Illinois found success in the Fighting Illini Challenge and Combined Events at the Armory this past week. The Illini had a handful of athletes finish at the top of their events, including the triple jump, 60m and 300m, among others.
Reaching new heights
Senior Mia Morello vaulted to new heights in the pole vault. Morello’s 4.50m jump broke her personal record, is now the second-best mark in program history and is currently best in the NCAA this season.
Freshman Romi Tamir had the program’s second-best triple jump (13.50m), winning the competition and ranking second in the NCAA.
Other Illini also found success in the triple jump. Junior Mercy Honesty took silver and jumped to third in the NCAA (13.38m). With a jump of 13.08 meters, junior Katharina Graman placed third and ranks 11th in the NCAA.
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Illini sprint to first place
Junior Sophia Beckmon dominated the 60m (7.36), beating second place by 0.45 seconds and placing 10th in program history.
The Illini swept the 1000m race. Junior Grace Kombetto took gold (2:51.11), senior Audrey Ginsberg set a personal record and took silver (2:51.23) and sophomore Kennady Anderson found third (2:51.93). Kombetto and Ginsberg placed eighth and 10th in program history, respectively.
Freshman Naomi Bey-Osborne won the 300m (38.90), with senior Ashley Oliver placing second (40.51) and senior Bridget Annan taking third (40.91). Osborne’s performance was the school’s fifth-fastest time.
In the mile, junior Avril Andre took gold (5:02.60) with junior Mabry Bruhn right behind (5:02.92). Freshman Nicole Poglitsch finished third (5:05.20).
First in field
In the long jump, Beckmon took first (6.67m). Junior Elizabeth Ndudi placed third in the event and 18th in the NCAA (6.30m). Freshman Sherrie Emmons finished fifth (6.05m), setting a new personal record.
The Illini also stormed the podium for the pentathlon.
Assistant coach Cheyenne Nesbitt took first (4,346) in the competition, scoring the second-best mark in the world. Sophomore Lucie Kienast now leads the NCAA after placing second with a score of 4,316.
In her pentathlon debut, freshman JaiCieonna Gero-Holt (4,229) placed third. She scored second in the NCAA and broke 1.84m in the high jump, ranking sixth in program history for the jump.
Illinois secured all three top positions in the weight throw. Graduate student Phethisang Makhethe secured first with a throw of 22.65 meters. Junior Jordan Koskondy finished second (22.29m) and graduate student Oluwatomilayo Akintunde placed third (21.54m).
Akintunde also threw the program’s third-best shot put in her second-place finish (16.40m).
Up next
The Illini travel to Arkansas to compete in the Razorback Invitational Jan. 30-31.
