April 5, 2003

AUSTIN, Texas - It didn't take Nicole Whitman long to pick up where she left off during the indoor track and field season as the senior turned in a career-best outdoor leap of 43'01.50" to finish fifth in the triple jump at the 76th annual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in Austin, Texas.

Already the top triple jumper in Big Ten history indoors (44'02.00"), Whitman seems poised to earn the title outdoors as her performance on Saturday was the second longest outdoor jump in Illinois history to Dawn Riley who jumped 43'04.50" in 1996. The jump by Whitman also secured her a spot at the NCAA Regional Championships on May 30-31 in Columbus, Ohio, and shattered her previous best mark of 42'03.50".

"It's a good way to open up the outdoor season for Nicole," head coach Gary Winckler said. "She had a disappointing end to her indoor season and I think that will drive her throughout the outdoor season."

Illinois had two athletes in action on Saturday as senior Peter Knaus used a career best throw of 204'07.00" to finish eighth in the javelin, while freshman Charley Kurlinkus finished seventh in the high jump with a leap of 6'08.75".

In addition to being a career best for Knaus, his throw qualified him for the NCAA Regional Championships in the javelin and moved him into third on the all-time javelin list in school history.

"It was a great way for Peter to open the season," assistant coach Tom Doyle said. "Peter had an outstanding off-season training wise and it showed this weekend."

A freshman from Roscoe, Ill., Kurlinkus continues to have a solid freshman campaign after turning in a career best outdoor jump of 6'08.75". Last weekend at the Florida Relays, Kurlinkus jumped 6'07.50" but improved on that jump by over an inch this weekend.

"Charley continues to improve, as have all of our freshmen," assistant coach Erin Tucker said. "This is just our second meet outdoors and we are already getting the types of improvements we were hoping for. If we can continue this progression, we will be where we want to be come the Big Ten Championships in May.

The Illinois men's and women's track and field teams will return to action April 12 at the Missouri Invitational in Columbia, Mo. The Missouri Invitational will be the third meet of the season for the Illinois men, while it will be the season-opener for the Illini women.

###GO ILLINI###