University of Illinois
NCAA Outdoor Championships
Perdita Felicien Wins Back-To-Back National Titles
June 14, 2003 | Women's Track & Field
June 14, 2003
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Illinois senior hurdler Perdita Felicien traded in her 2002 100 meter hurdle national title for a newer model on Saturday as she won the 2003 100 meter hurdle crown in 12.74 seconds to become the most highly decorated collegiate athlete in Illinois women's track and field history.
While Felicien has eligibility for the 2004 indoor track and field season remaining, her victory today at the 2003 Outdoor Championships in Sacramento, Calif., makes her the first three-time national champion in Illinois women's track and field history and caps one of the most decorated outdoor careers in collegiate track and field history.
In a word, Felicien was dominating this week at the NCAA Championships. After running 12.89 seconds to win her preliminary round, the senior broke the NCAA meet record with a 12.68-second clocking in the semifinals, before winning the national title on Saturday. Her repeat national title in the 100 meter hurdles also makes her just the second Illinois athlete to ever repeat as a national champion. Tonya Williams won back-to-back 400 meter hurdle national titles in 1995 and 1996 and is the only other Illinois women's track and field athlete to win a national title. The Pickering, Ontario, native's first national title came at the 2002 NCAA Indoor Championships in an NCAA-record time of 7.90 seconds. Today's win also earned Felicien her 10th career All-America honor, tying her with Tonya Buford for the third most All-America titles won in school history. Celena Modie-Milner won 18 All-America titles during her Illinois career and Tonya Williams won 14.
"This is such a great feeling right now," Felicien said. "I came into the Championships running the best I have in my career and that's all you can ask for. I was confident and determined to win today. I knew I had to be focused, run a controlled race and everything would take care of itself. There is so much energy going around in a race like this, that it is easy to get caught up in the moment. When you get caught up, that's when you make a mistake. In the hurdles, you can't make a mistake. If you stumble, it's over. So I just tried to stay focused and run fast."
While Felicien will compete for Illinois during the 2004 indoor season, today's race concluded her stellar collegiate outdoor career. During her four outdoor track and field seasons in Orange and Blue, Felicien was a sixth-time All-American (four times in the 100m hurdles and two times as a member of the 4x100m relay), a two-time Big Ten Champion in the 100 meter hurdles, a three-time Most Outstanding Female Athlete at the Drake Relays,a six time Drake Relays Champion, a world record holder as a member of the 2001 shuttle hurdle relay team at the Drake Relays, 2001 Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Female Athlete of the Year, 2001 National Outdoor Track and Field Female Athlete of the Year, the Illinois and Big Ten record holder in the 100 meter hurdles (12.68 seconds) and of course a back-to-back national champion in the 100 meter hurdles.
"It's a bitter-sweet feeling knowing that this was my last outdoor competition at Illinois," Felicien said. "I have loved my time at Illinois and I can't think of a better way to end my outdoor career than by winning a national title, but it's sad to know that this was my last outdoor race. I have an indoor season of eligibility remaining, so I am looking forward to that, but I will miss competing for Illinois during the outdoor season."
Nicole Whitman joined Felicien as a two-time All-American this weekend as she finished eighth in the triple jump on Saturday with a jump of 43'00.50". On Friday, Whitman earned All-America honors as the second leg of Illinois' 4x100 meter relay that finished eighth overall. Whitman's showing was also history making for the Illini as she became the first Illinois women's track and field athlete to earn All-America honors in the triple jump during the outdoor season. Dawn Riley earned All-America honors during the 1996 indoor season after finishing 10th.
"I am extremely proud of Nicole," head coach Gary Winckler said. "To finish her Illinois career by becoming an All-American in the triple jump is a great accomplishment. Nicole is such a great competitor. She really deserved and earned this."
Illinois men's triple jumper Charles Burton also earned All-America honors on Saturday as he finished 10th overall with a jump of 51'09.75". The Louisville, Ky., native earned the title of All-American after finishing as one of the top-eight Americans in his event. Burton qualified for the finals of the triple jump after turning in a career-best leap of 53'07.50" to finish sixth during the preliminary round. While that jump was the sixth best of the prelims, marks from the opening round aren't carried over to the finals, meaning Burton's jump of 51'09.75" today is his performance of record for the final standings.
"He just didn't have the pop that he normally has, but that has to do with all the down time for these guys in between days of competition," assistant coach Tom Doyle said. "I am so proud of Charles right now. This young man has come a long ways in his time here at Illinois. He has fought injuries and a lot of distractions to get to where he is. He's someone who is going to continue getting better as his career progresses. Charles needs to keep triple jumping because he could be pretty special."
Burton becomes the first Illinois men's All-American in the triple jump since the 1991 outdoor season when Aaron Mobarak finished 10th at the NCAA Championships and is the first Illinois men's All-American outdoors, regardless of event, since Sherman Armstrong finished third in the 400 meter hurdles in 2000. Jason Van Swol earned All-America honors in the 800 meters for Illinois during the 2001 indoor season.
While his Illinois career was completed today, Burton will return to action in the triple jump at the 2003 USA Track and Field Championships in Palo Alto, Calif., on June 19-22.
