CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – 23 Illinois track and field athletes will compete Thursday, May 24, through Saturday, May 26, at NCAA West Prelims in Sacramento, California. The 23 Illini will contest 21 entries with the top-12 performances in each event advancing on to NCAA Finals in Eugene, Oregon.

Ranked No. 17 entering NCAA Prelims, the Fighting Illini men's squad features eight performances that rank among the top-20 in the West, led by seven-time All-American David Kendziera's leading 110m hurdle time.

On the women's side, the Orange and Blue are led by its 4x100m relay, ranking No. 20, while Chisom Nwoko (400m) and Sara McKeeman (pole vault) rank in the top-30 of the West.

A live stream of NCAA Prelims will be available through FloTrack, beginning on the first day of competition, May 24, and continuing through the final day, May 26. A subscription to FloPro is required for viewership. Live results for the meet will be available at ncaa.com. Additionally, fans and media can follow @IlliniMTrack and @IlliniWTrack on Twitter for updates throughout the meet. A full recap will be posted on FIGHTINGILLINI.com following the completion of the meet.

Illinois athletes who advance to NCAA Finals will compete in Eugene, Oregon, June 6-9 at historic Hayward Field. Men's competition will take place on Wednesday, June 6, and Friday, June 8, while women's action will be held on Thursday and Saturday. The meet will be broadcast live on the ESPN family of networks.     

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
 

Illinois Meet Schedule

Illini Notes

• 23 Illini are going to NCAA Prelims, competing across 21 entries
• David Kendziera and Jonathan Wells return to Prelims after earning All-America honors last year
• The Illini men are ranked No. 17 by USTFCCCA, their fourth straight week in the rankings
• 14 Illini are making their NCAA Prelims debut
• Eight Illini performances rank in the top-20 of the West, six in the top-10
• Jonathan Wells was named the 2018 Big Ten Men's Field Athlete of the Championships, the first Illini to win the award
• Wells won his second Big Ten high jump title, clearing a new Illinois school record height of 7'5" (2.26m)
• The 7'5" jump by Wells broke a 39-year old record set by Gail Olson in 1979
• The 2018 Big Ten high jump title was the first by an Illini in 60 years (1958)
• Wells also placed runner-up in the long jump and seventh in the 110m hurdles
• Illinois won five straight Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week honors, Kendziera winning three and Quinn two, to set a new Big Ten record
• The 4x100m relay is seeking to advance to Eugene for the first time since 2015. Last year, the 4x100m relay fell two spots shy of qualifying for NCAA Finals.
• Graduate student Nicole Choquette was named the 2018 Big Ten Medal of Honor recipient
• Freshman Rebecca Craddock has set each of her PRs during the outdoor season in the state of California, her 4:21.04 1500m PR coming at the Bryan Clay Invite.

For complete coverage of Fighting Illini Track and Field, visit FightingIllini.com, follow the Illini on Twitter (@IlliniMTrack and @IlliniWTrack) and Instagram (@IlliniMTrack and @IlliniWTrack) and like Fighting Illini Men's Track and Field and Fighting Illini Women's Track on Facebook.