Illinois Track and Field Travels to Texas for NCAA West Preliminaries

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois men’s and women’s track and field teams are ready for the first round of NCAA competition with the NCAA West Preliminaries in College Station, Texas on Wed.-Sat. (May 28-31). There are seven men and 15 women who qualified to this first round of NCAA Championship competition.

Four of the Illini who are competing this week will be competing as Big Ten Champions from their performances two weeks ago: Tacoria Humphrey, Cody Johnston, Viktor Morozov and Abria Smith.

Humphrey has been one of the team leaders all season and secured her second-consecutive outdoor Big Ten long jump title with a mark of 6.59m (21-7 1/2). She completed the season sweep as well as she also won the indoor Big Ten long jump title this past March in Indianapolis.

Johnston did something that hasn’t been done in 31 years by an Illinois men’s pole vaulter and that’s stand on top of the Big Ten Outdoor Championships podium. His mark he won with was 5.64m (18-6) which was a meet record and the program’s second-best vault in school history. However, hours after competition had ended it was discovered that the standards were never changed over from the high school meet a few weeks prior. The Big Ten announced that the team points and his Big Ten title still counts, but no one’s marks from the meet counted.

Morozov also had an interesting path to his first Big Ten title in the triple jump. He originally took second with his mark 15.63m (51-3 1/2) while USC jumper Jaren Holmes stood on top with a 16.20m (53-1 3/4) mark. However, after a spike double check that all champions go through it was deemed his were illegal which disqualified him from the competition making Morozov the champion, the program’s first in the event in 34 years.

Smith on the other hand left zero doubt or questions with her shot put Big Ten gold medal performance. She threw the fields best throw of 17.95m (58-10 3/4) on her very first attempt to secure her first Big Ten title.

Two Illini heptathletes have already punched their ticket to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Lucie Kienast and Melissa Wullschleger who took second (5,851 points) and fourth (5,749 points) at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, respectively. 

WEST PRELIMINARIES QUALIFIERS

The top 48 from each the east and west regions advance to their respective preliminary rounds on May 28-31. Illinois will compete at the NCAA West Preliminaries in College Station, Texas hosted by Texas A&M. The top 12 from each east and west preliminaries advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore. on June 11-14.

WOMEN (15 across 11 events)

#2 high jump – Rose Yeboah, 1.91m (6-3 1/4)

#2 shot put – Abria Smith, 18.92m (62-1)

#4 long jump – Tacoria Humphrey, 6.73m (22-1)

#6 hammer throw – Phethisang Makhethe, 68.66m (225-3)

#11 pole vault – Tori Thomas, 4.43m (14-6 1/4)

#13 long jump – Sophia Beckmon, 6.41m (21-0 1/2)

#17 pole vault – Mia Morello, 4.38m (14-4 1/2)

#18 hammer throw – Jordan Koskondy, 64.80m (212-7)

#22 200m – Sophia Beckmon, 23.06

#23 4x100m – Azariyah Bryant, Sophia Beckmon, Asia Thomas, Llyric Driscoll, 43.98

#25 1500m – Halle Hill, 4:13.99

#28 100m – Azariyah Bryant, 11.32

#29 3000m steeplechase – Sam Poglitsch, 10:10.52

#31 hammer throw – Faith Deering, 59.90m (196-6)

#35 200m – Azariyah Bryant, 23.22

#41 100m – Asia Thomas, 11.38

#45 200m – Asia Thomas, 23.29

#48 800m – Halle Hill, 2:05.83

#45 long jump – Elizabeth Ndudi, 6.16m (20-2 1/2)

MEN (seven across eight events)

#8 high jump – Kam Garrett, 2.20m (7-2 1/2)

#11 triple jump – Viktor Morozov, 15.49m (52-3 3/4)

#14 pole vault – Cody Johnston, 5.42m (17-9 1/4)

#24 shot put – Will Rezny, 18.71m (61-4 3/4)

#33 long jump – Viktor Morozov, 7.62m (25-0)

#38 400m – Jackson Gilbert, 45.92

#42 hammer throw – Javaris Ambrose, 62.99m (206-8)

#43 800m – Tadeas Placek, 1:48.13