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Final Results

TEMPE, Ariz. - The Fighting Illini women's track and field team opened the outdoor portion of its season at the Baldy Castillo Invitational. Illinois grabbed 14 top-10 finishes en route to scoring 50 points. The Orange and Blue finished tied for sixth in the ten-team field.

Fresh off her third-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, Stephanie Richartz finished second in the pole vault with a clearance of 4.20m (13' 9.25"). Jennifer DeBellis added a seventh-place finish, clearing 3.85m (12' 7.50").

A pair of Illini track athletes also grabbed second-place finishes. In the 2,000m steeplechase, Britten Petrey finished in 6:50.01 to finish runner-up. She also added a 10th-place showing in the 1,500m.

In the 800m, Nicole Choquette ran 2:07.87, the ninth-best time in Illini history, to finish second. Amanda Duvendack was right behind her, finishing in third at 2:07.99. Chloe Schmidt (2:11.55) and Lindsey Rakosnik (2:11.77) finished seventh and eighth, respectively.

Kandie Bloch-Jones snagged top-five finishes in two jumping events. In the high jump, she cleared 1.77m (5' 9.75"), tying her personal best to finish third. She also finished fifth in her triple jump debut with a leap of 11.75m (38' 6.75").

Kymbriona Taylor finished seventh in the 100m, while the 4x400m relay Samone Thompson, Choquette, Duvendack and Schmidt also took seventh. Thompson also finished eighth in the 400m hurdles.

Mariah Smith had the final top-10 performance for the Illini, taking 10th in the discus with a toss of 46.88m (153' 10").

Illinois will head to Nashville, Tennessee next weekend for the Vanderbilt Black & Gold Invitational.

Illini Top-10 Performers

Pole Vault
2. Stephanie Richartz - 4.20m (13' 9.25")
7. Jennifer DeBellis - 3.85m (12' 7.50")

2,000m Steeplechase
2. Britten Petrey - 6:50.01

800m
2. Nicole Choquette - 2:07.87
3. Amanda Duvendack - 2:07.99
7. Chloe Schmidt - 2:11.55
8. Lindsey Rakosnik - 2:11.77

High Jump
3. Kandie Bloch-Jones - 1.77m (5' 9.75")

Triple Jump
5. Kandie Bloch-Jones - 11.75m (38' 6.75")

100m
7. Kymbriona Taylor - 12.09

4x400m Relay
7. Samone Thompson, Nicole Choquette, Amanda Duvendack, Chloe Schmidt - 3:50.36

400m Hurdles
8. Samone Thompson - 1:06.05

1,500m
10. Britten Petrey - 4:31.34

Discus
10. Mariah Smith - 46.88m (153' 10")