CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Fighting Illini track & field is set for postseason competition this weekend, competing at the Big Ten Championships hosted by the University of Michigan on Friday, February 22 and Saturday, February 23. Running events will begin at 10:15 a.m. CT on Friday, with many of the prelims taking place on the first day of action in Ann Arbor. Field events will begin later in the afternoon, starting at 2:30 p.m. On Saturday, field events will begin at 10 a.m. CT, and final running events will start with the Men's 60m Hurdles at 12:15 p.m. CT. Final heat sheets will be announced Thursday evening.
Meet Information
Follow the Action
Big Ten Indoor Championships can be streamed on both BTN2Go and on FloTrack. Live Results can be found at delta timing: http://results.deltatiming.com/michigan/tf/2019-big-ten-indoor-championships Fans can also catch updates from both meets by following @IlliniTrackXC on Twitter, and illinitrackxc on Instagram. A full recap of the meet will be posted on fightingillini.com following the conclusion of the meet.
Know The Field
13-Big Ten schools travel to Ann Arbor for this weekend's Big Ten Indoor Championships at the new University of Michigan Indoor Track Building. On one one of the just seven 200-meter hydraulic-banked tracks located on a college campus in the United States, Michigan hosts the conference meet for the first time since the women's championships in 2005 and the men's championships in 2004. National top-25 schools ranked by the USTFCCCA poll heading into the Championships on the men's side include No. 8 Wisconsin, No. 11 Indiana and No. 22 Iowa. Ranked opponents in the womens field feature No. 10 Ohio State, No. 12 Wisconsin and No. 15 Iowa.
Illini To Watch
Jon Davis
Mile Semifinal: Friday, February 22, 1:15 p.m. CT
Distance Medley Relay: Friday, February 22, 5:55 p.m. CT
2019 Indoor Season: Member of DMR squad that set new Illini program record with time of 9:29.19 at the Alex Wilson Invitational ... Clocked a new PR of 1:52.17 in the 800m at the Illini Invitational to place first in the event ... Ran second-career sub-four minute mile at Larry Wieczorek Invitational ... First-place time of 3:58.06 is new PR and broke Hawkey Indoor Facility record (4:02.34, Ken Popejoy, Michigan State, 1972) ... Owns the second fastest mile time in NCAA this season ... Finished with a time of 1:52.90 in the 800m at the Illini Open to take first place in the event ... 800m finish time ranks 49th in NCAA.
Chisom Nwoko
400m Semifinal: Friday, February 22, 2:20 p.m CT
Pole Vault Finals: Friday, February 22, 2:20 p.m. CT
4x400m Finals: Saturday, February 23, 2:55 p.m. CT
2019 Indoor Season: Timed a new season-best in the 400m at the Tyson Invite with a 53.77 finish to place sixth ... 53.77 finish ranks 32nd in NCAA ... Won the 400m at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational with a time of 54.60 ... Anchored the winning 4x400m relay team at the Husker Invitational, clocking a split time of 54.165 Finished second in the 400m last weekend in Iowa with a time of 54.49 ... Placed third in the pole vault at Larry Wieczorek Invitational with season-best 3.80m. Nwoko started the season with titles in both the Pole Vault (3.76m) and 200m (24.74, tied personal-best) at the Illini Open
Devin Quinn
60m semifinal: Friday, February 22, 12:25 p.m. CT
200m Semifinal: Friday, February 22, 4:25 p.m. CT
4x400m Finals: Saturday, February 23, 3:40 p.m. CT
2019 Indoor Season: Placed third at the Tyson Invite in the 60m Dash with a time of 6.67... Won both the 200m and the 60m at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational, clocking program top times in both events ... Finish time of 20.87 in 200m is seconded fastest in Illinois history, and qualifying time of 6.64 in the 60m ranks third in school history ... Placed first in the 60m dash at Larry Wieczorek Invitaional with another 6.65 finish time ... Also placed first in Iowa in the 200m with time of 21.05.
Briana Driver
60m Dash Semifinal: Friday, February 22, 12:45 p.m. CT
Long Jump Finals: Friday, February 22, 3:45 p.m. CT
4x400m Finals: Saturday ,February 23, 3:55 p.m. CT
2019 Indoor Season: Aided the 4x400m relay team to first place as the second leg at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational with a split time of 56.101 ... Won second long jump title of the season at the Illini Invitational with a mark of 5.86m ... Set a new PR and placed second overall and first among collegiate athletes in the Long Jump at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational ... Won the long jump at the Illini Open with a mark of 5.81m.
Jesse Reiser
Mile Semifinals: Friday, February 22, 1:15 p.m. CT
Distance Medley Relay: Friday, February 22, 5:55 p.m. CT
5K Finals: Saturday, February 23, 2:55 p.m. CT
2019 Indoor Season: Ran on DMR squad that set a new program record in the event with a time of 9:29.19 at the Alex Wilson Invitational ... PR Mile time of 4:01.98 at Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational, which ranks 8th in program history ... Placed sixth at Larry Wieczorek Invitational in the 3K with time of 8:11.28 ... Finished second at the Illini Open in the 800m with new PR of 1:55.25.
Rebecca Craddock
Mile Semifinal: Friday, February 22, 1:35 p.m. CT
Distance Medley Relay: Friday, February 22, 6:05 p.m. CT
2019 Indoor Season: Set new PR in the 3K at the Iowa State Classic with a time of 9:30.97, which stands as the sixth-fastest time in the event in program history ... Placed second in the mile at the Illini Invitational with a time of 4:52.95
Illini Notes
Davis Returns To B1G stage
2018 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jon Davis looks for additional success at the 2019 Big Ten Indoor Championships this weekend. Davis was a silver medalist in the 3K at last year's Big Ten Championships, and went on to place 15th in the 3K at NCAA's. This weekend Davis will compete in the Mile and the men's DMR. Davis ran the second sub-four minute mile of his career on January at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational, clocking a new school record time of 3:58.06 which ranks 10th in the NCAA according to TFRRS.
Quinn Sprinting For Big Ten Crowns
Senior sprinter Devin Quinn eyes Big Ten titles in the 60m and 200m this weekend in Ann Arbor. Quinn, who placed fifth last season at Big Tens in both events, ranks No. 1 in the Big Ten in the 200m and No. 2 in the 60m.
Nwoko Strong In Final Tune-up Before Big Tens
Junior Chisom Nwoko set a new season-best time of 53.77 in the 400m at the Tyson Invite on February 8 to place sixth in the event. The time ranks Nwoko fourth in the Big Ten and 32nd in the NCAA. Nwoko placed seventh in the 400m a season ago at Big Ten Championships.
Jazo & LaRocca Top-10 in B1G Pole Vault Heading Into Championships
Illini Cooper Jazo and Jacob LaRocca enter Big Ten Championships each with top-10 marks in the pole vault. Jazo ranks eighth with a mark of 5.15m set at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational, and LaRocca is right behind at No. 9 with a mark of 5.12m he set at the Frank Sevigne Invite. The men's pole vault finals take place on Saturday, February 23 at 1:30 p.m. CT.
Illini Men's DMR Group Makes Program History
At last weekend's Alex Wilson Invitational, the men's DMR squad comprised of juniors Jesse Reiser and Joe Haight, redshirt senior Denis O'Callaghan and sophomore Jon Davis recorded a finish time of 9:29.19, which now stands as the fastest DMR finish in program history. The Illini placed third in the event at the meet, and the finish time currently stands as the ninth fastest in the NCAA. The finish time tops the previous UI program best of 9:29.40 set by Kyle Engnell, Stephon Pamilton, Ryan Lynn and Graham Morris back in 2013.
Craddock Sets Program Top-10 Time In 3K
Sophomore Rebecca Craddock led the Illini with a second place finish in the 3K at the Iowa State Classic on February 8, setting a new PR with a time of 9:30.97. The time is the sixth fastest in program history.
Eight Illini With Top-75 NCAA Performances
Eight Fighting Illini across different events are ranked in the top-75 nationally in their respective events entering the indoor post season. Four of those Illini have finishes that rank in the top-40 nationally
Mile: 10. Jon Davis- 3:58.06
200m: 13. Devin Quinn- 20.78
60m: 19. Devin Quinn- 6.64
400m: 32. Chisom Nwoko- 53.77
Mile: 49. Jesse Reiser- 4:01.98
Long Jump: 55. Briana Driver- 6.04m
Pole Vault: 65. Cooper Jazo- 5.15m
800m: 71. Jon Davis- 1:52.17
Pole Vault: 72. Jacob LaRocca 5.12m
DMR: 9. Jesse Reiser, Joe Haight, Denis O'Callaghan, Jon Davis- 9:29.19
Up Next
NCAA Indoor Championships are up next for qualifiers. The Championships will be held in Birmingham, Alabama on Friday, March 8 and Saturday, March 9. The Illini will begin the Outdoor season on Saturday, March 23 at the Bill Cornell Spring Classic hosted by Southern Illinois-Carbondale.
For complete coverage of Fighting Track & Field, visit FightingIllini.com, follow the Illini on Twitter (@IlliniTrackXC) and Instagram (illinitrackxc) and like Fighting Illini Track and Field & Cross Country on Facebook.
