CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Fighting Illini men's and women's track and field teams are set to compete at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic in Albuquerque, N.M on Fri.-Sat. (Feb. 7-8) and the Bruce Lehane Scarlet & White Invitational in Boston on Saturday (Feb. 8). Events in New Mexico will begin in the field at noon and on the track at 4:30 p.m. CT on Feb. 7, both will start at 11 a.m. CT on Feb. 8. In Boston, races are slated to begin at 10 a.m. CT on Feb. 8.
The Illini track and field teams wrapped up the Fighting Illini Challenge and Combined Events on Jan. 24-25, at the UI Armory. Jip de Greef won the heptathlon in his first-collegiate competition, recording a score of 6,046 points (6,070 after flat track conversion), the second-best in program history and the national leading mark. He is the first NCAA heptathlete to surpass the 6,000-point mark this season and his performance ranks as the sixth-best all-time for a Dutch heptathlete. Viktor Morozov secured the event crown in the triple jump with a leap of 16.35m (53-7 3/4), the second-best mark in program history. This performance currently ranks the number two national mark for the 2025 season.
Tori Thomas broke the Big Ten, school and UI Armory pole vault record with her nation's second-best clearance of 4.57m (15-0) and Lucie Kienast obliterated the Big Ten and school records in her very first pentathlon in the Orange and Blue with her nation's second-highest point total (4,405, 4,428 after flat track conversion).
NATIONAL TOP-16 ATHLETES
WOMEN
#2 Tacoria Humphrey – long jump, 6.78m (22-3)
#2 Lucie Kienast – pentathlon, 4,428
#3 Rose Yeboah – high jump, 1.91m (6-3 1/4)
#4 Sophia Beckmon – 6.71m (22-0 1/4)
#5 Tori Thomas – 4.57m (15-0)
#8 Phethisang Makhethe – weight throw, 22.28m (73-1 1/4)
#9 Darja Sopova – long jump, 6.51m (21-4 1/4)
#11 Morgan Smalls – long jump, 6.49m (21-3 1/2)
#12 Bara Sajdokova – high jump, 1.84m (6-0 1/2)
#16 Elizabeth Ndudi – long jump, 6.42m (21-0 3/4)
MEN
#1 Jip de Greef – heptathlon, 6.070
#4, #8 Viktor Morozov – triple jump, 16.35m (53-7 3/4) // long jump, 7.81m (25-7 1/2)
#6, #16 Tyler Sudduth – shot put, 19.47m (63-10 1/2) // weight throw, 22.15m (72-8)
#13 Cody Johnston – pole vault, 5.52m (18-1 1/4)
