CHAMPAIGN, Ill – Illinois high jumper Kandie Bloch-Jones and 60m hurdler Pedrya Seymour will represent the Orange and Blue at the 2017 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in College Station, Texas. Held at the Rhonda and Frosty Gilliam Jr. Indoor Track Stadium, the meet will begin at noon central time on Friday, March 10 and continue through Saturday, March 11.The women's high jump begins at 6 p.m. on March 10, while the 60m hurdles semifinal is scheduled for 6:50 p.m.
Meet Notes
Stream the Meet Live on ESPN3.com
2017 Indoor Track and Field Championships will be streamed live on ESPN3.com during both days of the meet. The stream will begin at 3:55 p.m. central time on March 10 and 5:25 p.m. on March 11. A re-airing of the championship meet will be broadcast Sunday, March 12 at 6 p.m. on ESPN2.
Last Year at NCAA Indoor Championships
Kandie Bloch-Jones and Pedrya Seymour both earned Second Team All-America honors, as Bloch-Jones placed 12th in the high jump and Seymour finished 13th in the 60m hurdles. The Illini high jumper cleared 5'9.25" (1.76m), while Seymour timed 8.19.
Illini Competitions to Watch
60m Hurdles // Pedrya Seymour
Semifinals: Friday, March 10 @ 6:50pm // Final: Saturday, March 11 @ 5pm
Pedrya Seymour enters tied for the third-best time in NCAA Division I with a 7.98 showing at both Big Ten Championships and the Rod McCravy Memorial meet. Oregon's Sasha Wallace enters as the favorite in the event after she set the NCAA leading time of 7.91 at the Columbia East-West Challenge on January 28. Country mate Devynne Charlton, who bested Seymour by 0.01 seconds in the Big Ten final to win her second straight conference title, will join Seymour. Seymour defeated Charlton at Rod McCravy earlier in the year when the Illini hurdler ran a sub-8.00 for a new personal-best. Tying Seymour, UTEP's Tobi Amusan and LSU's Mikiah Brisco have also timed 7.98 this season, while Alaysha Johnson (Oregon) and defending 100m hurdle champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (Kentucky) will also be a factor.
High Jump // Kandie Bloch-Jones
Final: Friday, March 10 @ 6pm
Kandie Bloch-Jones is one of six jumpers in the field to return from last year's indoor competition after she tied for 12th with 2017 qualifier Nicole Green (UNC) in Birmingham, Alabama last March. Tied for seventh with a personal-best height of 6'0.75" (1.85m), Bloch-Jones will look to earn First Team All-America honors for the first time in her career. A pair of Georgia jumpers enter as the favorites after teammates Madeline Fagan and Tatiana Gusin cleared 6'2.75" (1.90m). Ranked fourth this season, Kimberly Williamson (Kansas State) is the top returning placer from last year's competition with a fifth-place finish. Big Ten champion Janae Moffitt (Purdue) joins Bloch-Jones as the only other Big Ten competitor in the field.
Next Up
The Fighting Illini will turn to outdoor season, beginning with a trip to the 49'er Classic in Charlotte, North Carolina. The meet begins on Friday, March 17 and concludes the following day, March 18.
ILLINI NOTES
Seymour Places Runner-up, Bloch-Jones and Stewart Score at Big Tens
The Fighting Illini women's track and field team received point-scoring performances in the 60m hurdles, high jump and 4x400m relay as Big Ten Indoor Championships concluded on Saturday afternoon inside the Spire Institute. Seymour led the trio of Illini with a runner-up finish in the 60m hurdles, tying her 7.98 personal-record, while Bloch-Jones (fourth), Stewart (sixth) and the 4x400m relay team (seventh) also placed on day two of the meet.
Illini in the Rankings
Entering NCAA Championships, Pedrya Seymour (60m hurdles) and Kandie Bloch-Jones (high jump) continue to rank among the nation's best in their events. Seymour's 7.98 60m hurdle time, the second fastest in the Big Ten, ranks third only to Sasha Wallace of Oregon (7.91) and Devynne Charlton (7.97) of Purdue, while Bloch-Jones is currently tied for seventh in NCAA Division I with a clearance of 6'0.75" (1.85m). 60m hurdler Jayla Stewart sits just outside the top-25 with a time of 8.26 that ranks 26th in the country.
Illini Ranked NO. 24 by USTFCCCA For Two Straight Weeks
The Fighting Illini Women's Track and Field is ranked No. 24 in this week's United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Team Computer Rankings. The Illini enter the week with 30.96 points according to the index, which is fifth among Big Ten teams. Last week, the Illini were ranked for the first time since placing 14th at 2013 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Long Jumpers Come Up Big in Nashville
Briana Driver and Janile Rogers both set significant personal-record jumps at the Music City Challenge on February 11, resulting in Coach Garner calling it the best long jump competition for the Illini in three years. Driver wasted no time in setting the new PR, leaping 19'6.75" (5.95m) on her first attempt. Rogers set a PR in each of her three jumps, her best coming on the second attempt at which she marked 19'4.75" (5.90m).
Bloch-Jones Named Co-Big Ten Field Athlete of the Week
Following her personal-best mark of 6'0.75" (1.85m) at the Illini Classic, Illini senior high jumper Kandie Bloch-Jones was named Big Ten Co-Field Athlete of the Week on Wednesday, January 18. Bloch-Jones' mark currently ranks sixth in the country, first in the Big Ten and second on Illinois' all-time list.
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.
For complete coverage of Fighting Illini Women's Track and Field, visit FightingIllini.com, follow the Illini on Twitter (@IlliniWTrack) and Instagram (@IlliniWTrack) and like Fighting Illini Women's Track and Field on Facebook.
