University of Illinois
Big Ten Indoor Championships
@IlliniWTrack Prepped For Big Ten Championships
February 25, 2016 | Women's Track & Field
#Illini Look to Move Up Big Ten Ranks
CHAMPAIGN, ILL. – After continued progress throughout the indoor season, the Fighting Illini will look to showcase their talent at Big Ten Championships against the conference's best. Hosted by the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio, the meet begins Friday, February 26 at 10 a.m., and concludes the following day with the awards ceremony at approximately 4:50 p.m.
| Orange and Blue Open | |
|---|---|
| When | Feb. 26-27 // 10 a.m. |
| Where | Geneva, Ohio // Spire Institute |
| Live Links | Live Stats | Day 1 Video Stream | Day 2 Video Stream |
| Meet Information | Illinois Record Book | Illinois Meet Notes |
LAST YEAR AT INDOOR BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Orange and Blue saw a handful of athletes showcase their talent at least year's Big Ten Championships, Including a couple of Big Ten Champions. In the pole vault, Stephanie Richartz won a Big Ten title with a 14' 4.75" (4.39m) clearance, while Jennifer DeBellis followed in fourth with a 13' 5" (4.09m) mark. On day two, Nicole Choquette added another BIg Ten title in the 600m, clocking the third-best time in Illinois history, 1:29.48. In addition to the event titles, Alyssa Schneider placed third in the 5,000m and Kandie Bloch-Jones took fourth in the high jump.
COMPETITIONS TO WATCH
60m Hurdles: After setting personal-best times in the event throughout the season, Pedrya Seymour, ranks 23rd with a time of 8.27, will look to challenge the conference's best this weekend in Geneva. Cindy Ofili of Michigan leads the pack with the nation's second-best time of 7.97, while Purdue's Devynne Charton is fourth in the nation at 8.08. Quenee Dale of Penn State enters with an 8.26 time that just eclipses Seymour's 8.27. The Illini will also feature Jayla Stewart (8.40) and Kortni Smyers-Jones (8.53) in the event.
High Jump: Illinois' Kandie Bloch-Jones is tied for the nation's 12th-best mark thus far with a 6-0 (1.83m) clearance at the Rod McCravy Memorial Meet back in January. For the second time this season. Michigan State's Ellen DiPietro (6-0) and Bloch-Jones will challenge Reka Czuth of Nebraska for the BIg Ten title. Czuth currently ranks second in the NCAA with a 6-11/2 (1.87m) mark.
800m: The 800m race features the same top-four from the 600m event, led by Jaimie Phelan of Michigan. Ilinois' Nicole Choquette enters the meet third in the Big Ten and 34th in the nation with a personal-best time of 2:06.76.
NEXT UP
The Orange and Blue will send their best to NCAA Championships in two weeks. The meet will take place in Birmingham, Alabama on March 11-12.
ILLINI NOTES
ILLINI ON THE NATIONAL SCENE
In the high jump, junior Kandie Bloch-Jones moved up to a tie for 12th in the nation with her personal-record mark of 6-0 (1.83m) at the Rod McCravy meet. Nicole Choquette set the fifth-fastest 600m time in the NCAA at the Meyo Invite, while freshman Morgan Schulz had a 600m time of 1:32.63 to put her 38th in the country. Pedrya Seymour stakes claim to the 23rd-best mark in the country for the 60m hurdles with an 8.27 time to place second at the Iowa State Classic.
SEYMOUR EARNS BIG TEN TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK (2/24)
The Fighting Illini sophomore was recognized this week by the Big Ten office as Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week after her 8.27 60m hurdles time at the Orange & Blue Open to win the event. The Nassau, Bahamas native entered the season as the elder statesmen in a hurdles group that was, while talented, very young. In recent weeks, Seymour has taken the reigns of the group, leading the hurdlers in each of the past three meets. Two weeks ago, Seymour cracked the Illinois indoor 60m hurdles top-10 list with a 8.27 time to place second at the Iowa State Classic. She followed the performance up with the same time at the Orange & Blue Open, this time winning the event. Entering Big Ten Championships, Seymour's time ranks 23rd in the nation and fourth-best in the conference.
ILLINI EARN FOUR EVENT TITLES AT ORANGE & BLUE OPEN
The Fighting Illini Women's Track and Field team concluded their final preparations for the Big Ten Indoor Championships meet next weekend with today's Orange and Blue Open. Three Fighting Illini came away with event titles, with Pedrya Seymour taking home 60m hurdle honors, Kandie Bloch-Jones in the high jump, and Hanna Winter in the mile run.
TRIO OF HURDLERS CONTINUE GROWTH, SHOW CONSISTENCY
At both the Meyo Invite and Iowa State Classic, the Fighting Illini have had three of the eight 60m hurdle finalists donning the Orange and Blue singlet. Sophomore Pedrya Seymour, freshman Jayla Stewart, and junior transfer Kortni Smyers-Jones have created a trio that has created a model of consistency for the team in recent weeks.
CHOQUETTE SHINES AT MEYO INVITE
Nicole Choquette highlighted the weekend for the Illini with a personal-record time in the 800m, while finishing second in both the 600m and 800m. The 600m time was just shy of her Big Ten Championship time last February, moving her into fifth place in the NCAA.
B1G FACES - KANDIE BLOCH-JONES REACHES NEW HEIGHTS
During the offseason, Kandie Bloch-Jones was chosen as one of the Big Ten Network's Faces of Illinois, making a commercial spot that will air throughout the spring on the conference network. The junior has started off 2016 with reason to believe she can compete with the nation's elite. After winning the high jump back-to-back times to begin the season, Bloch-Jones cleared 6-0 (1.83m), besting a three-time national champion, at the Rod McCravy meet to finish second. Her mark currently sits in a tie for 12th nationally.
Bloch-Jones is coming off of a top-20 finish at NCAA Championships in 2015 and holds the third-best high jump mark in school history. As a freshman, the Argenta, Illinois native won the high jump title at Big Ten Indoor Championships and earned Second Team All-America honors at the NCAA meet. Last season, Bloch-Jones placed fourth at Big Ten Indoor Championships and had her best jump of her career (1.84m) at the Rankin Invite. Bloch-Jones was named Big Ten Field Athlete of the Week on December 16, and shortly after was named the University of Illinois Scholar Athlete of the Week.
ORANGE AND BLUE SEE MORE OUT OF SEYMOUR
Early returns from Pedrya Seymour have already to shown significant growth from last season. The Nassau, Bahamas sophomore moved into 10th-place all-time on the Illinois indoor 60m hurdles list, an 8.27 time at the Iowa State Classic. Earlier in the season, Seymour won the 60m hurdles in each of the first two home meets this season, setting then personal-record times at both meets.
ORANGE AND BLUE WIN ILLINI CLASSIC
For the second week in a row, the Orange and Blue rode veteran performances, combined with youthful progression, to a team victory. The Illini used four event titles, two in field events and two on the track, to pace the team to 142 points, besting second-place Western Michigan by 33 points. Pedrya Seymour was the top performer again for the Illini with another personal-record in the 60m hurdles, this time with a 6.38 time. Lindsey Rakosnik (600m), Jenn DeBellis (pole vault) and Janile Rogers (long jump) each earned event wins to round out the team's four on the day.
ILLINI SWEEP BORDER BATTLE
After splitting the Border Battle last year on the campus of the University of Iowa, the Orange and Blue were able to sweep the competition this afternoon at the UI Armory. The Fighting Illini beat Missouri by a score of 75-65, while edging out the Hawkeyes 68-67. The Illini were led by five event titles: Kandie Bloch-Jones (HJ), Jenn DeBellis (PV), Briana Driver (LJ), Nicole Choquette (800m), and Pedrya Seymour (60m H).
ILLINI EARN SIX EVENT TITLES AT EARLY BIRD
The Illini earned six event crowns over the course of the season's opening evening as the team scored 108 points to place second. In the field, Bloch-Jones (high jump) and Rogers (long jump) won titles outright, while Jenn DeBellis and Sara McKeeman shared the pole vault crown. On the track, Jasmine Berry (400m), Smyers-Jones (60m Hurdles), and the 4x400m relay team of Berry, Choquette, Marry, and Schulz took home titles.
FRESHMAN FIVE BRING PROMISE
The 2015-16 freshmen class brings promise to Coach Garner's program, as they enter the program after racking up accolades in high school. Jayla Stewart leads the group as a five-time All-American in track and was the Hershey National Champion in the 100m hurdles. Joining her is Emone Davis, an All-American in the 4x100m and holds Danville High School records in four events. In field events, Mother McAuley standout Briana Driver who was the 2015 indoor and outdoor conference long jump champion. Sade Hargrove is the lone freshman from outside the state lines, but brings with her the 2014 Virginia state championship in the long jump, while also wining 4A South Conference championships in the 55m, 100, 200m, 300m, and long jump. Rounding out the class are standouts in distance events is Cary-Grove's Morgan Schulz. Schulz won the 2015 800m state title and holds school records in the 100m, 200m, 300m, 400m, and 800m.
