University of Illinois
NCAA Indoor Championships
Wells, Kendziera Head to NCAA Championships
March 7, 2017 | Men's Track & Field
Heptathlon begins Friday at noon, 60m hurdles semifinal Friday at 7 p.m.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – 60m hurdler David Kendziera and heptathlete Jonathan Wells will represent the Illini at the 2017 Indoor Track and Field Championships in College Station, Texas. The heptathlon begins at noon central time on Friday, March 10 and continues on Saturday, March 11, while the men's 60m hurdles semifinal is set for 7 p.m.
| NCAA Indoor Championships | |
|---|---|
| When | Friday, March 10 - Saturday, March 11 |
| Where | Rhonda and Frosty Gilliam Jr. Indoor Track Stadium // College Station, TX |
| Live Links | Stream | Results |
| Meet Information | Championship Central | Schedule | Entries | Tickets | Parking | Attractions |
| Team Information | Meet Notes | Performance Lists | Media Guide | Quick Facts |
| Social Media | @IlliniMTrack  | #Illini | @Illinimtrack  | Facebook  | YouTube  |
Meet Notes
Stream the Meet Live on ESPN3
2017 Indoor Track and Field Championships will be streamed live on ESPN3.com during both days of the meet. The stream will begin at 5:25 p.m. central time on March 10 and 3:55 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 Championships
NCAA qualifiers Jonathan Wells (high jump) and Dylan Lafond (5,000m) both competed for the Orange and Blue. Wells earned his First Team All-America honors for the first time in his career, placing eighth with a height of 7'1.75" (2.18m), while Lafond finished 16th in his race.
Illini Competitions to Watch
60m Hurdles // David Kendziera
Semifinals: Friday, March 10 @ 7pm // Final: Saturday, March 11 @ 5:10pm
David Kendziera enters NCAA Championships coming off of a big breakthrough at Big Ten Championships. The Illini hurdler dropped his personal-record from 7.77 down to 7.69 in the Big Ten final, placing runner-up to Iowa's Aaron Mallet (7.63m). This is Kendziera's first trip to the national meet in the 60m hurdles after Kendziera qualified two seasons ago as part of Illinois' school-record 4x400m relay team. Florida freshman Grant Holloway enters as the favorite in the event with his NCAA-leading 7.58 time that he clocked at the Tyson Invitational on February 10, while Chad Zallow of Youngstown State sits in front of Mallet in second on the Division I list.
Heptathlon // Jonathan Wells
Friday: 60m @ 12pm; Long Jump @ 12:40pm; Shot Put @ 1:50pm; High Jump @ 3pm
Saturday: 60m Hurdle @ 12pm; Pole Vault @ 12:50pm; 1,000m @ 3:45pm
Having competed in just two collegiate heptathlon competitions in his Illini career, Jonathan Wells becomes the first Illini to make it to nationals in the multi events after scoring a school record 5,685 points at the Husker Invite on February 3-4. After competing in the heptathlon at the Rod McCravy Memorial meet last January, Wells redshirted during the outdoor season to focus on the multi events and holds three more outdoor eligibilities. Wells' featured event is the high jump where he has twice earned All-American honors, while he has also scored at Big Ten Championships in the long jump and 60m hurdles during his Illinois career. Hailing from Fox Lake, Illinois, Wells ranks 17th in NCAA Division I this season.
Next Up
Kendziera and Wells will join the rest of the team in transitioning to the outdoor season. The Illini begin the outdoor schedule with a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada on March 17 and 18 for the UNLV Invite.
Illini Notes
Illini In the Rankings
Entering NCAA Championships, the Illini have five performances that rank among the top-30 in NCAA Division I. David Kendziera leads the Illini with the sixth-fastest time in the 60m hurdles, a 7.69 performance at Big Ten Championships last weekend. Wells ranks 17th in the nation with his school-record 5,685 points in the heptathlon at the Husker Invite, while also ranking 18th in the high jump (7'1.25"). The 4x400m relay team moved into 20th on the national list with a 3:07.02 performance at the conference meet.
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.
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.
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.
