In the 10 seasons since its last Big Ten championship in 2013, Illinois women’s track and field had never placed better than No. 9 in the championships — that is until this year, when the team took first in a dominant fashion and cleared second-place Penn State by 17 points.
The victory was a true team effort, with 15 different athletes contributing to the team’s 104 points — the most since its 115-point showing in 2013.
Junior Jessica McDowell topped the score sheet, earning 16 points thanks to her victory in the 200-meter (23.32) and a third-place finish in the 400-meter (51.81), with both times representing personal bests and the second-fastest program times in their respective events. McDowell, freshman Asia Thomas and sophomores Azariyah Bryant and Madison Hardamon were also members of the 4×400-meter team, which placed third (3:35.73) and earned six points.
Junior Bara Sajdokova set a new program record in the high jump with her leap of 1.89 meters, which also tied for the best mark in Big Ten championships history. Freshman Rose Yeboah took third in the high jump (1.86m), earning six points, while senior Taylor Beard tacked on a point with her seventh-place finish (1.69m).
Sophomore Darja Sopova captured the triple jump title with a leap of 13.39 meters — the eighth-best in program history. Sopova also took fourth (6.12m) in the long jump, becoming one of four Illini to earn points in the event along with freshman Elizabeth Ndudi, who took second (6.31m); freshman Sophia Beckmon, who took sixth (6.10m); and junior Tacoria Humphrey, who took eighth (6.05m).
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
The Illini also had a big contribution from the pole vault team, who netted 12 points. Junior Tori Thomas took third (4.40m) in the event, sophomore Mia Morello finished fourth with a personal-best height of 4.35 meters, and junior Leah Pasqualetti took eighth with a season-best height of 4.15 meters.
The team’s victory marks the seventh in program history and just their second since 1996. The NCAA championships are up next and set to begin in just under two weeks on March 8.
