CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – One week away from Big Ten Indoor Championships, the Illini will host the Orange and Blue Open on Saturday, February 18 inside the UI Armory. The meet is scheduled to begin at 10am with throwing events. Jumping events will start at 11 a.m., while track events are set to begin at noon.
Meet Notes
Follow the Meet
Live results will be provided for the Orange and Blue Open via sidearmstats.com/illinois/track. Fans can also follow @IlliniMTrack for updates throughout the meet.
Last Year at the Orange and Blue Open
Six Fighting Illini won events at least year's final indoor home meet, including four current Illini. Michael Hyc won the weight throw with a PR of 63'0.25" (19.21m), while Mo Maat (60m), Konrad Eiring (800m) and Jesse Reiser (3,000m) added event titles on the track.
A Look at the Competition
The Illini will compete along side four other teams on Saturday, including in-state schools Illinois State, Western Illinois and Northern Illinois. Rounding out the field will be Butler.
Events To Watch
60m Hurdles: After breaking the school heptathlon record two weeks ago in Lincoln and placing third in the high jump last week at Iowa State, Jonathan Wells will compete in the 60m hurdles this weekend. Wells timed a season-best 8.04 during his record-setting heptathlon to win the event. Last year, Wells advanced to the Big Ten Indoor Championships final with a personal-best 7.96 time.
Pole Vault: Jacob LaRocca comes in after setting a personal-best mark in the event two weeks ago at the Husker Invite. Competing against some of the elite vaulters in the country, the Illini redshirt freshman cleared 16'8.75" (5.10m) in Lincoln. Cooper Jazo will also compete on Saturday after tying his season-best mark of 15'7" (4.75m) last weekend at Iowa State.
Throws: Michael Hyc has continued to progress in 2017, setting personal-best marks in the weight throw during three meets and in the shot put in two meets. The Illini junior ranks third in the weight throw and fifth in the shot put. Matsen Dziedzic joins Hyc in the two events after setting a season-best performance in the shot put last weekend at Iowa State. Dziedzic also set a PR in the weight throw at the Illini Classic.
3K: The Illini have five runners entered in the event, as Dylan Lafond, Jesse Reiser, Billy Magnesen, Dan Lathrop and Alex Gold are all set to race. Illinois school-record holder, Lafond's season-best time came at Rod McCravy (8:10.23), while Reiser entered in the top-10 with an 8:08.04 time at the Black & Gold Invite. Billy Magnesen also set a personal-best time of 8:16.99 at Iowa.
Next Up
The Fighting Illini compete at 2017 Big Ten Championships next weekend in Geneva, Ohio at the Spire Institute. The meet begins Friday, February 24 and continues through Saturday, February 25.
Illini Notes
Illini In the Rankings
Entering the final week of the regular season, the Illini have five performances that rank among the top-30 in NCAA Division I. All-American Jonathan Wells leads the Illini in 10th of the heptathlon rankings with a school record score of 5.685. David Kendziera ranks 11th with his 7.77 time in the 60m hurdles. Wells also ranks in the top-20 in the high jump with a height of 7'1.75" (2.18m), while the 4x400m relay (24th) and Michael Hyc (28th/shot put) round out the five.
Illini Athletes Among Big Ten's Best
With just over a week remaining before Big Ten Indoor Championships, the Illini feature 12 performances that rank in the top-10 in the conference. Jonathan Wells' high jump of 7'1.75" (2.18m) leads the Big Ten, while his heptathlon score of 5,685 ranks third. Also ranked in two separate events is Michael Hyc (shot put/weight throw) and Devin Quinn (60m/200m). David Kendziera holds Illinois' top ranking in track events with the second-fastest 60m hurdle time (7.77). Jacob LaRocca sits fifth in the pole vault, while Josh Eiker (7th/200m) and Dylan Lafond (6th/mile) are also ranked.
Illini Tally 11 Top-10 Finishes at Iowa State Classic
The Illini recorded five top-10 finishes on Saturday, 11 total over the course of the two-day Iowa State Classic. Among the 11 top-10 finishes was a 60m hurdle title by David Kendziera and two 200m performances that rank on the Illinois all-time list. The 4x400m relay quartet of Joe Haight, Kenneth Allen, Matt Burns and David Kendziera also set a season-low time of 3:08.63 to place runner-up.
Jonathan Wells Breaks Heptathlon School Record
After redshirting last spring to focus on the multievents, Jonathan Wells broke the Illinois heptathlon school record in his first competition of the season. The Illini junior, a redshirt sophomore for the 2017 outdoor season, scored 5,685 points to pass Steve Monte's 5,577 points scored four years ago in 2013. Already a two-time All-American in the high jump, Wells brings versatility to Coach Turk's squad.
Regionally Ranked
The Fighting Illini are tabbed fourth in the Midwest region currently, according to the USTFCCCA weekly rankings. The Orange and Blue rank ahead of No. 5 Minnesota, while trailing Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska.
Hyc Hyc Baby
Thrower Michael Hyc has started his junior season with bang, setting personal-best marks in the weight throw in each of his first three meets and set a new shot put lifetime best at the Husker Invite. In the shot put, Hyc launched a throw of 60'3" (18.36m) last weekend, moving him into fifth-place on Illinois' all-time list and 28th in the country. Hyc's 66'5" (20.24m) throw at the Black & Gold Premier (1/27) improved upon his third-best mark in Illinois history. Hyc currently ranks eighth in the Big Ten in both events.
Of Historical Significance
Seven current Fighting Illini athletes currently hold spots on Illinois' all-time top-10 lists, led by 3,000m (8:00.48) and 5,000m (13:46.72) recorder holder Dylan Lafond and heptathlon record-holder Jonathan Wells (5,685). In sprints, Devin Quinn sits in fifth in the 200m and tied for eighth with Mo Maat in the 60m, while freshman Josh Eiker ranks ninth in the 200m with a 21.30 performance at the Iowa State Classic. 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. Rounding out the list is Michael Hyc, third in the weight throw and fifth in the shot put, and Matsen Dziedzic, fourth in the weight throw.
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.
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.
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.
