University of Illinois
NCAA West Prelims
@IlliniMTrack Primed for NCAA West Prelims
May 25, 2016 | Men's Track & Field
Competition begins Thursday with 100m, 1500m & 10K
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Fighting Illini Track & Field will send their 13 qualifiers to the NCAA West Prelims this weekend where the baker's dozen will look to qualify for NCAA Championships June 8-11. With a mix of short distance, long distance and field events, the Orange & Blue will compete throughout the three-day event, which begins Thursday, May 26.
| NCAA West Prelims | |
|---|---|
| When | May 26-28 |
| Where | Rock Chalk Park // Lawrence, Kansas |
| Live Results Links | Live Results | LIve Video Stream (Coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. Thurs/Fri & 5:55 p.m. Sat.) |
| 2015-16 Information | Illinois Record Book | Illinois Meet Notes | Meet Schedule | Championship Central | Heat Sheets |
Competitions to Watch
Hurdles: All-American hurdler Cam Viney is coming off of a pair of bronze medals in the 110m and 400m hurdles at Big Ten Championships. In the 110m hurdles, Viney clocked a season-best time of 13.74, ranking 10th in the region, while his 50.67 time in the 400m hurdles was just shy of his 50.66 season-best time that ranks seventh in the region. Last season, Viney qualified for NCAA Championships in both events, earning Second Team All-American honors in both events. He also ran one of the legs of the First Team All-American 4x400m relay team that placed 8th at NCAA Championships.
100m: Devin Quinn and Mo Maat will rpresent the Fighting Illini sprinters in Lawrence after the two scored points for the Orange & Blue at Big Ten Championships. Quinn, a freshman from Punta Gorda, Fla., will be making his first appearance at an NCAA meet, while Maat is returning to NCAA Prelims for the second time. Maat also ran one of the legs of the 4x100m relay team that earned All-American honors last June at the NCAA meet.
1500m: Three Illini middle distance runners will compete Thursday evening in the event's first round. Seniors Bryce Basting and Liam Markham will be looking to extend their collegiate careers after the two qualified with times of 3:44.96 and 3:45.35, respectively. Joining the two seniors will be Big Ten Cross-Country Freshman of the Year Jesse Reiser. Reiser qualified for the NCAA Prelims with a 3:45.15 time set at the Illinois Twilight.
10,000m: Senior Ian Barnett and freshman Billy Magnesen will conclude the Thursday slate of competition with the men's 10K run. Barnett, who was the Big Ten leader in the event for most of the season, enters with a 29:10.83 qualifying time set at the Stanford Invite that ranks 20th in the region. Magnesen also set his best mark of the season at Stanford, a 29:34.94 clip.
Javelin: Two Illini javelin throwers made the cut for NCAA West Prelims, senior Ben Dodds and junior Aaron Wilks. Dodds, a Champaign, Ill. native, threw his best mark of his career at the Illinois Twilight last month, a heave of 215'8" (65.75m), while Wilks also recorded a personal-best throw of 210'1" (64.04m) that night as well. Dodds will be making his third appearance at NCAA Prelims, while Wilks will be making his NCAA debut.
Next Up
For the Illini competitors that qualify, NCAA Championships will be held June 8-11 in Eugune, Oregon.
Illini Notes
Turk Tabbed as World Junior Championships Coach
USA Track & Field has named Fighting Illini Men's Track & Field Head Coach Mike Turk to the Team USA coaching staff for the 2016 IAAF World Junior Championships in Bydogszcz, Poland July 19-24. Turk will serve as an assistant coach, primarily overseeing the men's throwing events.
Viney's pair of Bronze Medals Highlight Big Ten Championships
Senior All-American Cam Viney added two more Big Ten medals, totaling eight for his career, with third-place finishes in both the 110m hurdles and the 400m hurdles. In addition to Viney, Illinois received point-scoring performances from Devin Quinn (100m), Mo Maat (100m), Bryce Basting (1500m), the 4x100m relay and the 4x400m relay.
Hyc Leads Illini in Season Finale
Sophomore set PRs in both the hammer throw and shot put, winning the later event at the Illini Open. The Orange & Blue also received event titles from Cam Viney, Joe Haight and top collegiate performances from Mo Maat (100m) and Mitch Mammoser (pole vault).
Illini Relays win Fourth Straight Hy-Vee Cup Trophy
Mike Turk's squad secured the the Hy-Vee Cup title for the fourth straight year after their 4x800m, sprint medley and distance medley relays each finished runner-up in their respective events. Illinois' 24 wins bested second-place Texas' 20.
Fighting Illini Win Twilight; Viney Takes Two Titles
The Orange & Blue cruised to a team title with a 172 points over the course of the day to best the 10-team competition. Cam Viney led the Illini with titles in the 110m hurdles and 400m hurdles, setting a new PR in the latter. In addition to Viney, Devin Quinn clocked a 200m winning time of 21.44, while the Illini notched a season-best 4x400m relay time to win the event.
Sprints Group Leads Illini in California
Kenneth Allen and Mo Maat led the Illini on Friday and Saturday at the Clay and Beach Invites with season-best performances. Allen topped his season-best 400m mark on back-to-back days, first with a 47.66 performances on Friday, and then followed it up with a 47.40 time on Saturday. For Maat, the Memphis native set a personal-best time of 21.24 in the 200m to finish as the top collegian at the Beach Invite. Joining the two sprinters was the 4x100m group. Although discounted due to a timing issue, the 4x1 ran a 39.63 mark. The next day, the team of Akins, Henderson, Maat and Haight followed it up with an official season-best mark of 40.50 in the elite section at Mt. SAC.
Viney & Barnett Top Performances at Stanford Invite
Cam Viney and Ian Barnett combined for three individual titles to open the season at the Stanford Invite. Viney took titles in both hurdles events, the 110m and 400m. Although neither times for Viney were personal-bests, he won each event with ease. In the 10,000m, Barnett set the seventh-best time in school history with a 29:10.83 time.
Barnett in Elite Company
With Barnett's 29:10.83 time at Stanford, the senior is now on five top-10 lists, tied for the current best among past and present Illini. He currently ranks in the top-10 in the indoor 3K and 5K and the outdoor 1,500m, 5K and 10K. The other Illini to have the same honor: Dorian Green, Babatunde Ridley, Sherman Armstrong and Jannis Toepfer.
Wells, Kendziera, Lafond & Lee to Red-shirt This Spring
With the rash of injuries during the indoor season and long-term planning for the defending champs, Coach Turk will red-shirt four Illini during the outdoor season. Although he stayed healthy throughout the indoor slate, 2016 indoor high jump All-American Jonathan Wells will use the spring to focus on multi events as he seeks to increase his versatility in the second half of his Illini career.
