University of Illinois
Black & Gold Invitational
@IlliniWTrack Preview: Black & Gold Invitational
March 24, 2016 | Women's Track & Field
#Illini Look to Build Off of Opening Weekend
CHAMPAIGN, ILL. – After the opening weekend of the outdoor season that saw Valerie Bobart win the 3,000m steeplechase, Janile Rogers set multiple personal-best times, and a handful of other Illini record personal-records as well. For their second act of the outdoor season, Head Coach Ron Garner will take his team to Nashville, Tennessee for the Black & Gold Invitational, hosted by Vanderbilt University. The action begins Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. and wraps up Saturday afternoon.
| Black & Gold Invite | |
|---|---|
| When | March 25-26 // Friday: 4 p.m. CT; Saturday: 10 a.m. CT |
| Where | Nashville, Tennessee // Vanderbilt Track Stadium |
| Live Links | Live Results |
| Meet Information | Illinois Record Book | Illinois Meet Notes |
FOLLOW THE MEET LIVE:
Live results will be provided by Vanderbilt University throughout the two-day competition via CFP Timing: http://cfpitiming.com/2016_Outdoor_Season/Vanderbilt_BG_2016/Vandy_BG_Invite_2016.html
A Look at the Field:
Joining the Illini in Nashville will be a host of other teams from the Midwest and southern states, including Butler, DePaul, Loyola (Ill.), Murray State, Austin Peay, Memphis, Miami (OH) and Dayton.
Last Year at Black & Gold:
Last year in Nashville, the field events took center stage for the Illini as three individuals took home event titles. Kandie Bloch-Jones won the high jump competition with a mark of 5'10.5" (1.79m), while Jennifer DeBellis bested teammate All-American Stephanie Richartz with a clearance of 12'7.5" (3.85m) in the pole vault. Former Illini Jazjuan Wallace-Sipp rounded out the three with a discus victory. On the track, the Illini placed runner-up in the 4x400m relay and saw top-five finishes from Miranda Marry and Jasmine Berry (400m hurdles), Kymbriona Taylor (100m) and Nicole Choquette (400m).
Competitions to Watch:
100m: The Fighting Illini will feature a host of sprinters in the event. Kymbriona Taylor is the veteran of the group, while the other five in the event are all in their first outdoor season with the Illini. Janile Rogers posted an 11.86 time in the event at last week's Baldy Castillo, while Taylor came in behind her at 11.87. First-year freshmen Jayla Stewart, Sade Hargrove, and Briana Driver will compete in the event along with junior college transfer Kortni Smyers-Jones rounds.
100m Hurdles: After Jayla Stewart and Kortni Smyers-Jones each finished in the top-five in the event at last weekend's Baldy Castillo Invite, the duo returns this weekend in search of more improvements. Stewart's 13.81 time last weekend was a lifetime-best for an opening outdoor meet to place fourth, while Smyers-Jones came in just just two-tenths of a second behind Stewart to place fourth.
1,500m: Valerie Bobart returns to the track after winning the 3,000m steeplechase last weekend to run in this weekend's 1,500m. Joining the sophomore distance runner in the event will be Hanna Winter, Denise Branch, Amanda Fox, and Audrey Blazek.
NEXT UP
The Fighting Illini will stay within the confines of the state Illinois and compete at the EIU Big Blue Classic on April 1-2.
ILLINI NOTES
Bobart and Rogers Lead Illini in Outdoor Opener
Sophomore Valerie Bobart cut the tape on the outdoor season with style as she won the team's first event of the campaign with a 10:48.2 time in the 3,000m steeplechase on Friday night. The next day, Janile Rogers led the way with personal-record times in the 100m and 200m. Joining her were strong hurdle performances from Jayla Stewart and Kortni Smyers-Jones, placing second and fourth in the 100m hurdles respectively.
Seymour Posts Personal-Record time at Indoor Worlds, Places 11th
A week after competing at NCAA Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Alabama, Pedrya Seymour flew across the country to compete in the IAAF Indoor World Championships in Portland, Oregon. Once there, the Illini red-shirt sophomore set a new personal-record time in the 60m hurdles with an 8.15 clip that placed her 11th in the world.
Bloch-Jones & Seymour Compete at NCAA Championships
Pedrya Seymour started the weekend off with a 8.19 time in the 60m hurdles semifinals, but failed to qualify for the final with her 13th-place finish overall. On Saturday, Kandie Bloch-Jones finished tied for 12th in the high jump with a mark of 5'11.25" (1.76m).
Pedrya Seymour Selected for Indoor World Championships
Nassau, Bahamas native Pedrya Seymour was chosen to represent her country in the upcoming Indoor World Championships in Portland, Oregon on March 18 & 19. The Illini red-shirt sophomore has significantly improved her time in the 60m hurdles this season, posting a career-best time at Big Ten Championships (8.16) to finish third. She is set to race in the 60m hurdles on March 18.
Bloch-Jones, Symour, & Choquette with Podium Finishes at B1G Championships
The 2016 edition of Big Ten Indoor Championships concluded with a trio of Illini marking podium finishes in their event final. Kandie Bloch-Jones started things off in the morning in the high jump, followed by Nicole Choquette in the 800m, and concluded by Pedrya Seymour in the 60m hurdles.
Trio of Hurdlers Show Growth During Indoor Season
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 – 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 & 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).
Freshmen 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.
