University of Illinois
UNLV Invitational
Illinois Men’s Track Makes Outdoor Debut at UNLV
March 15, 2017 | Men's Track & Field
UNLV Invite March 17-18
CHAMPAIGN, Ill.– The Fighting Illini men's track and field team makes their 2017 outdoor season debut this weekend, competing at the UNLV Invite in Las Vegas, Nevada. The meet begins with the hammer throw on Friday evening and continues with the remaining events on Saturday, March 18.
| UNLV Invite | |
|---|---|
| When | Friday, March 17 - Saturday, March 18 |
| Where | Myron Partridge Track Facility // Las Vegas, Nev. |
| Meet Information | Meet Schedule | Meet Information |
| Team Information | Meet Notes | Indoor Performance List | Media Guide | Quick Facts |
| Social Media | @IlliniMTrack  | #Illini | @Illinimtrack  | Facebook  | YouTube  |
Follow the Meet
Live results will not be available during the UNLV Invite, but a full recap of the action will be posted on fightingillini.com following the conclusion of the meet.
Illini Competitions to Watch
200m // Devin Quinn, Josh Eiker and Joe Haight
Final: Saturday @ 4pm CT
One of Coach Turk's most reliable groups during the indoor season, Devin Quinn, Josh Eiker and Joe Haight each set personal-best times in the event. Quinn moved into third place on Illinois' all-time list with a 21.01 performance in prelims at Big Ten Championships, while Josh Eiker ranks ninth with a 21.30 performance at the Iowa State Classic. A walk-on, Haight has blossomed into a reliable sprinter in both the open events and relays, clocking 21.41 at the Iowa State Classic and running the lead leg on the 4x400m relay that ranked 20th in the country indoors.
800m // Konrad Eiring, Jon Davis and Garrett Lee
Final // Saturday @ 2:40 p.m. CT
Sophomore Konrad Eiring will make his season-debut this weekend in the 800m after being Illinois' top middle distance runner a year ago. In 2016, Eiring set his personal-best time of 1:50.95 in at home in the Illinois Twilight, placing second. Outside of the 800m, Eiring was a part of the 4x800m and sprint medley relay teams that contributed to Illinois' fourth straight Hy-Vee Cup title. Also competing in the event this weekend will be junior Garrett Lee and true freshman Jon Davis. Davis redshirted the indoor season after placing fifth among freshmen at NCAA Cross Country Championships last fall.
Throws // Michael Hyc, Matsen Dziedzic and Aaron Wilks
Hammer Throw // Friday @ 5:00 p.m. CT
Shot Put // Saturday @ 1 p.m. CT
Javelin // Saturday @ 4:30 p.m.
Michael Hyc is coming off of an impressive indoor season in both the weight throw and shot put. After never placing at Big Ten Championships in his first two seasons, the Illini junior registered the sixth-best mark in both the shot put and weight throw at the 2017 indoor conference meet to score for the Illini. The improvement moved the Chicago, Illinois native up to third all-time in the weight throw (64'5.25") and fifth in the shot put (60'3"). Teammate Matsen Dziedzic also moved up the Illinois weight throw list, marking the fourth-best throw of 63'11" at the Illini Classic. Rounding out the three, Aaron Wilks will make his 2017 debut in the javelin on Saturday. The senior thrower returns after moving into fourth-place on the all-time list last season with a throw of 210'1" at the Illini Classic and qualified for NCAA West Prelims.
Next Up
The Fighting Illini will take a week off from competition next week before returning to action March 30-April 1 at the Texas Relays and Stanford Invite. The Texas Relays begin on Thursday, March 30, while the Stanford Invite begins the following day, March 31.
Kendziera, Wells Earn First Team All-America Honors at NCAA Championships
David Kendziera placed fourth in the 60m hurdles and Jonathan Wells broke his own Illinois school record in the heptathlon, as both Illini earned First Team All-America honors at 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships. It's Kendziera's fourth All-America honor, while Wells' takes home his third All-America accolade. The Illini placed 30th overall in the 62-team field.
USTFCCCA Tabs Illini 14th Best Program in the Country
The United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) ranked the Illinois men's cross country and track and field program best in the Big Ten and No. 14 overall through the end of the indoor season. The Illini placed 23rd at the 2016 NCAA Cross Country Championships and tied for 30th at last weekend's NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Jonathan Wells Wins High Jump Big Ten Title
Illinois junior Jonathan Wells cleared five bars, including his final height of 7'1.5" (2.17m), to win the Big Ten indoor high jump title on Saturday afternoon at the Spire Institute. Wells defeated Indiana contestants Treyton Harris and Paul Galas after Wells cleared the final height on two attempts as opposed to Harris and Galas on three tries. Overall, the Illini recorded 51.5 points across 13 scoring performances and placed ninth in the team competition. 60m hurdler David Kendziera set the second fastest time in school history, 7.69, to place runner-up in the event.
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, and then did so again at NCAA Championships. 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.
Hyc Hyc Baby
Never having placed higher than 15th, thrower Michael Hyc scored for the first time at Big Ten Championships, placing sixth in both the wieght throw and shot put. Hyc 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.
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 third in the 200m and tied for fourth in 60m, while freshman Josh Eiker ranks ninth in the 200m with a 21.30 performance at the Iowa State Classic. David Kendziera ranks second all-time in the 60m hurdles (7.69) along with Jonathan Wells (T-9th). Wells also 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.
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.
For complete coverage of Fighting Illini Men's Track and Field, visit FightingIllini.com, follow the Illini on Twitter (@IlliniMTrack) and Instagram (@IlliniMTrack) and like Fighting Illini Men's Track and Field on Facebook.
