Full Results | Photos
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Sophomore sprinter Devin Quinn set a new Illinois Track & Field Stadium facility record in the 100m, clocking 10.20, as the Illinois men's track and field team used nine event titles to win the Illinois Twilight with 224 points. Quinn's 100m time ranks fourth in Illinois history and ranks as the top time in the Big Ten entering the weekend. Quinn also won the 200m and ran the anchor leg on Illinois' 39.42 4x100m relay victory.
"I think we're on a roll and peaking at the right time," said Head Coach Mike Turk. "All of our event groups are putting up great performances and personal-bests. It all shows that we're moving in the right direction. We're a young team, and we still have to push and make some improvements before we head to Big Ten competition, but we're looking really close. I'm really proud of what we've got going and what the guys are doing."
Dropping his personal-record down from 10.49, Quinn broke Rod Woodson's 1987 facility record time of 10.26, beating runner-up Josh Eiker (10.58). The time is the best in the Big Ten this season and moves Quinn into fourth place on Illinois' all-time list behind Stanley Azie's third-best time of 10.18 in 2012.
"He's full of confidence right now," Turk said of the sophomore sprinter. "For him, it's really come down to him being more secure of who he is as a person. He's really grown in that he's able to block out the background noise that bothered him as a freshman. I'm really proud of him right now because he looks great and the times are great. It's exactly what we look for at this point in his career."
Prior to setting the record, Quinn anchored the 4x100m relay team to the fifth-fastest time in program history. Trying a new combination out again today with Cole Henderson leading off followed by Eiker and Mo Maat, the Illini timed 39.42 to win the event and set a new Big Ten-leading time. Quinn finished his day with a victory in the 200m where he timed 20.80 to edge Eiker (20.82) at the line.
Illinois other big performance of the day came from junior Michael Hyc in the hammer throw. Hyc turned in a 15-foot personal-best on his opening throw of competition to mark 197'7" (60.23m) and take second place. Also setting a personal-best performance, Dziedzic marked a personal-best throw of 196'9" (59.97m) on his fourth attempt of the day and placed third.
"Mike came to me last week and we talked about his hammer throw," said Coach Turk. "He said what he was doing wasn't working and he wanted to make some changes. We talked about it, ironed out a few changes and they worked immediately in practice. He came in and was right on it from the very beginning."
To go along with the throws, Illinois added two event titles in field events with Jonathan Wells winning the long jump and Parker Deloye winning the high jump. Wells won the horizontal jumps with a new personal-best mark of 24'6.25" (7.47m) on his first attempt of competition, while Deloye won the vertical jump competition with a height of 6'6.75" (2.00m).
In the hurdles, David Kendziera won his fourth straight 110m hurdles title of the season on Saturday evening, as the reigning Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week timed 13.78 to win the event by a full second. Kendziera has now won seven of the eight events he's competed in this spring.
Distance Coach Jake Stewart's group bookended the meet with event titles from Caleb Hummer in the steeplechase (9:03.78) and Jon Davis in the 1500m (3:44.67), while Konrad Eiring won the 800m (1:52.31). Both Hummer's and Davis' times marked personal-best performances.
Up next, Illinois will conclude its regular season with a trip to the annual Drake Relays where Coach Turk's squad will look to defend their four straight Hy-Vee Cup titles.
Event Titles:
Caleb Hummer: 3K Steeplechase, 9:03.78
Cole Henderson, Josh Eiker, Mo Maat, Devin Quinn: 4x100m Relay, 39.42
Parker Deloye: High Jump, 6'6.75" (2.00m)
David Kendziera: 110m hurdles, 13.78
Devin Quinn: 200m, 10.20
Jonathan Wells: Long Jump, 24'6.25" (7.47m)
Konrad Eiring: 800m, 1:52.31
Devin Quinn: 200m, 20.80
Jon Davis: 1500m, 3:44.67
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.
