CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois men's and women's track and field teams are prepared for the Big Ten Indoor Championships in Geneva, Ohio, on Feb. 23-24.
The Illinois women finished the regular season ranked No. 17 by United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), while the men finished at No. 23.
Second-year director of track, field and cross country Petros Kyprianou's team didn't take long to transform into competitors. He spent his first season attacking the recruiting trail, and he was rewarded with the top recruit in the nation, Sophia Beckmon.
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
The Illini had a busy offseason in the transfer portal and recruiting; a lot of the new faces immediately contributed to the team. Freshman Sophia Beckmon, in her first meet, entered the program's top-10 list for the 60m dash (7.38). The 60m isn't her main event; she is a long jumper and the school record-holder at 6.49m (21-3 1/2). She set that all-time mark a week later, when she jumped for the first time for Illinois.
The women's long jump isn't all Beckmon. USTFCCCA ranked them as the No. 1 group in the nation. Junior Tacoria Humphrey owns the program's second-best mark at 6.42m (21-0 3/4), freshman Elizabeth Ndudi owns the third-best mark at 6.41m (21-0 1/2), and junior Darja Sopova owns the fifth-best mark at 6.28m (20-7 1/4).
Sopova's main event isn't the long jump, either. She is a triple jumper who holds the school record, 13.56m (44-6). Junior Daniel Mboyo leads the men's long jump, an event in which he leaped up to eighth in school history, 7.62m (25-0).
Junior Tori Thomas keeps inching closer to the 4.45m pole vault school record. She opened the season with a 4.42m (14-6), which is second in the Illinois record book and a UIÂ Armory facility record. Freshman Cody Johnston leads the men's side with the school's seventh-best vault, 5.38m (17-7 3/4).
The high jump crew is led by freshman Rose Yeboah, who shattered the 25-year-old school record with her 1.88m (6-2) leap. Junior Bara Sajdokova isn't far behind, as she tied the previous record at 1.87m (6-1 1/2). Junior Kam Garrett leads the men's side with the third-best mark in program history (2.18m (7-1 3/4)), and fellow junior Jackson Marseille owns the fifth-best mark, 2.14m (7-0 1/4).
Senior Tyler Sudduth smashed the program's weight throw record with his 23.14m (75-11) heave. Senior Aiden Ouimet broke the heptathlon school record with 5,985 points. His converted score for the 200m flat track was 6,010Â points, which led the nation at the time he set it.
Graduate student Amber Simpson has repeatedly broken the weight throw school record on the women's end. She broke it in four of the six meets she competed in, and it currently sits at 22.01m (72-2 1/2). Freshman Jordan Koskondy slots right behind Simpson in the record book with a toss of 20.41m (66-11 1/2).
Junior Jessica McDowell is zeroing in on the 400m school record; she improved her program's second-best time to 52.33. Freshman sprinter Asia Thomas nearly broke the school record in the 60m dash in her first race. She owns the second-fastest 60m (7.28) and third-fastest 200m (23.45).
CURRENT NATIONAL QUALIFIERS (TOP-16 PER EVENT QUALIFY)
WOMEN
#6 Darja Sopova – triple jump, 13.56m (44-6) *
#6 Tori Thomas – pole vault, 4.42m (14-6)
#6 Rose Yeboah – high jump, 1.88m (6-2) *
#8 Sophia Beckmon – long jump, 6.49m (21-3 1/2) *
#10 Bara Sajdokova – high jump, 1.87m (6-1 1/2)
#12 Tacoria Humphrey – long jump, 6.42m (21-0 3/4)
#12 Amber Simpson – weight throw, 22.01m (72-2 1/2) *
#13 Elizabeth Ndudi – long jump, 6.41m (21-0 1/2)
MEN
#3 Tyler Sudduth – weight throw, 23.14m (75-11) *
#3 Aiden Ouimet – heptathlon, 5,985 (6,010) points *
#14 Viktor Morozov – triple jump, 15.93m (52-3 1/4)
#16 Kam Garrett – high jump, 2.18m (7-1 3/4)
ON THE BUBBLE
#17 Tyler Sudduth – shot put, 18.80m (61-8 1/4)
#17 Jessica McDowell – 400m (52.33)
* - Denotes school record
