ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Illinois men’s and No. 5 women’s track and field teams completed the first day of the Big Ten Outdoor Championships on Friday (May 10). Junior Tori Thomas walked away the Big Ten Champion in the women’s pole vault clearing a Big Ten Outdoor Championships meet record 4.52m (14-10).
She’s the first Big Ten Champion for Illinois in the pole vault since Stephanie Richartz in 2015. Additionally, she’s only the second Illini woman ever to top the pole vault podium at the B1G Outdoor Championships, Richartz completed this feat three times (2012, 13′, 15′). Thomas notched 10 team points for the Illini in her win.
Sophomore Mia Morello earned the bronze medal in the pole vault with the program’s third-best mark of 4.22m (13-10); she added six points to the team score. This marks the first time in program history that two Illinois women’s pole vaulters have finished in the top three at the B1G Outdoor Championships.
Graduate student Amber Simpson collected a bronze medal in the hammer throw to capture six team points, 66.18m (217-1). Junior Phethisang Makhethe joined her on the podium throwing 60.35m (198-0) to place eighth and earn one team point.
Freshman Eleftherios Kontonikola placed fifth in javelin to earn four team points with a throw of 68.01m (223-1). Senior Jack Roberts ran in his first 10,000m (29:39.55) on the track tonight where he placed sixth to score three team points.
Senior Robert Williams clocked a season-best 400m hurdles time (50.52) to win his heat and earn the automatic qualifying spot to Sunday’s finals. Junior Jessica McDowell won her 200m dash heat to advance to Sunday’s finals (23.31). Freshman Sophia Beckmon will join her since she ran the seventh-fastest time to earn an at-large spot (23.63).
Junior Halle Hill placed second in her 1500m heat to automatically qualify for Sunday’s finals (4:23.43). Senior Will O’Brien also placed second in his 1500m heat to automatically qualify for Sunday’s finals, he ran a season-best time of 3:52.93.
Freshman Jordan Koskondy tossed the program’s fifth-best hammer throw in her 16th-place finish, 56.32m (184-9).
TEAM SCORES (WOMEN)
1. Nebraska (30)
1. Penn State (30)
3. Illinois (23)
4. Minnesota (20)
5. Michigan (15)
6. Wisconsin (11)
7. Rutgers (9)
8. Maryland (6)
9. Michigan State (5)
9. Ohio State…
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