University of Illinois
Houston Alumni Invite
Women’s Track Heads South for Houston Alumni Invite
April 6, 2017 | Women's Track & Field
Meet begins Saturday, April 8
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois women's track and field team heads south for their fourth outdoor meet of the season, as they compete at the Houston Alumni Invite on Saturday, April 8 at the Carl Lewis International Complex. Field events are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. central time, while track events will get under away at approximately 1:45 p.m.
| Houston Alumni Invite | |
|---|---|
| When | Saturday, April 8 |
| Where | Carl Lewis International Complex // Houston, TX |
| Live Link | Results |
| Meet Information | Schedule | Meet Info | Heat Sheets |
| Team Information | Meet Notes | Performance List | Media Guide | Quick Facts |
| Social Media | @IlliniWTrack  | #Illini | @Illiniwtrack  | Facebook  | YouTube  |
Meet Notes
Follow the Meet
Live results will be available online throughout the meet via Flash Results Texas. Fans can go to flashresultstexas.com/2017/uhalumni17/ to follow along, while also following @IlliniWTrack on twitter for updates. A full recap of the meet will be posted on fightingillini.com at the conclusion of competition.
Last Time Out
Pedrya Seymour won the 100m hurdles and the 4x100m relay team took home event titles at the Eastern Illinois Big Blue Classic on April 1. Seymour's 100m hurdles time of 13.06 is the seventh fastest in the country so far this season and broke the O'Brien Field facility and meet record for the event. The sprint relay team of Briana Driver, Janile Rogers, Jayla Stewart and Kymbriona Taylor timed 45.75 to win the event.
Illini Events to Watch
100m Hurdles // Pedrya Seymour, Jayla Stewart and Kortni Smyers-Jones
Final: Saturday @ 2:40pm
Pedrya Seymour opened her outdoor season in style last weekend at the Eastern Illinois Big Blue Classic, breaking the O'Brien Field facility and meet records in the event. Seymour initially broke the 13.33 record in prelims with a time of 13.30, but followed it up with a 13.06 performance in the final to win the event. A 2016 First Team All-American in the event, Seymour currently leads the Big Ten and ranks seventh nationally. Seymour will be flanked in the event by teammates Jayla Stewart and Kortni Smyers-Jones. Stewart ranks eighth in the conference with a season-best time of 13.58.
100m Dash // Briana Driver, Kymbriona Taylor, Sade Hargrove
Final: Saturday @ 3:35 p.m.
Already ranking amongst the Big Ten's best in the long jump, Briana Driver is closing in on being a top-10 sprinter in the conference after a personal-best performance at Eastern Illinois last weekend. In prelims, Driver set a personal-record time of 11.97, which lowered her previous top time down from 12.13. Already ranked in the top-10 of the Big Ten, Sade Hargrove (11.91) and Kymrbiona Taylor (11.95) will also be looking to lower their times in the warm, Texas weather.
4x100m Relay // Briana Driver, Pedrya Seymour, Janile Rogers Jayla Stewart and Kymbriona Taylor
Final: Saturday @ 1:45pm
Currently the fourth-fastest sprint relay in the Big Ten, the Illini are looking to get back to NCAA Championships this season after qualifying with the season group last year. Not having inserted All-American Pedrya Seymour back into the relay yet, Briana Driver has held down the lead leg of the relay to help the Illini set their season-best time of 45.18 at South Carolina two weeks ago. The same four clocked 45.75 last weekend at Eastern Illinois to win the event. The quartet's best time came last year at Big Ten Championships when they finished the sprint relay in 44.56.
Up Next
The Orange and Blue will send their jumpers back to Columbia, South Carolina for the Gamecock Invite, while Nicole Choquette and Valerie Bobart compete at the Bryan Clay Invite in Asuza, California.
ILLINI NOTES
Seymour, Bloch-Jones Ranked Nationally
Two Illini performances rank among the top-25 nationally to start the outdoor season, led by Pedrya Seymour's 13.06 time in the 100m hurdles that ranks seventh nationally. Kandie Bloch-Jones sits in 15th place with a mark of 5'10" (1.78m) in the high jump.
Illini in the Big Ten
The Fighting Illini have 13 performances that rank in the top-10 of their respective events through the first two weeks of the outdoor season. Pedrya Seymour's 13.06 time in the 100m hurdles leads the conference. Also ranked in the top-five so far this season is Kandie Bloch-Jones in the high jump (5'10"), the 4x100m relay (45.18), Nicole Choquette in the 800m (2:08.63) and Valerie Bobart in the steeplechase (10:44.20).
Seymour Sets PR And Takes 3rd at NCAA indoor Championships
Illinois 60m hurdler Pedrya Seymour placed third in the final at NCAA Championships with a personal-best time of 7.97 on Saturday evening at the Rhonda and Frosty Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium. The All-America honor is the third of Seymour's career, while the third-place finish in the 60m hurdles is the best by an Illini since 2003 when Perdita Felicien took third as well.
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 Ranked No. 24 By USTFCCCA For Two 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.
Coach Garner Hauls in Talented Class to 2017
In November, Head Coach Ron Garner, Associate Head Coach Randy Gillon and Assistant Coach Scott Jones announced the signing of five talented high school athletes to letters of national intent. The newest members of the Illini track family enter their senior high school seasons having already reeled in honors and accolades. The five combined for seven individual national titles across high school and club teams, 13 individual state titles and 212 point scored at 2016 state championship meets.
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.
