Illinois’ No. 4 women’s and No. 9 men’s track and field teams broke five school records at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic on Friday and Saturday. Sophomore Asia Thomas broke two of those records, which were previously held by Olympians in the 200m and 60m.
Thomas ran a 23.21 in the 200m, breaking Olympian and University alum Ashley Spencer’s 13-year-strong school record of 23.24. Even with a fourth-place finish, Thomas holds the nation’s 14th-fastest time.
On day two, Thomas smashed another alum Olympian’s record. She earned a first-place finish in the 60m with a 7.24. Thomas overtook Benita Kelley’s 29-year-old school record to secure the 13th-fastest time in the country.
Senior Phethisang Makhethe surpassed her own school record with a throw of 22.52m after a 21.50m score and second-place finish in last week’s Fighting Illini Challenge. The veteran finished second and now boasts the seventh-farthest throw in the nation this season.
To continue the rousing weekend, senior Abria Smith earned the 14th-best throw in the country on day two. She placed first in the shot put with a throw of 17.27m. This throw surpassed Olympian Aja Evans’ 15-year-old record of 17.08m.
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Senior Rose Yeboah beat another school record in the women’s high jump. She bumped up her personal best by one centimeter to 1.92 cm. This broke her tie with Georgia senior Elena Kulichenko and Arkansas redshirt junior Rachel Glenn. Yeboah now holds the honor of the third-best jump in the country.
In the men’s 200m, sophomore Jackson Gilbert finished with a time of 20.95 seconds — the program’s fourth-fastest time in history. Gilbert also earned the program’s eighth-fastest time in the 400m (1:49.28). Not to mention junior Dewayne Johnson, another Illini in the 200m, finished 31st with a 21.81.
Two-time NCAA championship qualifier senior Tacoria Humphrey took home the gold in the women’s long jump with a 6.77m finish on day one. She led four other Illini women who placed in the long jump; sophomore Sophia Beckmon and freshman Lucie Kienast earned fourth- and sixth-place finishes, respectively.
Illinois will make its next stop in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The men’s and women’s teams will compete in Arkansas’ Tyson Invitational this Friday and Saturday.
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