May 13, 2004

Illinois' women's track and field team will travel to West Lafayette, Ind. this weekend to compete at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships. The Illini look to improve upon last year's seventh place finish and will turn to a sensational class of freshmen to help accomplish that goal.

"We're probably taking one of the smaller teams we've had to the Big Ten's this year than most years," head coach Gary Winckler said. "We're only going to take 15 athletes, which may seem like a small number when you're allowed to take 30 to the meet, but in most of the year's when we've won the conference, we've only taken 18 athletes, so we're taking those athletes that we believe have a strong chance to be in the finals and to score and to contribute to the cause."

Yvonne Mensah, the Big Ten Indoor Freshman of the Year, headlines the Illini attack. Mensah is ranked in the top-five in the Big Ten in three individual events, the 100m hurdles (third), the 200m (third) and the 100m (fifth), she is also a member of the second ranked 4x400m relay team and the third ranked 4x100m relay team. Teaming with Mensah in both events are freshmen Carlene and Camile Robinson and junior Shanna Pickett.

Camile and Carlene Robinson have made an immediate impact since joining the squad in January. In addition to running legs in the relays, Camile is ranked second in the 400m hurdles and Carlene is fourth and Carlene is the conference's fourth rated 800m runner.

The final member of the relay teams, Shanna Pickett, is also an all around contributor, coming at fourth in the conference in the long jump and eighth in the 400m.

Another freshman, Cassie Hunt is third in the Big Ten in the 3,000m steeplechase, running a time of 10:23.68. That time places Hunt third in the steeplechase under-20 world rankings. She is also the top American on that list.

In the field, junior Marie Hilmersson continues her consistent career, ranking fourth in the conference in the hammer with a season best toss of 57.27 meters. The Illini also have two jumpers in the top-ten in the triple jump, sophomore Nina Henson who is sixth and freshman Kristina Jones who ranks eighth.

The Illini have regionally qualified individuals or teams in 13 events heading into the weekend and have a couple athletes on the cusp of qualifying marks. In the triple jump Jones has will look to up her season best of 39'11.25" by a quarter inch to reach the 40-foot minimum while senior thrower Katie LeVanti is knocking on the door in the hammer throw with a season best toss of 51.73m while the minimum is 52.84m.

"We're certainly not contenders this year," Winckler said. "But if we go in and have as good a meet as we think we can have, we'll be in the top four or five this year and that would be a big improvement for us and with the class we're adding next year, we feel we can improve on that again next year."

The Championships are scheduled to begin Friday at noon with the decathlon and heptathlon and conclude on Sunday after the final 4x400m relay race at 3:45 p.m.

Complete results can be found at www.bigten.org.