CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The No. 5 women's and No. 10 men's track and field teams are prepared for the Big Ten Indoor Championships in Indianapolis on Fri.-Sat. (Feb. 28-March 1) at the Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion.
The women's team has their sights set on repeating as Big Ten Indoor Champions after they won their first one since 2013 last season. If they're successful it would be the first time since 1992 and 1993 that they won it in consecutive seasons.
The men's team aims to improve on their seventh-place finish last season, their highest since the 2015 season.
The women are led by long jumper Tacoria Humphrey and high jumper Rose Yeboah who each have the number three mark in the nation in their respective events. Humphrey leaped 6.78m (22-3) and Yeboah cleared 1.91m (6-3 1/4), each are school records.
The men are led by heptathlete Jip de Greef and long/triple jumper Viktor Morozov. Morozov has two top-10 marks in the nation with his 16.35m (53-7 3/4) triple jump that's fourth and 7.88m (25-10 1/4) long jump that ranks ninth; de Greef has the nation's second-best heptathlon with 6,070 points.
NATIONAL TOP-16 ATHLETES
WOMEN
#3 Tacoria Humphrey – long jump, 6.78m (22-3)
#3 Rose Yeboah – high jump, 1.91m (6-3 1/4)
#4 Lucie Kienast – pentathlon, 4,428
#4 Sophia Beckmon – long jump, 6.71m (22-0 1/4)
#5 Phethisang Makhethe – weight throw, 23.11m (75-10)
#7 Tori Thomas – pole vault, 4.57m (15-0)
#12 Darja Sopova – long jump, 6.51m (21-4 1/4)
#14 Morgan Smalls – long jump, 6.49m (21-3 1/2)
#15 Asia Thomas – 60m, 7.26
#16 Elizabeth Ndudi – long jump, 6.42m (21-0 3/4)
#16 Bara Sajdokova – high jump, 1.84m (6-0 1/2)
MEN
#2 Jip de Greef – heptathlon, 6.070
#4, #9 Viktor Morozov – triple jump, 16.35m (53-7 3/4) // long jump, 7.88m (25-10 1/4)
#7 Cody Johnston – pole vault, 5.61m (18-4 3/4)
#11 Tyler Sudduth – shot put, 19.47m (63-10 1/2)
