CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The No. 7 women's and No. 15 men's track and field teams are set for their final regular-season meet, the Tiger Paw Invitational, on Friday-Saturday (Feb. 9-10) in Clemson, S.C.
Most of the top dogs for the Illini took a break last week to regroup and recover. Some notable performances still did happen last weekend from the Meyo Invitational at Notre Dame.
Graduate student Amber Simpson broke her own weight throw school record yet again and broke through the 22-meter barrier for the first time in her career at 22.01m (72-2 1/2). This marks the fourth time in five meets that she's broken the school record, and her mark now ranks 10th in the nation.
Her freshman teammate, Jordan Koskondy, set a new personal-best in the hammer throw at 20.23m (66-4 1/4), which ranks second in the program. Senior Jack Roberts won the 3000m race and climbed up to fifth-fastest in program history (8:04.29).
Junior Halle Hill ran the program's sixth-fastest mile time in her third-place finish (4:41.86). Senior Will Merrick entered the program's record book for the mile, coming in at seventh all-time (4:01.26).
NATIONAL TOP-15 ATHLETES
WOMEN
#3 Darja Sopova – triple jump, 13.56m (44-6) *
#4 Tori Thomas – pole vault, 4.42m (14-6)
#5 Rose Yeboah – high jump, 1.88m (6-2) *
#6 Sophia Beckmon – long jump, 6.49m (21-3 1/2) *
#7 Bara Sajdokova – high jump, 1.87m (6-1 1/2)
#10 Tacoria Humphrey – long jump, 6.42m (21-0 3/4)
#10 Amber Simpson – weight throw, 21.91m (71-10 3/4) *
#11 Elizabeth Ndudi – long jump, 6.40m (21-0)
#15 Jessica McDowell – 400m (52.57)
MEN
#1 // #14 Tyler Sudduth – weight throw, 23.14m (75-11) * // shot put 18.80m (61-8 1/4)
#3 Aiden Ouimet – heptathlon, 5,985 points *
#13 Kam Garrett – high jump, 2.18m (7-1 3/4)
#13 Viktor Morozov – triple jump, 15.87m (52-1)
#15 DMR team – Will O'Brien, Will Merrick, Nicolas Dovalovsky, Jack Roberts (9:50.30)
