With the Alex Wilson Invitational in the books, Illinois has officially closed out its regular season. The men and women will now participate in the Big Ten Indoor Championships on Friday and Saturday.
The Illini are on the road once again after going down to South Bend, Indiana, last week. This time, they’ll head back to Indiana’s capital, Indianapolis.
2025 regular season rankings
The men and women found success during the 2025 season. In the official track and field and cross country rankings, the women finished the regular season No. 5 overall.
The men finished No. 10 overall in the same USTFCCCA rankings. Having both teams in the top 10 is a rare accomplishment in the NCAA, and the teams will be favored over many programs in the nation as they head into the postseason.
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Staying hot
Illinois had multiple record-breaking races immediately before the Big Ten championships. Last week, the men’s distance medley relay team set a new school record.
Seniors Nicolas Dovalovsky and Will Merrick, sophomore Jackson Gilbert and junior Tadeas Placek were all members of the record-breaking team. The relay team broke the previous record by a jarring five seconds with a time of 9:24.45.
The women were close to having the program’s fastest time as well. Seniors Halle Hill and Sam Poglitsch, junior Azariyah Bryant and freshman Kennady Anderson were the four members of the team. Despite missing out on a record, the Illini still ran a time of 11:08.64, which is the 22nd-best in the nation.
Championship defense
In 2024, the women’s team won the Big Ten Indoor Championships, making them the reigning champions. Before that championship win, the team hadn’t won it all since 2013, making this a special moment for the team.
Heading into 2025, the team looks to defend its title with several returning athletes. Last year, junior Darja Sopova won the triple jump, scoring a 13.39. Sopova has one of the most impressive resumes on the team, being named as an All-American, Big Ten Champion, First-Team All-Big Ten and an NCAA Championships qualifier. How well Sopova performs will be a massive indicator of whether the Illini can win back-to-back championships.
