With a long regular season in the books, Friday kicks off the NCAA Indoor Championships. Famously, it is the biggest event of the year. Illinois will head down to the Virginia Beach Sports Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
The Illini hope to bring home a championship for the first time in program history. Neither the men nor women have ever accomplished such a feat. In fact, the closest either team got was when the men came in second place during the 1988 season.
New record holders
Before stepping foot in Virginia, the Illini have a minor win to celebrate. Getting to the championship is half the battle, and Illinois has already accomplished its first step.
The Illini are extremely well represented in Virginia, as they have members in 16 different events. As a group, the program can send a school record of 15 members down to compete in the NCAA Indoor Championships.
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Girl power
Of the 15 members that qualified, 11 are women. For context, that’s the second most in the NCAA. The only team that’s ahead of Illinois is Arkansas, with 13. Finishing neck-and-neck with Arkansas in that department is an accomplishment by itself.
Unlike the Illini, the Razorbacks have experience near the top of the NCAA. Arkansas just won back-to-back championships, and won it all in four of the last five years. Being on the same level as a powerhouse like that is a great sign of development.
Athletes to watch
The women have four members that qualified for long jump. That list consists of seniors Darja Sopova, Morgan Smalls, Tacoria Humphrey and sophomore Sophia Beckmon.
Of the group, Beckmon is the only underclassman and one of the top jumpers to watch. Beckmon holds the program record in the long jump with a mark of 6.49m. However, the entire group is loaded, and four NCAA appearances for just long jump is significant.
The Illini are also sending freshman Lucie Kienast for the pentathlon, senior Tori Thomas for pole vault and senior Abria Smith for shot put. Sophomore Jordan Koskondy and senior Phethisang Makhethe will be in attendance for weight throw. To finish off the women’s list, the high jump group will consist of senior Bara Sajdokova and senior Rose Yeboah.
The men have a spread-out group of athletes, with everyone competing in different events. Sophomore Jip de Greef will compete in the heptathlon, while junior Viktor Morozov for long jump/triple jump. Sophomore Cody Johnston in pole vault and fifth year Tyler Sudduth will finish in shot put.
Morozov is a name to keep an eye on as he’s already competed at a very high stage in the past. In the summer of 2023, Morozov participated in the U20 European Championships, where he won gold in the triple jump. He will lead the way for the men as they also look to make an impact on the national scene.
