University of Illinois
Big Ten Outdoor Championships
No. 17 Fighting Illini Head to Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships
May 12, 2015 | Men's Track & Field
Runner-up finishes have Orange and Blue hungry for title
MEET PREVIEW
Having earned runner-up honors at last season's outdoor championships and this year's indoor championships, the Fighting Illini men's track and field team heads to East Lansing, Michigan with aspirations of its first Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships title since 1994. Competition will take place at Ralph Young Track and Field from May 15-17.
The meet begins Friday, May 15 at 12 p.m. ET with the start of the decathlon followed by the field events beginning at 1:30 p.m. Finals for the hammer throw and 10,000m will all be held on Friday. The discus, long jump and high jump finals will take place on Saturday, May 16 with running event trials beginning at 2:50 p.m. ET. Running finals are set for Sunday, May 17 along with the shot put, triple jump and javelin finals.
FOLLOW THE ILLINI
Fans can follow the Illini on Twitter (@IlliniMTrackXC) for the latest updates on the team. Heat sheets and live results for the 2015 Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships can be found on the Championships Central Page on MSUSpartans.com.
Big Ten Network will televise the 2015 Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships on tape-delay on Sunday, May 24 at 11:00 a.m. ET.
ILLINOIS AT THE BIG TEN OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Fighting Illini men's track and field team has won a total of 28 Big Ten outdoor team titles, with the most recent coming in 1994.
Illinois placed second at the 2014 Big Ten Outdoor Championships. The Orange and Blue totaled 109 points to record the highest team finish since 1994. Three Illini were crowned conference champions, as Stephon Pamilton (400m) and Vanier Joseph (110m hurdles) successfully defended their titles, while Joe McAsey (800m) captured his first Big Ten title.
RETURNING SCORERS FROM 2014 BIG TEN OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Kenneth Allen - 4x400m Relay (2nd - 3:05.76)
Ian Barnett - 5,000m (6th - 14:11.57)
Corey Hammon - Decathlon (5th - 6,814 pts.)
David Kendziera - 110m Hurdles (4th - 13.93); 400m Hurdles (5th - 51.50)
Liam Markham - 1,500m (6th - 3:49.44)
Joe McAsey - 800m (1st - 1:47.73); 4x400m Relay (2nd - 3:05.76)
Brandon Noe - Discus (5th - 55.33m)
Brandon Stryganek - 100m (5th - 10.59); 200m (7th - 21.37); 4x100m Relay (3rd - 39.72)
Branden Tanthavong - Triple Jump (7th - 15.36m)
Cam Viney - 400m Hurdles (2nd (50.99)
George Wayda - Decathlon (7th - 6,779 pts.)
DJ Zahn - 400m (2nd - 45.92), 4x100m Relay (3rd - 39.72); 4x400m Relay (2nd - 3:05.76)
A LOOK AT THIS WEEKEND'S COMPETITION
The Big Ten boasts just two top-25 ranked teams in the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association National Team Computer Rankings. Penn State holds the highest team mark at No. 11, while the Illini come in at No. 17. Defending outdoor champion Wisconsin and defending indoor champion Nebraska are both unranked.
In the Track & Field News Dual Meet Rankings, Illinois finished the season at No. 5, tops among Big Ten schools. Nebraska is the next Big Ten team in the poll, coming in at No. 9. Ohio State (No. 13), Iowa (No. 19) and Indiana (No. 23) are also in the poll.
ILLINI TO WATCH
Ian Barnett (Jr., Glen Ellyn, Ill.)
A place winner in both the 3,000m and 5,000m at the Big Ten Indoor Championships, Barnett will once again have an opportunity to rack up points for the Illini in the distance events. Barnett should be in contention for a podium finish, if not an event win, in the 5,000m as he enters the weekend with the fourth-fastest time in the 5,000m among conference competitors. He is also among the top 10 in the 1,500m but he may not compete in the shorter event as scoring in the 1,500m/5,000m double can be difficult since it requires running three races in a matter of 24 hours. However, of the four races Barnett has run this season, he has won three of them, including Illinois' first-ever 5,000m winner at the Drake Relays, and finished runner-up in the other.
Davis Fraker (Sr., Peachtree City, Ga.)
A two-time place winner at the Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the hammer, Fraker is having a breakout season in his final campaign as an Illini. He has upped his own school record in two of his last four hammer competitions and also posted a new Illinois Soccer and Track Stadium facility record during that timeframe. He enters this weekend's Big Ten Championships with the fourth-best throw of the season in a loaded field. The top nine performers in the Big Ten all rank in the top 35 nationally.
David Kendziera (So., Mount Prospect, Ill.)
One of the top hurdlers in the conference, Kendziera has an opportunity to score in both the 110m and 400m hurdles. He enters the weekend with the sixth-best time in the 110m hurdles (13.93) and the third-best performance in the 400m hurdles (50.66). He has finished in the top four of every hurdle race he has competed in this season. Kendziera is also a member of Illinois' Big Ten-leading 4x400m relay team.
Joe McAsey (Jr., Minooka, Ill.)
The defending Big Ten Champion in the 800m, McAsey once again enters the weekend among the favorites in the event. He finished as the runner-up in the 800m at the Big Ten Indoor Championships and is ranked third in the conference during the outdoor campaign. He has won both 800m races he has competed in this season. McAsey will also be a member of the Orange and Blue's conference-leading 4x400m relay team.
Cam Viney (Jr., Elkins, W.V.)
Similar to Kendziera, Viney is one of the top hurdlers in the conference. He enters the weekend with the second-best time in the 110m hurdles (13.71) and the top performance in the 400m hurdles (49.92). Viney has won each of his last two 400m hurdles races and finished runner-up in each of his last three 110m hurdles competitions. He is the only runner in the conference to break the 50-second barrier in the 400m hurdles this season. Viney is also a member of Illinois' Big Ten-leading 4x400m relay team.
Jonathan Wells (Fr., Fox Lake, Ill.)
Wells was a place winner in both the high jump and long jump at the Big Ten Indoor Championships and will be looking to do the same this weekend. He enters the Big Ten Outdoor Championships with the second-best high jump (2.17m) and the sixth-best long jump (7.42m) marks in the conference.
DJ Zahn (Sr., Morton, Ill.)
The Big Ten Indoor Track Athlete of the Year and Track Athlete of the Indoor Championships, Zahn has already been recognized as one of the conference's top performers during the outdoor campaign, winning Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week honors on April 22 and April 29. Based on seed times, he has a strong chance to duplicate his indoor accomplishments at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships. He is the top conference's performer in both the 200m and 400m, and anchors Illinois' top 4x100m and 4x400m relays. He has finished in the top two of every individual race he has run this season.
4x100m Relay
The unit of Mo Maat, Brandon Stryganek, Cole Henderson and DJ Zahn enter the weekend with the top performance in the conference this season. The quartet ran 39.56 at the Jim Click Shootout on April 11. Maurice Watkins could serve as a sub on one of the legs if need be. He has been a part of Illinois' second- and third-fastest relays this season. Illini relays made up of any combination of these five runners have not finished lower than third in a race this season.
4x400m Relay
The squad of Cam Viney, David Kendziera, Joe McAsey and DJ Zahn also enter the weekend as the team to beat. Kendziera, McAsey and Zahn ran on the team that won the 4x400m relay title at the Big Ten Indoor Championships and earned All-America honors at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Viney served as an alternate during the indoor season but has experience on the big stage, having earned All-America status in the race during the 2013 outdoor campaign.
UP NEXT
The Fighting Illini will have a week off before heading to Austin, Texas from May 28-30 for the NCAA West Preliminary Round.
