University of Illinois
NCAA West Prelims
Illinois Men’s Track Begins NCAA Prelims Thursday
May 22, 2017 | Men's Track & Field
13 Illini entered in events across the three-day meet
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – 13 Illini head to 2017 NCAA West Prelims in Austin Texas, May 25-27. Held at Mike A. Myers Stadium, the meet hosts the top-48 individuals and top-24 relays of the West region, and contests NCAA first and quarterfinal rounds for sprints, middle distance and field events while distance events will contest semifinals.
| NCAA West Prelims | |
|---|---|
| When | Thursday, May 25 - Saturday, May 27 |
| Where | Mike A. Myers Stadium // Austin, TX |
| Meet Information | Championship Central | Meet Schedule | Tickets | Heat Sheets |
| Live Links | Results | Stream (Free) |
| Team Information | Meet Notes | Performance List | Media Guide | Quick Facts |
| Social Media | @IlliniMTrack  | #Illini | @Illinimtrack  | Facebook  | YouTube  |
Meet Information
Held at Mike A. Myers Stadium, fans can buy tickets to the 2017 NCAA West Prelims through TexasSports.com or by calling (512) 471-3333. All-meet tickets are $35 for adults and $15 for single-day tickets, with discounted prices for college students, youth and seniors. For parking, fans can find numerous lots surrounding Mike A. Myers Stadium for $12 per day.
NCAA Prelims Format
Sprints/Hurdles/800m: First round competition will advance the top three in each heat and the next six fastest times. In quarterfinals, top three of each heat and next three fastest times.
1500m: First round competition will advance five in each heat plus next four fastest. In quarterfinals, the top five in each heat plus the next two fastest times advance.
5K/10K: In the 5K, the top 5 in each section advance along with the next two fastest times. The 10K advances the top 12 finishers overall.
Steeplechase/Relays: The top three in each heat advance along with next three fastest times.
Field Events: The top 12 placers in each event will advance.
Last year at West Prelims
Held in Lawrence, Kansas, the Illini advanced 400m hurdler Cam Viney to NCAA Championships, as the Illini senior went on to earn Second Team All-American honors in Eugene, Oregon. Viney placed 10th at NCAA Championships with a time of 50.73.
Illini to Watch
4x100m Relay // Cole Henderson, Josh Eiker, Mo Maat, Devin Quinn
Quarterfinal: Saturday @ 6 p.m.
Ranked 10th in the region, the Big Ten champs hold a season-best time of 39.42 that led the Big Ten and ranks fifth-best in school history. The Illini have consistently clocked sub-40 times throughout the season, having done so six times including four straight meets. Illinois enters with similar times as Baylor (39.42), Texas Tech (30.40) and Iowa (39.46). Illinois and Iowa have finished 1-2 at their past two meets, Iowa taking Drake Relays and the Illini winning gold at Big Ten Championships.
3K Steeplechase // Dylan Lafond
Quarterfinal: Friday @ 9 p.m.
Winning his first Big Ten title two weeks ago in State College, Lafond will look to qualify for his second NCAA Championships meet in the event. Prior to sitting out last season, Lafond earned First Team All-American honors at 2015 NCAA Championships with a seventh-place finish. Lafond's 8:40.51 time at Big Ten Championships marked a new personal-record and ranks third in NCAA Division I.
Hurdles // David Kendziera
400m Hurdles First Round: Thursday @ 5 p.m. // Quarterfinal: Friday @ 7:15 p.m.
110m Hurdles First Round: Friday @ 5 p.m. // Quarterfinal: Saturday @ 7:20 p.m.
Ranked in the top-10 in both hurdles events, Kendziera will look to advance to NCAA Championships in both the 110m hurdles and 400m hurdles. Last weekend, Kendziera set a new PR in the intermediate hurdles (50.13) on his way to winning the Big Ten title, while his wind-aided time of 13.47 in the high hurdles placed him runner-up. The Illini redshirt junior advanced to NCAA Championships in the 400m hurdles in 2015, but is looking to qualify for NCAA Finals in the 110m hurdles for the first time in his career.
Up Next
For the Illinois athletes that advance, NCAA Finals will be held in Eugene, Oregon, June 7-10.
Illini Notes
Illini Qualifies 13 Athletes for West Prelims
13 Illinois men's track and field athletes have qualified for NCAA West Prelims, as announced by the NCAA on May 18. The Illini have four performances that rank in the top-10 of the region, led by Dylan Lafond's No. 3 ranking in the steeplechase. Kendziera ranks seventh in the 400m hurdles and eighth in the 110m hurdles, while the 4x100m relay ranks 10th. Overall, the Illini are sending five sprinters/hurdlers, five distance athletes, three field event competitors.
Five Illini Performances Ranked in Top-25 Nationally
Dylan Lafond's PR to win the Big Ten steeplechase title moves him into third in the nation with a time of 8:40.54, the top-ranked Illini performance to date. David Kendziera ranks in the top-15 of both the 110m hurdles and 400m hurdles, ranking 11th and 13th respectively. In sprints, Devin Quinn ranks 16th in the 100m dash, and anchor's the 4x100m relay team that ranks 18th nationally after winning the Big Ten title.
Three Illini Events Win Big Ten Titles
The Orange and Blue took home three conference titles at Big Ten Outdoor Championships, as Dylan Lafond (steeplechase), David Kendziera (400m hurdles) and 4x100m relay were each the first to cross the finish line. Lafond clocked the third-best time in NCAA Division I with a personal-record 8:40.54 performance on Saturday. A late surge by Devin Quinn in the final 20 meters of the sprint relay started off Sunday with a Big Ten title, while Kendziera added the third with a 50.88 time in the 400m hurdles final.
David Kendziera Twice Named Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week
For the second time this season, Illinois men's track and field hurdler David Kendziera was named Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week, as announced by the conference office on Wednesday (4/19) afternoon. A redshirt junior, Kendziera led the Illini last weekend in California with a sweep of the 110m hurdles and 400m hurdles at the Mt. SAC Relays. The Mount Prospect, Illinois native currently leads the Big Ten in both events and has won six of the seven competitions he's contest this season.
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.
