Full Results
NOTRE DAME, Ind. - Illinois track & field was led by event titles in the men's Mile and Pole Vault on Saturday at the Alex Wilson Invitational hosted by Notre Dame. Redshirt junior Jon Davis took home the event title in the Mile, recording a finish time of 4:06.68. In the Pole Vault, redshirt senior Cooper Jazo cleared 16-10 3/4 (5.15 meters) to place first in the event.Â
"Much of our personnel was off before Big Ten's next week, but we saw some great competition," said director of track & field/cross country Mike Turk. "(Jon) Davis' race was really encouraging. He ran very composed, was patient and showed a good finishing ability. (Cooper) Jazo has had a tremendous indoor season. I think he's had attempts at his personal-best in about every meet, and he looks really comfortable jumping at the higher heights."Â
The Illini saw two more top-10 finishes in the men's Mile. Redshirt freshman Colin Yandel placed sixth with a personal-best finish time of 4:17.39, and Logan Hall finished ninth with a new PR time of 4:19.02. In the Pole Vault, redshirt senior Jacob LaRocca placed second, recording a height of 16-4 3/4 (5.00 meters).
The Illini saw a personal-best performance in the women's 800m from senior Vanessa Flaherty. Flaherty timed 2:11.74 and placed 15th in the event.
"For the second week in a row, Vanessa had a really strong performance," Turk said. "She's having a great senior season."
In the men's 800m, sophomore Philip Hall recorded a personal-best finish time of 1:54.28 and placed 16th. Redshirt sophomore Irwin Loud finished 20th with a personal-best time of 1:55.43.
The Illini had four athletes finish in the top-15 of the women's Mile, with each recording new PR's in the event. Competing unattached, Emma Milburn placed sixth with a time of 4:52.79. Junior Nicki Cast finished 12th with a time of 4:58.67. Junior Delaney Appino crossed 13th, timing 5:02.96. Sophomore Lauren Katz recorded a time of 5:03.62 and finished 15th.Â
Competing unattached in the women's 3K, Allison McGrath won the event with a personal-best finish time of 9:48.33.
In the women's Pole Vault, redshirt sophomore Alyssa Morello cleared a season-best 12-2 1/2 (3.72 meters) and placed sixth. Freshmen Jess Streepy and Noor Abdellatif each recorded new PR's by clearing 11-8 1/2 (3.57 meters).Â
Earlier in the day the Illini saw second place finishes in the women's Long Jump and men's High Jump. Sophomore Lucy Lux-Rulon jumped 18-0 1/2 (5.50 meters) to take second in the women's Long Jump, and freshman Alexander Babbington jumped a height of 6-4 3/4 (1.95 meters) to finish second in the High Jump.
The Illini will head to the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio for the 2020 Big Ten Indoor Championships. The two-day conference meet will take place on Friday, February 28 and Saturday, February 29.
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