CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Fighting Illini Track & Field will host their sole home meet of the 2021 Indoor Season with the Illini B1G Multi-Meet on Friday and Saturday January 29-30. Competition will begin on Friday at 1:00 p.m with the 60 m dash, and will conclude at 3:45 p.m. with the high jump.
Action will resume on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. with the 60 m hurdles, and wrap up with the final event being the 800 m run at 2:50 p.m.
 Follow the Action
Fans can follow live results throughout the Illini B1G Multi-Meet here, as well as by following @IlliniTrackXC on Twitter. A full recap of the meet will be posted on fightingillini.com following the conclusion of the meet.
Know the FieldÂ
The Illini will be competing against the women and men of Purdue, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska. This will be the third straight week the Illini face the Badgers of Wisconsin. Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska joined Wisconsin and the Illini at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational in Iowa City, Iowa last weekend. Iowa won the men's event while Minnesota won the women's. Purdue and Indiana participated in the Gladstein Invitational in Bloomington, Ind. hosted by the Hoosiers.
ILLINI TO WATCH
Alex Babbington
2021 Indoor Season: Placed sixth in the high jump at both the Badger Icebreaker and the Larry Wieczorek Invitational ... Jumped a height of 1.95 m for his season high at the Badger Icebreaker
2020 Outdoor Season: Canceled due to COVID-19
Michael Shafis
2021 Indoor Season: Has not yet competed for the Illini
2020 Outdoor Season: Canceled due to COVID-19
Aiden Ouimet
2021 Indoor Season: Has competed in both the high jump and the pole vault for the Illini this year ... His season high pole vault is 4.45 m from the Larry Wieczorek Invitational ... His season high high jump is 1.75 m from the Badger Icebreaker
2020 Outdoor Season: Canceled due to COVID-19
Lucy Lux-Rulon
2021 Indoor Season: Placed first in the high jump at the Badger Icebreaker...Her season best 60 m hurdles is 9.35, set at the Badger Icebreaker
2020 Outdoor Season: Canceled due to COVID-19
Next Up
The Illini travel to Nebraska next weekend to participate in the Husker Quad in Lincoln, Neb. Competition will begin at 11:30 a.m on Saturday, February 6. Illinois will be joined by Iowa, Minnesota, and the hosting Nebraska Cornhuskers.
ILLINI NOTES
THORNTON ENTERS RECORD BOOKS
Sophomore Aman Thornton won the 600 m at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational with a personal best time of 1:18.06. This places him into ninth place in Illinois history in the event, passing Malcolm Taylor's time from 2013.
MANNING PLATER NAMED B1G FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK (1/18)
Plater was named the Field Athlete of the Week the B1G Conference announced on Wednesday, Jan. 20. He was recognized for his performance in the Badger Icebreaker, moving him into second place in school history in the weight throw. This is Plater's first career Athlete of the Week Award, and the Illini's first of the Field variation since Davis Fraker in 2011. Jon Davis was the last to win a weekly B1G honor as a track athlete twice in 2019.
ILLINI ECSTATIC TO BE BACK IN ACTION
Head Coach Mike Turk said he felt as if his team "won the Olympics" after competing in the Badger Icebreaker Meet, the team's first competition in nearly eleven months following the postponements due to COVID-19. He also called the team's performance "inspiring", as they won eight events as well as added names to the Illinois all-time record book throughout the day.
HOWELL SETS SCHOOL RECORD IN WOMEN'S 1000M
In the Badger Icebreaker at Wisconsin on January 16, sophomore Olivia Howell ran a 2:46.52 in the Women's 1000 m, breaking the Illinois school record in the event. The previous best was 2:49.93, held by Laura Simmering set in 1989. Senior Mikeala Lucki also moved into fifth place all time in this event with a time of 2:51.17 in the same race.
PLATER IMPRESSES IN DEBUT
Michigan Graduate-Transfer Manning Plater had an impressive showing in his first action as an Illini, winning the weight throw at the Badger Icebreaker. His throw of 73'6" is a personal best and ranks second all time for the Illini, four inches behind Davis Fracker's 73'10" in 2015. Plater's throw would have won him the Indoor B1G Championship last year by nearly a foot. Brian Keyes also moved into 10th place in school history with his throw of 59'7 1/4".
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.
