LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Illinois men's and women's track and field team wrapped up competition at the PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational, hosted by Louisville at the Norton Healthcare Sports and Learning Center, on Saturday (January 29) with the Illini winning nine event titles, highlighted by a two-win day from graduate Jon Davis and a program record set by junior Olivia Howell.

"We had a great meet," said head coach Mike Turk. "All event groups are progressing well and competing at higher levels. Of course Jon Davis was great with a double win, Tyler Sudduth had two huge personal bests and moved up the all-time shot put list. Olivia Howell broke the school record in the mile and came back to win the 800. Bret Dannis had another break through day in the hurdles. He's worked so hard with Coach Hon to fix his technique and he executed much better today."

The Illini got things going in the mile race as the UI women finished two-three-four with Howell setting a new school record - as well as a personal best – with a time of 4:40.48 to place second, followed by Halle Hill (4:49.59) in third and Sam Poglitsch in fourth (4:49.69), both of which also set personal-bests. The Illini men continued the success as Davis won his first event of the day with a personal-best and facility-record of 4:05:50, while freshman Nicolas Dovalovsky finishing as runner-up with a time of 4:07.77 in his first collegiate mile race.   

Senior Bret Dannis notched his third-straight 60m hurdles title after posting a personal-best time in the preliminaries, before besting that with a time of 7.86 in the finals.

The Illini then swept both the women's and men's races in the 400m and 800m as juniors Jessica McDowell (54.20) and Jason Thormo (47.73) each set facility records in the 400m, with Howell adding the 800m title to her name with an indoor personal-record and facility record time of 2:08.30. Davis then added his second event win of the day with an indoor personal-best and facility record time of 1:51.22 in the men's 800m.

It was a women's sweep in the 3,000m as senior Emma Milburn ran a personal-best, facility record time of 9:33.19 to win the race, followed by redshirt-senior Rebecca Craddock (9:36.46) in second and graduate student Allison McGrath (9:44.35) in third.

After posting a personal-best mark of 19.02m in the weight throw earlier in the day, junior Tyler Sudduth then turned in the fourth-best throw in program history with a personal-best, facility record mark of 18.89m in the shot put. 

In the women's pole vault, freshman Tori Thomas finished second in the seeded event with a personal-best mark of 4.11m, with sophomore Kelsey Rothas finishing first in the unseeded pole vault with a personal-best mark of 3.81m.

The Illini men's 4x400 relay – including junior Robert Williams, freshman DeVontae Ford, Thormo and redshirt-junior Kashief King – then capped the day with their third-straight win of the season with a time of 3:13.61.

Illinois Event Champions
Men's Shot Put: Tyler Sudduth // 18.89m
Men's 60m hurdles: Bret Dannis // 7.86
Women's 400m: Jessica McDowell // 54.20
Men's 400m: Jason Thormo // 47.73
Men's 800m: Jon Davis // 1:51.22
Women's 800m: Olivia Howell // 2:08.30
Men's mile: Jon Davis // 4:05.50
Women's 3000m: Emma Milburn // 9:33.19
Men's 4x400 Relay: Robert Williams, DeVontae Ford, Jason Thormo, Kashief King // 3:13.61

Next Up
Illinois next head to South Bend, Ind., for the Meyo Invitational on Friday and Saturday, February 4-5.

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