CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The full Illini track and field squad will be back in competition this weekend, as the Orange and Blue travel to Iowa City, Iowa for the Black & Gold Premier meet. Held inside the UI Recreation Building, the meet will begin Friday, January 27 at 11am and continue through Saturday, January 28.
Meet Notes
Follow the Meet Live
Live results will be available at hawkeyesports.com/tracklive. A live stream of the meet will also be available through Hawykeye All-Access on hawkeyesports.com.
Earlier This Year at the UI Recreation Building
This weekend's meet will be the second time this month that the Illini compete inside the UI Recreation Building. On January 7, the Orange and Blue tallied 11 event titles in route to their second sweep of the Border Battle meet in three years. In the 200m, freshman Josh Eiker clocked a meet record time of 21.38 in the 200m dash in his Illini debut. The UI Recreation Building track is in its first year in Iowa City after it was used at the IAAF Indoor World Championships last March.
A Look at the Competition
Along with the host Hawkeyes, fellow Big Ten schools Wisconsin and Minnesota, as well as Notre Dame, Illinois State and Tulsa will join Illinois.
Events To Watch
60m Hurdles: It'll be a mid-season preview of Big Ten Championships as three of the Big Ten's best are expected to compete on Saturday. Illinois' David Kendziera will compete against Iowa's pair of hurdlers, Aaron Mallet and Chris Douglas. Back on January 7 at the Border Battle, Kendziera edged out defending Big Ten champion Mallet with a 7.80 performance, a mark that currently ranks seventh best in the NCAA. Sine then, Mallet has dropped his time down to 7.77, which ranks third-best in the country and tops in the conference. Douglas also ranks in the top-20, checking in at No. 14 with a 7.87 showing at the Larry Wieczorek Invite last weekend.
200m: Illinois enters the meet with two Illini ranked in the top-six in the Big Ten in the event so far this season, as freshman Josh Eiker (21.38) and Devin Quinn (21.71)rank third and sixth, respectively. On Friday evening, the two Illini will be challenged by Wisconsin's Lorenzo Larry (21.77) and Iowa's freshman Emannuel Ogwo (21.51). Larry placed fifth at last year's Big Ten Indoor Championships, while Quinn took seventh.
Shot Put: Three of the Big Ten's top eight marks in the event this season will compete against one another on Saturday afternoon. Illinois' Michael Hyc enters with the 24th best mark in the NCAA, a 59'6.75" (18.15m) throw at the Illini Classic two weeks ago. His top competition will come from Iowa's Avery Meyers and Wisconsin's Josh McDonald. Meyers ranks 10th in all of Division I with a 61'4.25" (18.70m) mark, while McDonald marked 60'0.5" (18.30m) to sit 19th in the nation.
Next Up
Illinois will travel west to Lincoln, Nebraska for the Frank Sevigne Husker Invite, held February 3-4 at the Devaney Center Indoor Track. This is the fourth straight year the Illini have competed at the meet.
Illini Notes
Illini In the Rankings
Through three weeks of competition, four Illini rank among the nation's best in their events. In the 60m hurdles, David Kendziera's 7.80 time from the Border Battle ranks seventh in the nation and second in the Big Ten. Jonathan Wells sits 12th in the nation in the high jump after marking 7'1.75" (2.18m) at the Illini Classic, which is tops among Big Ten athletes. Dylan Lafond debuts at 15th in the 3,000m after timing 8:10.23 in his first race of the season, while Michael Hyc ranks 24th in the shot put after his mark of 59'6.75" (18.15m) at the Illini Classic.
Among Big Ten's Best
In the Big Ten, 10 Illini are currently ranked in the top-10 so far this season: Devin Quinn, Josh Eiker, Kenneth Allen, Luke Brahm, Dylan Lafond, David Kendziera, Jonathan Wells, Jacob LaRocca, Michael Hyc and Matsen Dziedzi. Jonathan Wells currently leads the Big Ten in the high jump (7'1.75"), while Quinn (60m and 200m) and Hyc (weight throw and shot put) are the only Illini among the top-10 in multiple events.
Of Historical Significance
Seven current Fighting Illini athletes currently hold spots on Illinois' all-time top-10 lists, led by 3,000m and 5,000m recorder holder Dylan Lafond. In sprints, Devin Quinn sits tied for seventh in the 200m and tied for eighth with Mo Maat in the 60m. David Kendziera (4th) and Jonathan Wells (T-9th) both rank in the top-10 of the 60m hurdles, while Wells sits runner-up in the high jump, just a half-inch behind Gail Olson's school record, and heptathlon. Rounding out the list is Michael Hyc, third in the weight throw and seventh in the shot put, and Matsen Dziedzic, fourth in the weight throw.
Orange and Blue Win Illini Classic
Illinois won five event titles and scored 180 team points in route to winning the Illini Classic on Saturday, January 14. David Kendziera (60m hurdles), Devin Quinn (60m), Josh Eiker (200m), and Jonathan Wells (high jump) each won individual crowns, while the 4x400m relay team (Maat, Burns, Kendziera, Allen) added a fifth title. In the high jump, Wells attempted to break Gail Olson's 7'3 (2.21m) school high jump record, but fell shy of the mark.
Illini Sweep Border Battle
Nine Fighting Illini athletes won event titles at the third annual Border Battle, as the Orange and Blue swept the rivalry meet against Missouri (106-28) and Iowa (85-74) on Saturday afternoon. David Kendziera, Devin Quinn, Michael Hyc, Parker Deloye, Cole Henderson, Jacob LaRocca, Josh Eiker, Luke Brahm and Alex Gold each won events, while five freshmen made their Illini debut.
Illini Return Veteran Squad
Head Coach Mike Turk and staff return 26 letterwinners from last year's squad, including All-Americans David Kendziera, Jonathan Wells, Dylan Lafond, Cole Henderson, Kenneth Allen and Mo Maat. Kendziera earned four All-America honors as a sophomore in 2015 and qualified for Olympic Trials in the 400m hurdles last summer. Jonathan Wells earned First Team All-America honors in the high jump last winter for the first time in his career, while 2015 steeplechase All-American Dylan Lafond returns for his senior season after competing at Olympic Trials in July. Henderson, Allen and Maat return with experience on Illinois' All-American 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams two seasons ago.
Going the Distance
Distance coach Jake Stewart has restored the Illinois men's distance program to one of the best in the Big Ten and a competitor on the national stage. During the 2016 cross country season, Coach Stewart guided the Illini to the program's first NCAA Championships appearance in 30 years. On the track, Stewart has coached nine All-America performances, including Dylan Lafond who returns in the 3,000m steeplechase.
Illini Welcome 11 Freshmen
In addition to the talent returning to campus for the 2017 season, Coach Turk will welcome in 11 freshmen after the group impressed in their final season in high school. In total, the 11 new Illini combined for 17 IHSA state championships between cross country and track and field. At the 2016 IHSA state meet, the signees hauled in seven state titles, three runner-up finishes and tallied 107 team points.
Turk Tabs Talented Trio to Class of 2017
Fighting Illini Men's Track and Field Head Coach Mike Turk announced the signing of three student-athletes to the 2017 class on November 22. All hailing from the state of Illinois, the trio has combined for two individual IHSA state championships and six other top-eight finishes. Thrower Bill Matzek scored in the shot put and discus at 2016 IHSA Championships, while Curtis Gordon (pole vault) and Brayden Hamblen (cross country) both won state titles during their junior seasons.
New Year, New Video Board
During the month of December, the UI Armory received an upgrade with the addition of a video board, located on the west wall of the track. Measuring 14 1/2 feet tall and 26 feet wide, the board will enhance the Illini fan experience during home meets this season.
Illini Host three Home Meet As Part of 2017 Slate
The Orange and Blue will compete at 16 meets between the indoor and outdoor seasons this year, including two home meets held at the UI Armory and one at the Illinois Track Stadium. Illini fan's first chance to see the team will be on Saturday, January 14 when the Orange and Blue host the Illini Classic at the UI Armory. A month later, the Illini will host the Orange and Blue Open on Saturday, February 20. The squad's final home meet will come at the Illinois Track Stadium on April 22 with the annual Illinois Twilight meet.
Illinois Announces Reorganization of Track & Field/Cross Country Programs
Director of Athletics Josh Whitman announced today that the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics will reorganize the leadership structure of the men's and women's track and field and cross country programs in the summer of 2017. Upon completion of the 2017 outdoor track and field season, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field and men's and women's cross country will be led by a single coaching staff. Under the consolidated structure, current men's coach Mike Turk will be head coach and will lead both programs, along with five full-time assistant coaches.
