University of Illinois
3,000m Steeplechase First Round
Three @IlliniMTrack Set for Olympic Trials
July 1, 2016 | Men's Cross Country, Men's Track & Field
Former Illini Andrew Riley Seeks Second Olympics
Spectator Information | Schedule | Tickets | Olympic Trials TV Schedule | Jamaican Trials Schedule | Live Results
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Three Fighting Illini will represent the Orange & Blue at Olympic Trials in the coming week, led by former Illini, and 2012 Olympian, Andrew Riley at the Jamaican Olympic Trials. Current Illini Dylan Lafond and David Kendziera will compete at U.S. Olympic Trials. Riley is set to compete in the 110m hurdles on Saturday, July 2, while Lafond (3,000m steeplechase) and Kendziera (400m hurdles) will begin competition on July 4 and July 7, respectively.
A four-time NCAA champion while at Illinois, Riley will be seeking his second appearance at the Olympics after competing at the London Games in 2012. During his career at Illinois, Riley set school records in the 60m, 60m hurdles, 100m, 110m hurdles, and 4x100m relay on his way to 12 All-American honors and 12 Big Ten titles. In 2012, Riley became the first male athlete to win the NCAA title in the 100m dash and 110m hurdles in the same season. Since graduating from Illinois, Riley has won three Jamaican national titles and qualified for the final at World Championships in 2013. He placed 24th overall in the 110m hurdles first round at the 2012 London Games.
A 2015 All-American in the 3,000m steeplechase, Lafond red-shirted during the 2016 outdoor season, but qualified for the trials with a time of 8:32.74. In 2016, Lafond rewrote Illinois school records in the 3,000m and 5,000m. On January 22, Lafond clocked an 8:00.48 time at Rod McCravy to set a new school mark in the 3,000m run. A few weeks later, he followed it up by setting a new Illinois record in the 5,000m, timing 13:46.72. Lafond also owns Illinois' cross-country 8,000m mark, timing 23:22.40 at Big Ten Championships this past fall.
Kendziera will join Lafond in Eugene after spending much of the 2016 season recovering from an injury, forcing the junior to red-shirt both the indoor and outdoor campaigns. Now healthy, Kendziera looks to pick up where he left off in 2015 when he earned First Team All-American honors in the 400m hurdles and as a member of the 4x400m relay team. A bronze medalist at NCAA Championships, Kendziera owns the second-fastest time in Illinois history, 49.56, and also ranks in the top-five in the 60m hurdles and 110m hurdles.
Schedule of Events:
Andrew Riley – 110m hurdles
July 2: Semi-final – 6:30 p.m. CT
Final – 8:15 p.m. CT
Dylan Lafond – 3,000m steeplechase
July 4: First Round – 6:33 p.m. CT
July 8: Final – 7:30 p.m. CT
David Kendziera – 400m hurdles
July 7: First Round – 8:53 p.m. CT
July 8: Semifinal – 6:47 p.m. CT
July 10: Final – 6:51 p.m. CT
Your #Illini Nation Features
Dylan Lafond - Watch here
David Kendziera - Watch here
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