Complete Results

Complete Results

LEXINGTON, Ky. - In a field that featured eight teams from the top 25 of the USTFCCCA NCAA Division I National Team Computer Rankings, the Illinois men's track and field team used the high level of competition to help put together a number of strong performances at the Rod McCravy Memorial Meet. In total, the Illini had one school record, an addition to the top-10 lists, nine personal bests and 13 top-10 finishes.

"It was a great meet with a bunch of highly-ranked teams," said head coach Mike Turk. "I feel like we competed really well, and we showed we truly are a well-rounded team. We had a few rough spots with a few guys that definitely were not at their best, but we had other guys that seized the opportunity to step up and shoulder the load. I'm really proud of the way we competed."

The highlight of the weekend for the Illini came in the 3000m, in which Ian Barnett set a new school record. Barnett finished sixth overall in the field, but his time of 8:02.40 eclipsed the previous school record in the event. Ty Wolf had held the record since 1985 when he ran 8:03.55.

"Ian had a huge break-through race," noted Turk. "He looked awesome. He has a beautiful running form, and we're finally seeing Ian with the self-confidence to go to a higher level. I thought he also ran a really smart race. He and coach Jake Stewart had a great plan. Ian stayed under control early and kept moving up throughout the race."

Another top performance on the track came from Joe McAsey in the 800m. McAsey finished second in the event with a time of 1:48.71, the ninth-fastest time in Illinois history.

"Joe slugged it out with a couple of the best in the country," Turk continued. "He has quite an array of tactics that he can use in a race, and as his confidence grows he keeps getting better."

The top performance in the field events, once again, came from Jonathan Wells. On Friday, Wells cleared 2.14m (7' 0.25") in the high jump to win the event. This is the third consecutive weekend that he has brought home the event title from the meet the Illini competed in.

"This was by far the best field of jumpers Jonathan has faced this year," Turk remarked. "Although he was a little off from his top form, he competed and pulled out the win. He really had great height and looked good at 7' 0.25", but his approach was off and it fell apart. It's definitely a plus for him that 7' is a down day."

Davis Fraker also performed well in the field events on Friday evening. He placed third in the weight throw with a toss of 20.53m (67'4.25").

"Davis looks poised to make a run into the NCAAs and get on the podium this year," noted Turk. "He had another solid day over 67'. We'll take that right now, but I think he has discovered a flaw in his technique that he can change."

The 4x400m relay team of David Kendziera, Kenneth Allen, McAsey and DJ Zahn finished third overall, despite not racing in the fast heat. The quartet's time of 3:08.95 is the fastest of an Illini relay this season.

"We didn't get placed into the fastest heat and rightfully so since we haven't run a fast race yet," continued Turk. "We still ran with a bunch of good teams, and the guys definitely rose to the challenge and ended the meet on a high note for us. It really was a group effort. The thing that really impressed me was how smart each guy ran. This is a really good early-season time for us. I'm excited to see how we can progress from here."

In addition his role on the 4x400m relay team, Zahn captured fourth in the 400m with a time of 46.92.

"DJ is way ahead of where he was last year," noted Turk. "He is a smart runner and he made just an outstanding pass with about 150m to go. Once he got out in front, it was over. The strength is there and the race tactics are there. I hope we can get him in a faster race in the next few weeks."

In the mile, Garrett Lee had a personal-best performance that led to a fourth-place finish. He finished with a time of 4:08.37, outkicking a number of competitors in the final lap.

"I thought Garrett also had a break-through race," commented Turk. "He has a classic kick at the end of the race. As his confidence grows and he challenges himself a bit more on the front end, he will make significant improvements."

A pair of Illini hurdlers placed in the top eight in the 60m hurdles. Cam Viney and Kendziera both clocked performances of 7.96 in the finals, with Kendziera finishing seventh and Viney taking eighth.

"Cam and David were both solid today," Turk stated. "I'm pleased that they are both showing some consistency."

In the pole vault, Mitch Mammoser and Matthew Bane each cleared 4.92m (16' 1 3/4") to finish in the top eight. Mammoser finished fifth and Bane tied for eighth, based on the number of misses.

In the 5000m, Paul Zeman finished eighth in 14:31.01, narrowly missing a personal best. Also finishing in the top 10 of an event was Parker Deloye in the high jump. He cleared 1.99m (6' 6 1/4"), his best performance of the season, to finish tied for 10th.

Other performers who did not finish in the top 10 but stood out to the coaching staff were Bryce Basting (800m), Malik Lee (800m), Tony Zea (800m), Jannis Toepfer (3000m), Will Brewster (3000m), Liam Markham (3000m), Matsen Dziedzic (weight throw) and Michael Hyc (weight throw).

Next weekend, the Orange and Blue will send a small group of distance runners to Bloomington, Indiana for the Indiana Relays. Action begins on Friday, Jan. 30 and runs through Saturday, Jan. 31.