University of Illinois
Illinois Open
@IlliniWTrack Wraps-Up Regular Season with Illini Open
May 3, 2016 | Women's Track & Field
Competition Begins Wednesday at 2pm
CHAMPAIGN, ILL. – The Fighting Illini conclude the 2015-16 regular season with their final home meet this season. With Big Ten Championships only 10 days away, the Illini Open will serve as a chance to build upon their Drake Relays success and make final tweaks for the postseason. The meet will begin at 2 p.m. with throwing events, while jumps and track events will start at 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., respectively.
| Illini Open | |
|---|---|
| When | May 4 // Field Events: 2 p.m. // Track Events: 5:30 p.m. |
| Where | Urbana, Illinois // Illinois Track Stadium |
| Live Links | Live Results |
| Meet Information | Illinois Record Book | Illinois Meet Notes | Meet Program |
COMPETITIONS TO WATCH
100m Hurdles: The trio of hurdlers will get one final tune up before Big Ten Championships next weekend. Last weekend, Pedrya Seymour clocked a personal-best 13.17 time in the event to finish third in the Drake Relay prelims. Also qualifying for the event final at Drake was Jayla Stewart. However, it's Kortni Smyers-Jones who is the one to watch as she looks to find her stride in the regular season finale.
100m: Five Illini will compete across the two-heat race at the Illini Open, highlighted by senior Kymbriona Taylor making her final appearance at home. Taylor clocked a personal-best time at Eastern Illinois a month ago that leads the team this season. Briana Driver will look to continue her improvement in the event, while junior Kortni Smyers-Jones is set to race in the event for just the second time this season. Emone Davis and Lateshia Dove will also toe the line for the Illini in this event.
4x100m: The Orange & Blue continue to show their depth in the event with seven different Illini taking their turn in the sprint relay. At the Illinois Twilight, the combination of Seymour-Driver-Rogers-Taylor proved to be their best yet. The foursome won the Twilight meet with a 45.08 clip. For a group that features three underclassmen, the 4x100m continues to be a growing strength for the Illini.
Pole Vault: The Illini duo of Jennifer DeBellis and Sara McKeeman bounced back at Drake Relays after disappointing performances in previous weeks. DeBellis set a season-best mark of 13-3 1/2 (4.05m), while McKeeman returned closer to her season-best clearance with a mark of 12-9 1/2 (3.90m) at Drake Relays. With both Illini in the field for the Illini Open, the two vaulters will continue to build towards next weekend's Big Ten Championships.
High Jump: An All-American during the indoor season, Kandie Bloch-Jones is still trying to find her groove during the outdoor campaign. However, Coach Garner liked what he saw from the junior at Drake Relays. With some progress made last weekend, Bloch-Jones looks to make final adjustments. Next weekend, the Argenta, Illinois native will be looking for her second career Big Ten title and the first outdoors.
NEXT UP
Coach Garner's squad will make their final tune ups for Big Ten Championships when they host the Illinois Open on Wednesday, May 4 at the Illinois Track Stadium. Field events will begin at 2 p.m. and track events will follow at 5:30 p.m.
ILLINI NOTES
Illini Win Shuttle Hurdle Relay at Drake for First Time Since 2001
Pedrya Seymour, Jayla Stewart, Jasmine Berry and Kortni Smyers-Jones clocked a 54.76 time that cruised past the field to win the first shuttle hurdle relay victory since the program set the world record in the event in 2001. Outside of the relay, Seymour clocked a PR 13.17 time in the 100m hurdle prelims, while Lindsey Rakosnik set a personal-best time in the 800m.
Orange & Blue Notch Five Titles, Win Twilight
Pedrya Seymour took home three event titles, two individual and one relay, as the Illini totaled five event crowns over the course of the meet to top the 13-team field with 146 points. Seymour's victories in the 100m hurdles and 200m dash combined with a 4x1 victory (Seymour, Driver, Rogers, Taylor) and individual titles by Briana Driver in the long jump and Jasmine Berry in the 400m hurdles.
Five Individual Titles Highlight UCF Dual
In a rare dual format, the Fighting Illini took home event crowns in the 100m hurdles, high jump, pole vault, 3,000m steeplechase and triple jump. In addition to the five event victories, the Illini also set multiple personal-records with Sara McKeeman (pole vault), Janile Rogers (200m) and Valerie Bobart each recording their best outdoor marks of their careers.
Three Illini Blow Away the Field at EIU Big Blue Classic
On a weekend that saw wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour, three Illini overcame the conditions to earn victories in their respective events. The top Illini performance came in the 100m hurdles where Jayla Stewart and Kortni Smyers-Jones finished 1-2 in the prelims and finals, each clocking new personal-best times in the process. In addition to their success, Kandie Bloch-Jones won the high jump and the 4x100m relay team picked up their first victory of the season.
Seven Top-5 Finishes at Vandy for Illini
In the second meet of the outdoor season, the Orange & Blue were led on the track by Kymbriona Taylor and hurdlers Jayla Stewart and Kortni Smyers-Jones. Taylor posted the top collegiate time in the 100m dash (11.95), while Stewart and Smyers-Jones both improved upon their times from the previous weekend to placed third and fourth overall. Coach Garner's squad also improved upon their 4x100m relay time, edging out their Baldy Castillo time with a 45.62 mark. Jennifer DeBellis had the top field performance, marking 12'7.5" (3.95m) in the pole vault.
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 a 8.15 clip that placed her 11th overall in the field.
Bloch-Jones & Seymour Compete at NCAA Championships
Pedrya Seymour started the weekend off with an 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, Seymour, & 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.
