary Wieneke's tenure (now in his 27th year), the Illini have won five Big Ten indoor championships (11 total), with the last one coming during the 1989 indoor season. Illinois has finished second indoors nine other times, including last season when the Illini were runner-up to champion Wisconsin. Under Wieneke, Illinois has finished in the upper-half of the conference in 23 of 26 indoor meets. The only exceptions were two sixth place finishes in 1979, 1983, and 1992.

Here is the scoring breakdown from last year's Big Ten indoor meet:

1. Wisconsin 150

2. Illinois 82.5

3. Minnesota 82

4. Ohio State 78

5. Purdue 76

6. Michigan 62

Indiana 62

8. Iowa 55

9. Penn State 34.5

10. Michigan St. 19

Nine of 15 placewinners are back from last year's team, meaning athletes that scored 53 of Illinois' 82.5 points at the 2000 Big Ten indoors will be in action. According to Wieneke, all signs so far have pointed towards another successful Big Ten meet this weekend.

"Our performances have gotten steadily better each week through the indoor season," says Wieneke. "That momentum should continue going forward this weekend and we're ready to be a serious challenger for the Big Ten Championship."

Leading the way is senior sprinter/hurdler Sherman Armstrong. Armstrong was the 1999 champion in the 60 meter hurdles and has also ran on three consecutive Big Ten championship 4x400m relay teams. He has range from the high hurdles through the quarter mile.

Junior Jason Van Swol is a two-time champion in the 800 meter run. He won the half mile in his first season, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors, and successfully defended his title last season. His time of 1:49.35 ranks #1 in the conference and #4 in the nation heading into the meet. Van Swol is vying to become the first Illini athlete to win three Big Ten Championships in the 800m.

Senior Babatunde Ridley will lead the Illini in the 60m and 200m dashes, while also running on the 4x400m relay along with Armstrong, junior Kendall McCroy, and a either Van Swol, Josh Harford, or Jake Lindley.

Illinois has an illustrious history in the mile relay, and will be looking to win the event for the fourth consecutive year, and seventh time in the last eight years.

The Illini finished third in the distance medley relay last season. Wieneke will consider multiple athletes to comprise the DMR this weekend.

Providing depth in the 800m behind Van Swol will be junior Nick Gow, who ranks fourth in the conference heading into the meet. In the mile, senior Dan Horyn's time of 4:07.95 ranks third in the Big Ten and he will be looking to place for the first time at the conference level.

Senior Scott McClennan highlights Illinois' distance unit. He scored in both the 3,000m and 5,000m at last year's indoor meet and will race in both events again this season.

The Illini should get scoring punch in the field events as well. Illinois' deepest event is the long jump, led by the two-time All-American Ridley. Ridley, Junior Charles Burton, and freshman Mark Goebel are all ranked in the top eight of the conference heading into the meet.

Burton, who placed third in the triple jump last season, will contend for his first title at the championships. He currently ranks second in the triple jump with a jump of 51 feet, 1-3/4 inches.

Continuing Illinois' strong tradition in the pole vault is senior Tom Marchese. Marchese ranks second in the Big Ten and 13th in the NCAA in the pole vault with his vault of 17 feet, 3-1/2 inches.

The Illini will also have a title-contender in the shot put in sophomore Bernard Grady. Grady has burst onto the scene this season after scoring in the shot as a freshman. He has provisionally qualified for the NCAAs with a throw of 59 feet, 1/4 inches, which ranks third in the conference.

Here is the schedule of events for the Big Ten Men's Indoor Championships: (All times listed are Central)

SATURDAY

Heptathlon begins 9:00 a.m.

Long Jump (trials & finals) 12:30 p.m.

Shot Put (trials & finals) 12:40 p.m.

Pole Vault (trials & finals) 12:45 p.m.

60 Meters (trials) 1:00 p.m.

60 Meter Hurdles (trials) 1:15 p.m.

Mile (trials) 1:30 p.m.

400 Meters (trials) 2:00 p.m.

60 Meters (semifinals) 2:20 p.m.

800 Meters (trials) 2:30 p.m.

60 Meter Hurdles (semifinals) 2:50 p.m.

600 Meters (trials) 3:00 p.m.

200 Meters (trials) 3:15 p.m.

3,000 Meters (finals) 3:40 p.m.

Distance Medley Relay (finals) 4:00 p.m.

SUNDAY

Heptathlon continues 9:20 a.m.

High Jump (trials & finals) 11:00 a.m.

Weight Throw (trials & finals) 11:50 a.m.

Triple Jump (trials & finals) 11:50 a.m.

Mile (finals) 12:50 p.m.

400 Meters (finals) 1:00 p.m.

60 Meters (finals) 1:10 p.m.

800 Meters (finals) 1:20 p.m.

60 Meter hurdles (finals) 1:30 p.m.

600 Meters (finals) 1:40 p.m.

200 Meters (finals) 1:50 p.m.

5,000 Meters (finals) 2:00 p.m.

4x400 Meter Relay (finals) 2:25 p.m.