University of Illinois
Illini Classic
Illini Set to Host Illini Classic on Friday
February 17, 2022 | Women's Track & Field, Men's Track & Field
Preview
| Illini Classic | |
|---|---|
| Dates | Friday, February 18 |
| Location | Champaign, Ill. // UI Armory // Illinois Athletics Vaccination Policy |
| Meet Information | Schedule | Heat Sheets | Information | Live Results | Live Video |
| Shop | Fighting Illini Store |
| Social Media | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook |
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois men's and women's track & field teams is set to host its second of two indoor track and field meets this season with the Illini Classic on Friday, February 18 at the UI Armory.
The Illini will be welcoming in teams from Illinois State, Illinois Chicago, Butler and Bradley.
Field events begin at 3 p.m. CT with the women's weight throw, with running events starting at 5 p.m. CT with the men's and women's 60m hurdle prelims.
Follow the Action
Live results will be available through ShaZam Racing HERE and Illini fans can follow the action on @IlliniTrackXC on Twitter.
Last Time Out
Illinois competed at the Indoor Music City Challenge in the Vanderbilt Multipurpose Facility on Friday and Saturday (February 11-12), with the Illini winning a pair of event titles as well as school records set by junior Olivia Howell and graduate student Jon Davis on Friday and a number of standout performances on Saturday.
Illini Event Champions:
Women's High Jump: Tacoria Humphrey // 1.78m
Women's Mile: Olivia Howell // 4:33.75
Men's unseeded 800m: Nicolas Dovalovsky // 1:51.11
Indoor Music City Challenge Notes
- For the third-straight week Howell set a new school record with a facility record and personal best time of 4:33.75 to win the mile event. Howell's time sits as the top time in the Big Ten Conference and the third-best time in the nation through five weeks of the indoor season.
- Joining her with a record-breaking performance was Davis as he broke his own school record from 2019 with a time of 3:54.59 to place third in the men's mile event, with his time coming as the fifth-best time this season in the NCAA. Davis along with Mario Garcia Romo (3:53.36) of Ole Miss and Alabama's Eliud Kipsang (3:54.36) made history as three collegians ran sub-3:55 in one race for the first time, indoors or outdoors.
- Freshman Tacoria Humphrey continued her strong rookie season as she registered the seventh-best jump in program history with a personal best 1.78m to win the women's seeded high jump.
- Redshirt-junior Brian Keyes turned in the sixth-best throw in program history with a personal record 19.10m to place third in the men's open weight throw.
- Saturday started with a pair of standout performances in the unseeded 800m races as freshman Sam Poglitsch finished second with a time of 2:07.85, before classmate Nicolas Dovalovsky won the men's event with a personal best time of 1:51.11.
- One of Saturday's standout performances came next as junior Tyler Sudduth earned a second-place finish with a personal record mark of 19.59m in the men's shot put. It was the 11th best throw in the NCAA in 2022 and the second-best throw in program history.
- Junior Jessica McDowell placed second in the women's 400m with a time of 53.98.
- Howell continued where she left off from Friday as she turned in the second-best time in program history with a personal-best time of 2:04.77 in the women's 800m.
- The Illini then wrapped up the day with the best time of the season in the men's 4x400m as junior Robert Williams, freshmen William Merrick and DeVontae Ford and redshirt-junior Kashief King placed second with a time of 3:12.25.
Illini in the Rankings
The Illini women moved three spots to No. 8 in the most recent USTFCCCA Midwest Regional TFRI, with the Illini men also moving up three spots to No. 11.
Next Up
Illinois next travels to Geneva, Ohio for the 2022 Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championships, held at the SPIRE Institute on February 25-26.
For more Fighting Illini Track & Field news, stay tuned to FightingIllini.com and follow @IlliniTrackXC on social media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook.
