University of Illinois
Rod McCravy Memorial Invite
@IlliniMTrack Face Elite Competition at Rod McCravy
January 21, 2016 | Men's Track & Field
Illini Compete Against Field that Includes Two Top-10 Teams
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – After getting their feet wet in the first two home meets, the Orange and Blue will compete in one of the year's most competitive indoor meets, the Rod McCravy Memorial Meet. The field features 10 top-25 teams, four men and six women, that will compete against each other over the course of two days. Competition commences at 10:20 a.m. with the heptathlon, followed by field events beginning at 1:30 p.m. and track events at 6:10 p.m. The meet resumes on Saturday with the men's heptathlon at 10 a.m. and track finals at noon. All times are eastern. The meet will be streamed live on ESPN3.com and live stats can be seen at http://results.flotrack.org/2016/01-22-Kentucky/Mobile/Timetable.php?D=1
Meet Preview
Last Year's Rod McCravy Meet
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.
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.
Teams to Watch
Florida
The preseason number one team, and the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships runner-up, returns two of the nations top jumpers, All-Americans Darielle McQueen (long jump) and KeAndre Bates (long jump and triple jump). On the track, Yanick Hart leads the hurdlers after earning All-America honors in the 110m hurdles last spring. Finally, Ryan Schnulle paces the middle distances as a four-time All-American in the 800m run.
Georgia
After finishing with their best finish at NCAA Indoor Championships (15th) in 20 years, the Georgia men are looking to bounce back with another strong campaign. Ranked sixth to begin the season, Georgia remains strong in the heptathlon with Maicel Ubio and Garret Scantling returning after finishing as All-Americans again last season. In the shot put, Ashinia Miller is currently the third-ranked nationally and leading the league in the event. Alex Poursanidis joins him in throws with the 16th-best weight throw in the nation.
Individuals to Watch
The rest of the field offers a host of the nation's top individual competitors, including five of the top-15 60m dash times so far this season. Houston's Cameron Burrell leads the nation with a 6.55 time in the 60m dash after the opening weekends of the season, followed by Clemson's Tevin Hester and Leshon Collins. In hurdles, Hosuton has dynamic duo in Isaac Williams and Amir Lattin that currently own top-25 60m hurdles times. Richard Gary of Baylor will be favored in the 400m after clocking the ninth-best time in the nation earlier this month. Finally, Baylor's third-ranked 4x400m relay team will look to impress once again Saturday afternoon after clocking a 3:09.13 time earlier this season.
In field events, the high jump is set to be a stiff competition as three of the nation's best will be in Lexington this weekend, led by Illinois' Jonathan Wells. Wells will be pushed this weekend by Keenan Laine, a freshman from Western Kentucky and SEC Champion Justin Kretchmer of Kentucky, both of whom enter the weekend with one of the nation's top-25 marks. Outside of the high jump, three athletes enter with a top-15 time in their event: Matthew Ludwig (11th) in the pole vault, Felix Obi (11th) in the long jump, and Ashinia Miller (9th) in the shot put.
Next Week
After three straight weeks of competition to open the season, Coach Turk and staff have a bye next week to rest up before the Husker Invite in Lincoln, Nebraksa February 5-6.
Illini Notes
Illini on the National Scene
Jonathan Wells currently ranks eighth in the nation in the hump jump after he cleared 2.16m at the Border Battle. On the track, Mo Maat and Devin Quinn both timed 6.76 in the 60m dash, which put them tied for 39th in the nation. In the 600m, freshman Konrad Eiring ranks57th in the NCAA with a time of 1:21.63. In distance events, Dylan Lafond clocked the nation's 20th-fastest mile time of the season with a 4:08.55 showing in the Illini Classic. Alex Gold and Dylan Lafond both enter the weekend with top-50 times in the 3,000m run.
Illini Want Some Mo
Mo Maat, a First-Team All-American in the 4x100m last season, started off 2016 on a high note when he became the first Illini in 2016 to rewrite the indoor top-10 list. In the Border Battle on January 9, Maat sped to a 6.76 time in the 60m dash to move him into seventh on the school's all-time list.
Wells Helps Provide Stability
With numerous Illini beginning the season with injuries, Coach Mike Turk and leaned on sophomore Jonathan Wells to be the backbone of early season competitions. In the first two meets of the season, Wells has won three events (60m hurdles, long jump and high jump), while also competing in the pole vault for the first time last weekend. Wells attempted to break the school's 2.21m high jump record in the season's opening weekend, but fell just shy.
2015-16 Headlines
11 Event Titles Propel Orange and Blue at Illini Classic
The Fighting Illini finished up their back-to-back home meets to begin the season with a dominating team 185 points to win the team score. Anchored by Jonathan Wells' two event titles, the Orange and Blue racked up 11 individual crowns on the day, including three freshman winning their first collegiate events: Devin Quinn (200m), Konrad Eiring (600m) and Jared Christiansen (800m).
Illini Open Season with Border Battle Split
The Fighting Illini, hampered by a few early season injuries, split the opening meet of the season, besting Missouri 82-65 and falling to Iowa 81-73. Five event winners led the Illini, including a performance from Jonathan Wells that came close to breaking a school record. In addition to Wells, Michael Hyce (weight throw), Kenneth Allen (400m), Garrett Lee (mile), and Alex Gold (3,000m) each won event crowns. While Maat placed second in the 60m dash, his time of 6.76 was the seventh-best indoor time in school history.
Coach Turk Inks Four to Class of 2016
On November 20, the team welcomed four new faces into the Illini family with the 2016 recruiting class. Noah Adams (Blue Mound, Ill.) posted the 25th-best high jump mark in the nation last spring at IHSA State Championships, while Cooper Jazo (Lake Villa, Ill.). On the track, sprints coach Adrian Wheatley will add Josh Eiker (Galseburg, Ill.) to the group next fall. Eiker set a new IHSA state record in the 200m in 2015 with a mark of 21.20. Finally, distance coach Jake Stewart welcomes four-time defending IHSA 1A Cross-Country State Champion Jon Davis (Fithian, Ill.) to the team, adding on a group that placed second at Big Ten Championships.
North Central to Honor Former Illini Al Carius - 50 Years of Coaching
As part of North Central College's annual Track & Field Alumni Meet this Friday, former Illini cross-country and track Big Ten Champion Al Carius will be recognized for his 50th year of coaching. Prior to coaching Carius amassed five Big Ten championships, two in cross country and another three in the mile run on the track while at the University of Illinois. As North Central's head coach, Carius has led the school to 16 NCAA Division III National Championships (a NCAA all-division record) and have claimed 42 straight conference titles, the longest active streak in the nation.
