June 1, 2007

Champaign, Ill. - The Illini women's track & field team has had seven athletes earn All-Mideast Region honors, as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). To be eligible for all-region honors, an athlete must finish in the top eight of an event at NCAA Regionals, which were held last weekend. Illinois competed at the Mideast Regional Championships May 25-26, hosted by the University of Missouri. The seven UI athletes named to the All-Mideast Region Team are seniors Yvonne Mensah, Camile Robinson and Carlene Robinson, juniors Tiara Armstrong, Mariesa Greene and LaNeisha Waller and sophomore Briana Cunningham.

Camile Robinson was the top Illini finisher at regionals, placing third in the 400-meter hurdles with a season's best time of 56.71. Illinois had a total of three athletes finish in the top eight in that event, as Carlene Robinson took fourth, tying her personal best time of 56.76, and Cunningham finished seventh, clocking 59.26. Mensah finished fourth in the triple jump with a mark of 42 feet, 5 ¼ inches, while Waller also placed fourth in her event, the 100-meter hurdles, recording a personal best time of 13.18. Greene finished sixth in the javelin with a throw of 149 feet, 10 inches. The Illini relay team of Armstrong, Waller, Carlene Robinson and Mensah earned all-region honors after placing fifth with a time of 45.42.

Next up for the Illini are the NCAA Outdoor Championships, which will be held June 6-9 at Sacramento, Calif. Illinois has six athletes competing at nationals: Mensah, both Robinsons, Armstrong, Waller and freshman Angela Bizzarri.