CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Fighting Illini track & field splits to compete at two meets this weekend, heading to the Tyson Invite in Fayetteville, Arkansas and the Iowa State Classic in Ames, Iowa. Both meets will take place on Fri., February 8 and Sat., February 9. The Illini sprinters, hurdlers, middle distance runners, long jumpers, high jumpers and men's pole vaulters will travel to Arkansas, and the UI distance runners, throwers and women's pole vaulters will compete at Iowa State. The Tyson Invite begins Friday at 1 p.m. CT with field events, and premier running events start at 5 p.m. CT. The meet resumes Saturday with field events at 10:30 a.m., and running events start at 1 p.m. In Ames, field events will begin Friday at 12 p.m. CT, with running events starting at 5 p.m. Competition will continue at Iowa State on Saturday at 12 p.m.
Meet Information
Follow the Action
Tyson Invite Live Results: http://www.flashresults.com/2019_Meets/Indoor/02-08_Tyson/
Iowa State Classic Live Results: http://pttiming.com/events/87931143
Fans can also catch updates from both meets by following @IlliniTrackXC on Twitter. A full recap of the meet will be posted on fightingillini.com following the conclusion of the meet.
Illini At the Meets
Tyson Invite: Noah Adams, Ololade Ayoola, Ben Barnes, Nya Carr, Bret Dannis, Briana Driver, Konrad Eiring, Curtis Gordon, Joe Haight, Phillip Hall, Sade' Hargrove, Jaden Jackson, Cooper Jazo, Alexis Jones, Brenda Kendziera, Jacob LaRocca, Lucy Lux-Rulon, Tarynn Mays, Chisom Nwoko, Olivia Oliver, Felicia Phillips, Devin Quinn, Declan Rustay, Thomas Saggau, Jason Shannon, Kionnah Weaver, Doug Wilson
Iowa State Classic: Nicki Cast, Nicole Cho, Rebecca Craddock, Zach Dale, Jon Davis, Caroline Fix, Vanessa Flaherty, Shanice Garbutt, Josie Held, Lauren Katz, Dan Lathrop, Mikaela Lucki, Billy Magnesen, Madison Marasco, Billy Matzek, Allison McGrath, Emma Milburn, Carolyn Nye, Denis O'Callaghan, Jesse Reiser, Grace Rogers, Vince Shields, Kristin Slaughter
Know The Field
Tyson Invite: The Tyson Invitational will feature a field of 33 teams, nine of which are ranked in the USTFCCCA men's top-25 and eight in the women's top-25. Top ranked teams on the men's side include No. 2 Florida State, No. 3 Florida, No. 5 LSU, No. 6 Georgia, No. 9 Alabama, No. 11 USC, No. 16 Kansas, No. 21 Baylor No. 22 Arkansas and No. 26 Illinois. Top-opponents in the women's field include No. 1 Arkansas, No. 2 USC, No. 4 Florida, No. 9 Georgia No. 12 LSU, No. 14 Alabama, No. 15 Iowa and No. 22 Kansas State
Iowa State Classic: The Iowa State Classic will feature some of the premeir distance runners in the country from some of the NCAA's top teams. Competing team's along with No. 26 Illinois on the men's side include No. 3 Florida, No. 9 Alabama, No. 11 USC, No. 12 Indiana, No. 13 BYU, No. 16 Kansas, No. 17 Wisconsin, No. 20 Penn State and No. 21 Baylor. Ranked competition on the women's side includes No. 2 USC, No. 4 Florida, No. 10 Kentucky No. 14 Alabama, No. 15 Iowa, No. 19 Penn State, No. 22 Kansas No. 23 BYU and No. 24 Georgia Tech
Illini To Watch
Tyson Invite:
Chisom Nwoko
400m Finals: Friday February 8, 6:40 p.m
4x400m Finals: Saturday, February 9, 3:30 p.m.
2019 Indoor Season: 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 ... 54.49 finish ranks 54th in NCAA ... 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
2018 Indoor Season: Placed seventh in the 400m at Big Ten Championships ... Ran the second fastest 400m in Illinois history at Big Ten Championships, timing 53.26 in prelims ... Timed a 400m PR at Rod McCravy, the sixth-fastest in Illinois history, with a time of 54.16 ... Set a PR in the pole vault (12'7.5", 3.85m) and 200m (24.74) at the Illini Classic ... Placed runner-up in the 400m at the Illinois Open.
Devin Quinn
200m Finals: Saturday, February 9, 2:05 p.m.
2019 Indoor Season: 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 ... 6.65 finish ranks 12th in the NCAA ... Also placed first in Iowa in the 200m with time of 21.05, which ranks 12th in NCAA.
2018 Indoor Season: Placed fifth in the 60m and 200m at Big Ten Championships ... Set the second fastest indoor 200m in Illinois history at Big Ten Championships, clocking 20.87 to place fifth ... Won the 200m dash at the Iowa State Classic with a season-best 21.12 time ... Won the 60m and 200m at the Rod McCravy Memorial meet ... Has won the 60m dash at each of his first four meets this season ... Timed the third fastest 60m in Illinois history with a time of 6.69 at the Mark Colligan Memorial
Briana Driver
Long Jump Prelims: Friday, February 8, 2 p.m.
60m Dash Prelims: Friday, February 8, 3:05 p.m.
4x400m: Saturday ,February 9, 3:3 p.m.
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.
2018 Indoor Season: Placed fifth at Big Ten Championships in the long jump with an indoor PR of 19'7" (5.97m) ... Clocked 7.55 PR at 60m dash at Iowa State Classic ... Won the Illinois Open long jump with a leap of 19'0.5" (5.80m) ... Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient.
Iowa State Classic:
Jon Davis
3000m: Friday, February 8, 7:35 p.m.
2019 Indoor Season: 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.
2018 Indoor Season: Second Team All-America honors, placing 15th at NCAAs in 3K ... Named USTFCCCA Midwest Region Indoor Track Athlete of the Year ... Big Ten Championships 3K silver medalist ... Became the 498th American to run a sub-4 minute mile, clocking 3:58.46 at the Illini Classic to set a new program and Armory facility record ... Timed a school record 3K at Iowa State, timing 7:49.92 ... Named Illinois Big Ten Freshman of the Year
Madison Marasco
1-Mile Finals: Saturday, February 9, 12:25 p.m.
2019 Indoor Season: Placed first in the 800m at Larry Wieczorek Invite with new collegiate best time of 2:12.12 ... Placed first in the 800m in her collegiate debut at the Illini Open, clocking a time of 2:15.94.
Jesse Reiser
5K Finals: Friday, February 9, 6:35 p.m.
2019 Indoor Season: Ran 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.
2018 Indoor Season: Redshirt season
Illini Notes
Quinn, Reiser Clock Top-10 UI Program Times In Nebraska
Senior Devin Quinn and junior Jesse Reiser set top-10 program marks in three events last week.
Quinn won both the 200m and 60m title in Lincoln, with his 200m finish of 20.78 landing as the second-fastest in UI history. His qualifying time in the 60m of 6.64 is the third-fastest time for in the 60 in program history.
Reiser clocked a new mile PR of 4:01.98 last Saturday at the Husker Invite, good for eighth-best in program history. He placed fourth in the event.
Illini Women capture First 4x400m Relay Title of 2019
The Illini relay team, consisting of junior Felicia Phillips, seniors Briana Driver and Sade' Hargrove, and junior Chisom Nwoko placed first at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invite with a time of 3:42.75 to give UI its first relay title of the season. Phillips opened the race for the Orange and Blue with a split time of 57.042. Driver then clocked a split time of 56.101 in the second leg. She handed off to Hargrove, who recorded a split time of 55.437. Nwoko was the anchor for the Illini, finishing with a split time of 54.165 in the final leg to give the Illini the overall finish of 3:42.75 that would earn the team first place. Nwoko also won her first title of the season in the 400m the previous night, winning the event with a time of 54.60.
Illini Men Nationally Ranked In Top-30 By USTFCCCA
The Illinois men's track and field team ranks 26th heading into the weekend. ends the month ranked 25th in the latest USTFCCCA National Rankings Poll released on February 4. In the Midwest Region, the men's squad ranks 7th, while the women's team sits at No. 14.
Six Illini With Top-75 NCAA Performances
Seven Fighting Illini accross different events are ranked in the top-70 nationally in their respective events to this point in the indoor season. Four of those Illini have finishes that rank in the top-40 nationally
Mile: 2. Jon Davis- 3:58.06
60m: 12. Devin Quinn- 6.65
200m: 11. Devin Quinn- 20.78
Mile: 33. Jesse Reiser- 4:01.98
Long Jump: 47. Briana Driver- 6.04m
800m: 49. Jon Davis- 1:52.17
400m: 54. Chisom Nwoko- 54.49
Pole Vault: 56. Cooper Jazo- 5.15m
Pole Vault: 61. Jacob LaRocca 5.07m
Up Next
The Illini are scheduled for their final tune-ups before Big Ten Championships, with the EIU Friday Night Special hosted by Eastern Illinois and the Alex Wilson Invitational hosted by Notre Dame on tap.
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.
