De Greef Leads NCAA After First-Collegiate Heptathlon

Full Results

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois men's and women's track and field teams completed the Fighting Illini Challenge and Combined events on Saturday (Jan. 25) from the UI Armory. Jip De Greef won the heptathlon today in his first one at the collegiate level with the program's second-best and national-leading score of 6,046 points (6,070 after conversion for flat track). He's the first heptathlete to cross the 6,000 points total this season in the NCAA and it's the sixth-best score for a Dutch heptathlete all-time.

"This was another very good weekend to close out or home indoor meets," said director of track, field and cross country Petros Kyprianou. "Anytime you can have people qualified for the national meet before the end of January is a great feeling. There were a lot of highlights like Lucie Kienast and Tori Thomas breaking school and Big Ten records,  Jip De Greef leading the nation after his first ever heptathlon and Halle Hill and Will Merrick also both breaking school records in the 1000m. We have a lot of work to do still, but I'm excited with the direction this team is heading."

Viktor Morozov leaped the program's second-best triple jump at 16.35m (53-7 3/4) enroute to capturing the event crown. His mark is currently the national number two mark for the 2025 season.

Abria Smith notched another top-10 program mark today this time improving her program's second-best shot put to 16.77m (55-01 1/4) in her event win. Today's attendance was 937.

UP NEXT

The Orange and Blue track and field crews are off next week before they split up to head to Albuquerque, N.M. and Boston on Feb. 7-8. Most of the team will head to the New Mexico Collegiate Classic with the distance runners heading to Boston for the Bruce Lehane Scarlet & White Invitational.

NOTES

Event Winners and Top-10 Program Marks

• Abria Smith won the shot put with the program's second-best mark, 16.77m (55-0 1/4).
• Viktor Morozov won the triple jump with the program's second-best mark, 16.35m (53-7 3/4).
• Dewayne Johnson won the 60mH (7.89).
  • Michail Rose placed second (7.94).
• Asia Thomas won the 60m (7.30).
  • Azariyah Bryant placed second (7.37).
  • Ranaisha Howard-Dunigan placed third (7.78).
• Tyler Sudduth won the shot put, 19.33m (63-5).
  • Alex Sohn placed third, 17.78m (58-4).
  • Daniel Lucas placed sixth, 16.59m (54-5 1/4).
• Sam Poglitsch won the 800m (2:10.01).
  • Kennady Anderson placed second (2:11.47).
  • Audrey Ginsberg placed third (2:11.75).
• Amalia Malecek won the 3000m (10:17.58).
  • Isabella Daley placed third (10:27.74).

Combined Events

Heptathlon

Jip De Greef – First with program's second-best score (6,046)

• Won the pole vault, 5.11m (16-9 1/4).
• Placed second in the 60mH (8.12).
• Placed fifth in the 1000m (2:44.54).

Rafael Raap – Ninth (4,692)

• Placed fourth in the 60mH (8.38).
• Placed sixth in the pole vault, 4.41m (14-5 1/2).

Full Illini Results

• Anthony Maida placed fifth in the mile (4:11.08).
  • Joshua Daggett placed sixth (4:11.14).
• Jayon Morrow placed seventh in the 60m (7.17).
• Evan Cummins placed third in the 3000m (8:37.10).
  • Kyle Clark placed sixth (9:01.81).