Not all Illinois track and field members competed in the same place over the weekend. The long-distance runners traveled to Boston for the Bruce Lehane Scarlet and White Invitational. All other athletes attended the New Mexico Collegiate Classic in Albuquerque. Despite being in a smaller group, the Boston squad had a quality performance to create momentum as they head into the rest of the season.
Hill’s dominant performance
Senior Halle Hill had high expectations placed on her from the jump. She became a leader in the program in 2022 when she finished fifth place in the 1,500m at the Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Success kept coming as Hill continued to improve in 2023. The year was highlighted by a 4:49.66 one-mile time en route to a third-place finish at the Meyo Invitational.
This year, Hill has been no stranger to putting the team on her back. In the Big Ten Indoor Championships, Hill posted the fourth-best 3,000m time (9:21.40) in program history. Now in Boston, Hill ran the program’s second-fastest mile (4:34.67) on her way to a ninth-place finish.
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It’s also worth noting that senior Sam Poglitsch posted a mile time of 4:45.40, which earned her 14th place. Another runner with an impressive performance in Boston was freshman Kennady Anderson. A 4:47.32 mile led her to 15th place.
Dovalovsky leads the men
Senior Nicolas Dovalovsky was the fastest-finishing male athlete for the Illini in Boston. His 800m time cracked the top 10 in program history. His time of 1:49.24 was also good for 10th place in the field.
With this huge event under their belt, the Illini are looking to use this experience for the Tyson Invitational. The team will travel to Fayetteville, Arkansas, for the invitational this Friday and Saturday.
