CHAMPAIGN, Ill -Â Three members of the University of Illinois track and field squad will travel to Eugene, Ore. to take part in the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Sophomore Olivia Howell will compete in the women's 1500 m preliminary race on Thursday at 5:46 PM CT, and if she qualifies she will compete in the finals on Saturday at 5:11 PM CT. Graduate student Manning Plater will compete in the men's hammer throw at 4:30 PM CT on Wednesday. Graduate student Jonathan Wells will compete in the long jump on Wednesday at 8:30 PM CT as well as the high jump on Friday at 6:30 PM CT.
Follow the Action
Fans can follow live results throughout the NCAA Outdoor Championships at https://dt8v5llb2dwhs.cloudfront.net/Outdoor/2021/index.htm as well as by following @IlliniTrackXC on Twitter for Illini updates. Streams will also be available each day following the below schedule. A full recap of the events will be posted on fightingillini.com following the conclusion of the meet.Â
Date Time (ET) Network
| Date |
Time - Channel |
| Wed., June 9 |
8 – 9 p.m. ESPNU
9 - 11:30 p.m. ESPN2
4 - 11:30 p.m. ESPN3
|
| Thu., June 10 |
6:30 – 10 p.m. ESPN2
12:30 – 10 p.m. ESPN3
|
| Fri., June 11 |
8 - 10:30 p.m. ESPN2
3 – 10:30 p.m. ESPN3
|
| Sat., June 12 |
6 - 8:30 p.m. ESPNU
2 – 8:30 p.m. ESPN3
|
Past Championships
The 2020 NCAA Outdoor Championships were canceled due to COVID-19. The 2019 event was held in Austin, Tex. where Devin Quinn placed seventh in the 100 m for the Illini.
Event Format
For the 1500 m, the top five runners from each heat and the next two best times will advance to the final. Hammer throw, high jump and long jump will only have one round. In all events, athletes that place first-eighth will earn First Team All-American honors while ninth-16th will be named Second Team All-American. Places 17 through 24 are named honorable mention.
ILLINI TO WATCH
Manning Plater
Hammer Throw: Wednesday, 4:30 PM CT
2021 Outdoor Season: Named B1G Field Athlete of the Week (4/14)... Qualified for the NCAA Championships by placing 11th in the hammer throw at the NCAA West Prelims with a throw of 215-10 ft. ...Placed third at the B1G Championships in the hammer throw, earning six points for the team...Placed eighth in the discus at the B1G Championships, picking up a point for the Illini Placed fifth in the discus at the B1G North Florida Invite with a 163-9 ft. throw...Took third place at the B1G North Florida Invite in the hammer throw with a 208-5 ft. toss...Won the hammer throw at the B1G Invite #2 with a 69.82 m toss, breaking the Illinois school record in the event...Won the hammer throw at the Fighting Illini B1G Relays with a toss of 68.97 m...Won the hammer throw at the Billy Hayes Invite with a mark of 69.26 m...Currently holds the hammer throw record for the University of Illinois
2021 Indoor Season: All-American - Weight Throw...Placed Third in the NCAA - Weight Throw
B1G Champion - Weight Throw...First Team All Big Ten...Named B1G Field Athlete of the Week (1/17-1/23)...Placed third in the weight throw at the NCAA Championships with a toss of 74-7, earning him All-American Honors and the Illinois school record...Won the conference title in the weight throw with a 72'9" toss ...In his first action as an Illini, won the weight throw at the Badger Icebreaker with a toss of 73'6", four inches short of the school record...Won the weight throw at the Husker Quad with a throw of 72'8"...Won the weight throw at the Hawkeye B1G Invitational with a throw of 70'10.5"...Currently holds the weight throw record for the University of Illinois
Jonathan Wells
Long Jump: Wednesday, 8:30 PM CT
High Jump: Friday, 6:30 PM CT
2021 Outdoor Season: First Team All B1G (long jump, high jump)... Qualified for the NCAA Championships in the high jump with a ninth place finish at the NCAA West Prelims with a clearance of 7-2 1/4 ft. (2.19 m) ...Won the high jump at the B1G Championships, earning 10 points...Won the long jump at the B1G Championships, earning 10 points...Placed first in the long jump (25-7.5 ft.) and the high jump (7-1 ft.) at the B1G North Florida Invite...Placed first in the high jump (2.14 m) and the long jump (7.55 m) at the Husker B1G Invite...Took second place in the high jump with a clearance of 2.11 m and second in the long jump with a leap of 7.48 m at the Fighting Illini B1G RelaysÂ
Career Highlights: 6x All-American (high jump, long jump and heptathlon)...2018 U.S. Championships High Jump 6th Place ...2018 Big Ten Outdoor High Jump Champion...2018 Big Ten Outdoor Field Athlete of the Championships...2017 Big Ten Indoor High Jump Champion...Holds heptathlon school record (5,786 points)...Illinois High Jump School Record (7'5"/2.26m)
Olivia Howell
1500 m Prelim: Thursday, 5:46 PM CT
1500 m Final: Saturday, 5:11 PM CT
2021 Outdoor Season: First Team All B1G (1500m)...B1G Champion... Qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 1500 m with a personal best time of 4:12.45 and a seventh place finish at the NCAA West Regionals ...Won the 1500 m at the B1G Championships, while setting a new school record with a time of 4:12.86...Won the 800m at the B1G North Florida Invite with a time of 2:09.55...Ran a 2:13.12 opening split as a part of the 2nd place 4x800 team for the Illini at the B1G North Florida Invite... Won the 1500 m at the B1G Invite #3 with a time of 2:18.61, setting a PR and moving into fourth place in school history in the event... Placed second in the 800 m at the Fighting Illini B1G Relays with a time of 2:06.88... Won the 1500 m at the M City Classic with a time of 4:18.67
2021 Indoor Season: B1G Champion - Mile...First Team All B1G (Mile)...Won the mile at the Big Ten Championships with a 4:43.36...Set the Illinois school record in the 1000 m while winning the event at the Badger Icebreaker with a time of 2:46.52...Won the 800 m at the Husker Quad with a time of 2:09.84...Won the mile at the Hawkeye B1G Invitational with a B1G leading 4:40.85...Anchored the first place distance medley relay team at the Hawkeye B1G Invitational
Notes on Plater, Wells and Howell
-Wells currently sits third in program history in the long jump at 25-10 1/4 (7.88 m) and first in the high jump with a clearance of 7-5 ft. (2.26 m)
-Howell is the Illinois program record holder in the 1500 m with her time of 4:12.45, achieved just last weekend at the NCAA West Regional. She beat her own record of 4:12.86 set at the Big Ten Championships in Champaign in mid-May
-Plater is first in school history in the hammer throw with his mark of 229-1 ft. (69.82 m). He also holds the weight throw program record indoors
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.
