Full Results
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Orange and Blue women’s track and field team completed their NCAA West Preliminaries on Saturday, May 27. Junior Olivia Howell qualified for her third-straight NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 1500m. She won her heat and placed eighth overall on a season-best time, 4:12.28.
Howell became the first Illini woman to qualify for three-straight NCAA Outdoor Championships in the same event since Angela Bizzarri did in the 5000m from 2008-10.
Redshirt junior Ayah Aldadah recorded a new personal-best and improved her program’s fourth-best time in the 3000mS to 10:16.37, she placed 25th.
Sophomore Tacoria Humphrey placed 24th in the high jump, 1.72m (5-7 3/4). Graduate student Emma Milburn placed 34th in the 3000mS (10:22.92). Graduate student Allanah Lee jumped 12.28m (40-3 1/2) in the triple jump which placed her 39th.
A quartet of Illini punched their tickets to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Austin, Texas. Director of Track, Field and Cross Country Petros Kyprianou doubled the total compared to last year (two) in his first regime.
NATIONALS BOUND ILLINI (LAST TIME QUALIFIED IN EVENT)
1. Alex Babbington – High Jump (Jonathan Wells, 2021)
2. Olivia Howell – 1500m (Howell, 2022 // Prior to Howell: Stephanie Morgan, 2011)
3. Tori Thomas – Pole Vault (Stephanie Richartz, 2015)
4. Robert Williams – 400mH (David Kendziera, 2018)
NOTES
- Olivia Howell won her heat and qualified for Nationals, eighth overall, in the 1500m (4:12.28)
- Ayah Aldadah placed 25th in the 3000mS (10:16.37), improved program’s fourth best time.
- Tacoria Humphrey placed 24th in the high jump, 1.72m (5-7 3/4).
- Allanah Lee placed 39th in the triple jump, 12.28m (40-3 1/2).
UP NEXT
The 5 Illini qualifiers will have a week off to prepare before they hit the road to Austin, Texas for the NCAA Outdoor Championships on Wed.-Sat. June 7-10.
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