Feb. 13, 2010
Complete Iowa State Classic Results (PDF) 
AMES, Iowa - The majority of the Illinois men's track and field team competed against some of the nation's best at the Iowa State Classic this weekend, highlighted by a victory in the distance medley relay on Friday night at the Lied Recreation Center. The quartet of senior Mike Murray, freshman Josh Zinzer, sophomore Graham Farnsworth and freshman Kyle Engnell picked up the title with a time of 9:48.96 on Friday night. Murray ran the first 1200m in 2:58.9 followed by Zinzer's 49.3 in the 400m, Farnsworth's 1:52.4 in the 800m leg and Engnell's 4:08 in the final 1600m.
"The DMR relay pretty much controlled the race the whole way," assistant coach Wendel McRaven said. "It is always positive to get a win at a big meet like this, so we are definitely headed in the right direction going into the conference meet."
The Illini distance runners posted a number of other solid performances over the weekend, as junior Dan Kremske (8:16.66) took third in the 3,000m and the Mickow brothers each turned in personal bests in the 5,000m. Colin Mickow placed fifth overall with a 14:28.88, while Hunter Mickow came in eighth at 14:37.70.
Senior Brian Beaird nearly ran a personal best in the 800m with a 1:51.59 to finish 16th, while fellow senior Scott Phelps was able to notch his PR in the event with a time of 1:51.80. Engnell (1:52.79) and Farnsworth (1:53.17) also picked up PRs in the 800m along with Murray (1:52.82), who finished fourth in the non-seeded section.
"The Mickows raced really well and actually ran lifetime personal bests," McRaven said. "Our 800m runners also ran well and Dan (Kremske) ran a solid race in the 3,000m."
In the 200m, freshman Bai Kabba won his heat and placed 21st overall with a season-best time of 22.04, while junior Dan Jones took 27th with 22.15 and Zinzer finished 32nd at 22.20, which were both season bests. In the 400m, Jones placed 14th with a 48.40, and Kabba took 25th at 49.03. Freshman Malcolm Taylor won his heat in the 600 yard run and placed fourth overall with an impressive time of 1:11.51.
The 4x400m relay squad of junior Shane Daniel, Kabba, Taylor and Jones ran a season-best time of 3:12.77. Daniel led off at 48.3 followed by Kabba at 48.1 in the second leg, Taylor at 48.7 in the third and Jones' 47.3 in the anchor leg.
In the pole vault, junior Alex Baldwin tied for 15th at 15-1 ¾ (4.62m) and freshman Josh Hodur was tied for 19th at 14-8 (4.47m).
Next week, Illinois competes at the EIU Friday Night Special on Feb. 19 in Charleston, Ill., before heading to Minneapolis, Minn., the following week (Feb. 27-28) for the Big Ten Indoor Championships.
