ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference announced the 2024 Big Ten Men’s & Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships award winners on Wednesday (May 15), as selected by the conference’s head coaches. The championship meet was held last weekend (May 10-12) at the U-M Track and Field Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Junior pole vaulter Tori Thomas was named Women’s Field Athlete of the Championships after she claimed the pole vault title win with the new Big Ten Outdoor Championships record, 4.52m (14-10). She became only the second Illini woman ever to stand atop the Big Ten Outdoor pole vault podium; Stephanie Richartz completed this feat three times (2012, ’13, ’15).
It is the second week in a row Thomas vaulted her new school record and nationally ranked No. 5 mark for the 2024 outdoor season. She first cleared it at the Fighting Illini Tune-Up on May 4.
She is the first woman in Illinois history to win Field Athlete of the Outdoor Championships; Aja Evans was the last woman to win Field Athlete of the Indoor Championships.
Junior Jessica McDowell and senior Robert Williams were also honored as Illinois’ Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honorees. The Big Ten Conference office recognizes one student-athlete from each team (men’s and women’s) as the recipient of the Sportsmanship Award. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. In addition, the student-athletes must be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. McDowell and Williams are now candidates for the overall Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, as the conference office will honor one male and one female student-athlete from each institution, across all sports, at the end of the academic year.
The Big Ten will announce its 2024 Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track Athletes of the Year, Field Athletes of the Year and Freshmen of the Year following the conclusion of the NCAA Championships, which are scheduled for June 5-8 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.
Women’s Track Athlete of the Championships: Florence Caron, Penn State
Women’s Field Athlete of the Championships: Tori Thomas, Illinois
Men’s Track Athlete of the Championships: Devin Augustine, Minnesota
Men’s Field Athlete of the Championships: Mike Stein, Iowa
Women’s Coach…
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