AUSTIN, Texas - After earning five qualifying bids to the NCAA Championships on Friday, the Fighting Illini men's track and field team added four more bids to their total on the final day of the NCAA West Preliminary Round. David Kendziera (110m hurdles), Cam Viney (110m hurdles), the 4x100m relay and the 4x400m relay will also be heading to the NCAA Championships in a couple of weeks.

The 4x100m relay of Mo Maat, Brandon Stryganek, Cole Henderson and DJ Zahn earned Illinois' first qualifying nod of the day, racing to a fourth-place finish in 39.42. That is the fastest race run by the Orange and Blue squad this season and is good for fourth best in Illinois history.

"We really didn't execute very well in a couple of exchanges," said head coach Mike Turk. "I was happy that we ran a solid time and qualified easily but we need to clean up the handoffs a little bit before nationals. If we can hit the handoffs, I think we can go under 39 seconds, get into the final and finish as high as the top four. There's a lot left in the tank but we need to work on the handoffs between now and nationals."

Kendziera and Viney were the next two Illini to punch their tickets to the NCAA Championships. Having each already qualified in the 400m hurdles, Kendziera and Viney doubled up in the 110m hurdles. Viney posted the fifth-fastest qualifying time, finishing in 13.68, while Kendziera was eighth in 13.72. This marks the first time since the NCAA went to regional qualifying that the Illini have had a pair of student-athletes qualify in both hurdle races.

"It was really a great performance by both Cam and Dave," Turk stated. "They ran a lot of races at a high level this weekend. You don't see many guys doing what they did because it is very difficult. We felt that they could handle it and they came through."

The 4x400m relay team of Viney, Kendziera, Joe McAsey and Zahn earned the Orange and Blue's final bid to the national championship meet, posting the top qualifying time in the region at 3:03.11. That time moves the quartet into fifth on Illinois' all-time event list.

"It's really amazing that these guys saved the very best race for last," proclaimed Turk. "It's probably the best relay we have run this year. Cam got us off to a great start and Dave really put a stamp on this meet with his leg. Joey ran really smart, kept his head and handed off right in the mix with Texas A&M. DJ ran a tremendous, tactical last leg. He sat on Deon Lendore, last year's USTFCCCA National Track Athlete of the Year, and went by him down the homestretch. It was really a special race to watch. Everybody stepped up and it was a terrific effort."

The Illini competed in six other events on Saturday. On the track, Ian Barnett, Dylan Lafond and Stryganek also attempted to qualify for the NCAA Championships but came up short. In the 200m, Stryganek entered Saturday's quarterfinal with the seventh-best time in prelims but finished 14th in 20.88, missing the cutoff for qualifying for the national championships by two places. In the 5,000m, Barnett (14:27.71) and Lafond (14:35.19) finished 25th and 29th, respectively.

"It was really unfortunate that Brandon did not qualify in the 200m," noted Turk. "He ran a good race and just missed making the cut. I know he has a lot of pride and wanted to qualify in the 200m but we are glad he is going in the 4x100m relay. He is the glue that holds the relay together since he runs between the two freshmen. He's done everything we have asked of him and been a team-first guy."

In the field events, Ben Dodds, Mitch Mammoser and Branden Tanthavong also represented the Orange and Blue on the final of the NCAA West Preliminary Round but did not qualify for the NCAA Championships. Dodds finished 28th in the javelin with a throw of 62.33m (204' 6"), Mammoser finished 35th in the pole vault with a clearance of 4.90m (16' 0.75") and Tanthavong finished 37th in the triple jump with a leap of 14.72m (48' 3.5").

"This is a special group of guys," concluded Turk. "I told them before the meet that they are as good as anybody in the country and they went out and proved it this weekend. We have a little bit of momentum and we are going to ride that wave into the NCAA meet."

Illinois' nine NCAA Championships qualifiers are the most for an Illini team under the current qualifying format. They will head to Eugene, Oregon from June 10-13.

Illini Results

Saturday, May 30
* = NCAA Championships qualifiers

200m 
14. Brandon Stryganek - 20.88

5,000m 
25. Ian Barnett - 14:27.71
29. Dylan Lafond - 14:35.19

110m Hurdles
5. Cam Viney - 13.68*
8. David Kendziera - 13.72*

4x100m Relay
4. Mo Maat, Brandon Stryganek, Cole Henderson, DJ Zahn - 39.42*

4x400m Relay
1. Cam Viney, David Kendziera, Joe McAsey, DJ Zahn - 3:03.11*

Pole Vault
35. Mitch Mammoser - 4.90m (16' 0.75")

Triple Jump 
37. Branden Tanthavong - 14.72m (48' 3.5")

Javelin
28. Ben Dodds - 62.33m (204' 6")

Friday, May 29
* = NCAA Championships qualifiers
Q/q = qualified for quarterfinals

100m
17. Brandon Stryganek - 10.32

200m
7. Brandon Stryganek - 20.65 Q

400m
4. DJ Zahn - 46.04*

800m
16. Joe McAsey - 1:49.45

110m Hurdles
2. David Kendziera - 13.56 Q
9. Cam Viney - 13.73 Q

400m Hurdles 
T-3. David Kendziera - 50.00*
6. Cam Viney - 50.21*

3,000m Steeplechase
3. Dylan Lafond - 8:44.05

Hammer
8. Davis Fraker - 64.16m (210' 6")*

Thursday, May 28
* = NCAA Championships qualifiers
Q/q = qualified for quarterfinals

100m
22. Brandon Stryganek - 10.33 Q
41. Mo Maat - 10.57

400m
1. DJ Zahn - 45.51 Q

800m
16. Joe McAsey - 1:49.99 Q

1,500m
34. Ian Barnett - 3:54.52

10,000m
14. Jannis Toepfer - 30:26.38

400m Hurdles
3. David Kendziera - 50.95 Q
7. Cam Viney - 51.38 Q

High Jump
T-20. Jonathan Wells - 2.13m (6' 11.75")

Long Jump
35. Jonathan Wells - 7.07m (23' 2.50")

Discus
40. Brandon Noe - 50.23m (164' 9")