June 25, 2011
EUGENE, Ore. - Perdita Felicien (100m hurdles), Nikkita Holder (100m hurdles) and Gia Lewis-Smallwood (discus) each punched their tickets to the World Championships while Angela Bizzarri (5,000m) set herself up to make her first World Team following outstanding performances by the former Illini at their respective national meets. Felicien won her 10th career national title at the Canadian Championships, winning the 100m hurdles with a time of 12.80, Holder took third behind Felicien in the race, and Lewis-Smallwood and Bizzarri each placed third in their respective events at the USA Championships.
"It is very exciting for those three to make the World Team, and Angela is very close," head coach Tonja Buford-Bailey said. "I know they will represent Illinois well in Daegu, and it will be a great learning experience for the first time competitors there."
Felicien, a native of Pickering, Ontario, won her third straight Canadian title in the hurdles on Saturday and reached double digits for her career as a 10-time national champion. She is a two-time World Champion and will go for her third title in Daegu, South Korea, which will host the 2011 World Championships from Aug. 27-Sept. 4. Holder, who timed 12.98 in the final, also will run for Team Canada as a result of her top-three finish.
Lewis-Smallwood, who is coached by Illinois men's head coach Mike Turk, tallied her top throw on her third attempt with a mark of 198-7 (60.53m) on Thursday at Hayward Field. The Centennial high school graduate qualified for the World Championships for the first time as a result of her top-three finish and already hitting the `A' standard (62.00m) in the event with her mark of 204-3 (62.26m) from earlier in the season.
"Gia is so deserving," Turk said. "She has committed herself to this for a very long time. This is a big step toward her goal of going to London next year. We will start preparing for the World Championships next week with the knowledge that making the final is well within reach."
On Friday night in Eugene, Ore., Bizzarri ran a personal best by over 11 seconds, clocking a mark of 15:16.04 and finishing third in the 5,000m behind runner-up Amy Hastings (15:14.31) and national champion Molly Huddle (15:10.01). The Mason, Ohio, native was just two seconds shy of the `A' standard (15:14.00) for the World Championships, meaning she needs to hit that time to represent Team USA in Daegu. Bizzarri also placed third in the event in 2009, but did not hit the standard to qualify for Worlds that year. She is set to race in Europe in the coming weeks in an attempt to make her first career World Team. Watch 5,000m Race | Bizzarri Post-Race Interview
"It was obviously very exciting to be top three, but I still have some work to do," said Bizzarri in an interview with FloTrack. "I am in a similar situation like two years ago where I need to get a time to go [to Worlds]. I am very confident I can do it, so hopefully I can shave a few seconds off. I was really excited to get out there against great competition, and the race was a lot of fun."
Chantelle Groenewoud also competed at the Canadian Championships in Calgary, earning the silver medal in the 3,000m steeplechase with a time of 10:29.87. The N. Vancouver, B.C., native crossed the line three seconds after national champion Dana Buchanan (10:26.82) on Friday night. Groenewoud, who owns a personal-best time of 10:04.00, will next run at the World University Games in August, where she will go for the `B' standard of 9:50.00 in the event in order to make Team Canada for the World Championships.
At the USA Junior Championships, freshman Stephanie Richartz took third in the pole vault after clearing 13-3 ½ (4.05m), just a centimeter shy of her personal best. The Island Lake, Ill., native finished behind runner-up Sandi Morris and event champion Morgann LeLeux, who both recorded marks of 13-7 ¼ (4.15m).
Illini Results at National Meets
Canadian Championships 100m Hurdles FINAL | Full Results
1. Perdita Felicien 12.80
3. Nikkita Holder 12.98
USA Championships Discus FINAL | Full Results
3. Gia Lewis-Smallwood 198-7 (60.53m)
USA Championships 5,000m FINAL | Full Results
3. Angela Bizzarri 15:16.04
Canadian Championships 3,000m Steeplechase FINAL | Full Results
2. Chantelle Groenewoud 10:29.87
USA Junior Championships Pole Vault FINAL | Full Results
3. Stephanie Richartz 13-3 ½ (4.05m)
