Full Results
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Orange and Blue No. 7 women's track and field squad completed the NCAA West Preliminaries on Saturday (May 25). The 4x100m relay team of freshmen Asia Thomas, Sophia Beckmon, juniors Tacoria Humphrey and Jessica McDowell shattered the 28-year-old school record en route to qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships (43.50) for the first time since 2016.
The previous school record was 44.74 set in 1996 by the team of Kelley, Richards, Williams and Burkett. The top-3 teams from each heat advanced to the national meet followed by the next three fastest times, the Illini team ran the fastest at-large qualifying time placing ninth overall.
Junior Darja Sopova closed out the West Prelims knocking off Yvonne Mensah's 18-year-old triple jump school record and punching her ticket to her first NCAA Outdoor Championships. The top-12 athletes in field events from each the NCAA East and West Preliminaries advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore.
"Overall, this was a historic regional meet for us," said director of cross country, track and field Petros Kyprianou. "We have a diverse and large group of youngsters qualified, while breaking records and doing what's needed to advance to Eugene. The West Prelims are a harsh meet that doesn't forgive mistakes and I'm glad we didn't make a lot. Inexperience caused us the long jump, but folks came back and qualified in events we didn't expect. This is meet is all about survive and advance and the usual suspects did their job!"
A couple of hours later McDowell qualified to her first NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 400m. She took third in her heat, seventh overall, to earn the automatic bid and moved up to second on the program leaderboard (51.02).
Redshirt junior Rose Yeboah and junior Bara Sajdokova each advanced to their first NCAA Outdoor Championships in the high jump each clearing 1.84m (6-0 1/2). Yeboah posted a clean sheet today while Sajdokova only recorded one foul.
Graduate student Taylor Beard finished out her collegiate career with a 14th-place finish in the high jump on the program's seventh-best mark, 1.81m (5-11 1/4). Halle Hill finished her junior season placing 17th in the 1500m (4:21.01).
"I can't wait to watch the 16 athletes we will be sending to Eugene to represent us in 12 events, the most for this program since 2008. Our 10 women is the most since 2009, but I am especially proud of our six men that turned out to be the most since 1988!"
NATIONAL BOUND ILLINI (LAST TIME QUALIFIED)
MEN
Kam Garrett – High Jump (Alex Babbington, 2023)
Cody Johnston – Pole Vault (Andrew Zollner, 2009)
Viktor Morozov – Triple Jump (Nick Brown, 2007)
Aiden Ouimet – Decathlon (Aiden Ouimet, 2023)
Tyler Sudduth – Shot Put (Jeff Teach, 1995)
Robert Williams – 400m Hurdles (Robert Williams, 2023)
WOMEN
Asia Thomas, Sophia Beckmon, Tacoria Humphrey, Jessica McDowell – 4x100m (Seymour, Rogers, Stewart, Taylor, 2016)
Jessica McDowell – 400m (Ashley Spencer, 2013)
Mia Morello – Pole Vault (Tori Thomas, 2023)
Bara Sajdokova – High Jump (Kandie Bloch-Jones, 2016)
Amber Simpson – Hammer Throw (Marie Hilmersson, 2003)
Darja Sopova – Triple Jump (Yvonne Mensah, 2007)
Tori Thomas – Pole Vault (Tori Thomas, 2023)
Rose Yeboah – High Jump (Kandie Bloch-Jones, 2016)
The six Illini men marks the most individual qualifiers (not including relays) on the men's team in 38 years, since the 1988 squad also sent six individuals. On the women's side their ten individual qualifiers are the most since 2009
The 16 combined total of qualifiers between the men's and women's squads (relays included) is the most since 2008, while the 13 individuals (relays excluded) is the most since 2007.
UP NEXT
The 16 qualifiers will represent Illinois at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore. on June 5-8. Â
NOTES
- Rose Yeboah placed first and qualified to the NCAA Championships in the high jump, 1.84m (6-0 1/2).
- Bara Sajdokova placed sixth and qualified to the NCAA Championships, 1.81m (6-0 1/2).
- Taylor Beard placed 14th with the program's seventh-best mark, 1.81m (5-11 1/4).
- Darja Sopova placed sixth and qualified to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the triple jump on a school record mark, 13.76m (45-1 3/4)
- Jessica McDowell placed seventh and qualified to the NCAA Championships in the 400m (51.02).
- The 4x100m team of Asia Thomas, Sophia Beckmon, Tacoria Humphrey and Jessica McDowell placed ninth and qualified to the NCAA Championships on school record time (43.50).
- Halle Hill placed 17th in the 1500m (4:21.01).
