Full Results
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The Illinois men's and women's track and field teams finished the indoor season at the NCAA Indoor Championships on Saturday (March 15) from the Virginia Beach Sports Center. The women's team recorded their second-highest finish in program history at the NCAA Indoor Championships placing eighth with 25.5 points, only the 1996 team that took sixth finished higher.
"It was a great step towards a NCAA title for the women as this was our best finish in the last 30 years," said director of track, field and cross country Petros Kyprianou. "We did this while leaving some valuable points behind which sometimes is the difference in elite level competition. I'm very proud of our team for making Illinois a premier track and field program on the national level! I'm thankful for the support of our administration and everyone around our program; onto outdoors!"
The 1996 women's team is arguably the best team in their history as they won the Big Ten Indoor Championships, placed sixth at the NCAA Indoor Championships, finished second at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships and finished the season out in fourth place at the NCAA Outdoor Championships which is the highest in program history.
Rose Yeboah stood on the podium as an NCAA Indoor All-American for the second-consecutive season with her sixth-place finish, 1.85m (6-0 3/4). She placed eighth last year, 1.88m (6-2), and joins Stacy Ann Grant (1997, 1998, 1999) as the only other high jumper in program history to earn All-America honors in consecutive seasons.
Tyler Sudduth became an All-American in the shot put with his fifth-place finish, 19.68m (64-6 3/4). He's the third Illini man to earn All-America honors in the event for the indoor season and the first in 30 years since J.D. Teach took sixth in 1995.
Abria Smith improved her shot put school record to nearly 18 meters, 17.99m (59-0 1/4), becoming an NCAA Indoor All-American in her seventh-place finish. She's the fourth Illini woman to make the shot put podium indoors and the first since Olympic medalist Aja Evans did so in 2009 taking fifth.
ALL-AMERICANS
- Tyler Sudduth placed fifth in the shot put, 19.68m (64-6 3/4).
- Rose Yeboah placed sixth in the high jump, 1.85m (6-0 3/4).
- Abria Smith placed seventh in the shot put, 17.99m (59-0 1/4).
TOP-10 PROGRAM MARKS
First – Shot Put: Abria Smith, 17.99m (59-0 1/4).
STANDINGS
WOMEN
1. Oregon – 55
2. Georgia – 39
3. USC – 35
4. Oklahoma – 31
4. Washington – 31
4. Arkansas – 31
7. Texas A&M – 27
8. Illinois – 25.5
9. BYU – 24
10. Texas Tech – 21.5
MEN
1. USC – 34
2. Auburn – 32
3. Arkansas – 30
4. Oklahoma State – 26
5. Georgia – 23
5. Virginia – 23
39. Illinois – 5
UP NEXT
The Orange and Blue track and field crews spring right into the outdoor season next weekend (March 21-22) at the USF Alumni Invitational in Tampa, Fla.
NOTES
Full Illini Results
