Results
NASHVILLE, TENN. – After a couple of top-10 finishes on Friday night to begin the weekend, the Illini returned to action on Saturday to conclude the Black & Gold Invite. Sprinter Kymbriona Taylor and hurdlers Jayla Stewart and Kortni Smyers-Jones turned in the team's top performances this afternoon with Taylor posting the top collegian time in the 100m dash and the two hurdlers placing in the top-five in the 100m hurdles.
"We worked really hard, we trained really hard this week so it was a work meet," explained Head Coach Ron Garner. "We got out of it what we wanted. We got a chance to see some people [that hadn't competed yet this season.] With the team not fully rested, we got to see what they could do. We had some solid performances. Jayla [Stewart] had an improvement in the hurdles, we switched up the group in the 4x100m, and we welcomed back Britten [Petrey] in the 800m."
In terms of place, Fighting Illini senior Kymbriona Taylor gave the Illini their best finish of the weekend with the top collegian finish in the 100m dash. While her time last weekend was better, Taylor's 11.95 time today bested the rest of the collegiate athletes in the field.
Taylor wasn't the only Illini to perform in the 100m dash, as six other sprinters were donning the Orange & Blue. Jayla Stewart timed 12.20 in her heat to place fifth overall, while Janile Rogers and Smyers-Jones finished in 12.28 to tie for ninth. Placing just outside the top-10, Sade Hargrove clocked a time of 12.32.
After top-five finishes in the event last weekend in Tempe, Stewart and Smyers-Jones both improved upon their opening weekend 100m hurdle times. Stewart won her heat with a time of 13.65, while Smyers-Jones finished with a time of 13.94. Overall, the duo both placed in the top-five, Stewart taking third and Smyers-Jones fourth.
Senior Lindsey Rakosnik took to the track for the Illini in the 400m dash. The senior led the way with a personal-best time of 57.05 to place second in her heat and 13th overall.
The lone field event with an Illini competitor came in the pole vault. For the second week in a row, Jennifer DeBellis posted a 12'7.5" (3.85m) clearance to finished third. Sara McKeeman cleared the 11'7.75" (3.55m) bar, but was unable to do the same at 12'1.5" (3.70m).
In distance events, Britten Petrey made her outdoor debut in the 800m run with a 2:15.37, placing third in her section of the event.
"Her time wasn't real fast, but we liked what we saw," said Coach Garner.
In the 3,000m, Denise Branch and Valerie Bobart went back-to-back in the event and finishing just a second apart. Branch finished sixth with a time of 10:09.32, while Bobart timing 10:09.32 to place seventh.
In relays, the Fighting Illini placed second in the 4x100m with a time of 45.62. The time by the quartet of Hargrove, Rogers, Stewart and Taylor bested their time from last weekend's Baldy Castillo Invite. The Illini placed eighth in the 4x400m relay with a time of 3:55.02.
Up next for Coach Garner's squad is a return to the state of Illinois, where they will make the short trip to Charleston, Illinois for the Eastern Illinois Big Blue Classic on April 1-2.
For complete coverage of that meet and all things Fighting Illini Women's Track, go to fightingillini.com and follow @IlliniWTrack on Twitter and Instagram.
Top-5 Finishes
2-Kymbriona Taylor: 100m, 11.95
2-4x100m relay, 45.62
3-Jennifer DeBellis: Pole Vault, 12'7.5" (3.85m)
3-Jayla Stewart: 100m Hurdles, 13.65
4-Kortni Smyers-Jones: 100m Hurdles, 13.94
4-Janile Rogers: 200m, 24.69
5-Jayla Stewart: 100m, 12.20
