The saying “there’s nothing better than being at home” has been around for decades. This weekend, that proved to be true, as the Illini took advantage of being at home for the Big Ten Relays. 

With a new home at Demirjian Park, the men’s and womens track & field teams were ecstatic about the relays Friday and Saturday, ending the weekend with several first-place finishes, as well as multiple second places awards.

Jessica McDowell, Jon Davis, Alyssa Morello and Colin Yandel all had first-place finishes in their events, though the relays were the main attraction this meet.

The men’s and women’s relay teams fought hard for solid finishes, especially the men’s 4×800 relay race in which Davis was forced to make an epic comeback to secure the win, finishing with a time of 7:24:51.

 The women’s relay team were on the same blazing hot streak, as they took place in the 4×100 race. Amira Aduma, Nya Carr, McDowell and Felicia Phillips were on fire, as they finished first with a clocked time of 44.97

“Being able to get a good night’s sleep in my own bed before a meet the next day is the perfect way to start the weekend,” Davis said Thursday before the events. “I know for a fact everyone will do well because we are at home.”

Davis has been on cruise control based on the way he has been playing this season.

Taking yet another first place victory home this weekend, it’s scary to think about what will happen in the Big Ten Championships in a few weeks.

 Now that the relays are over, there are only two weeks between now and the Big Ten Championships. Not to mention, NCAA championships are fast approaching in less than two months now, where the Illini stand after a year off from outside activities. 

The men’s and women’s track & field teams are constantly reminding the Big Ten what they are capable of, but what will their performance look like next week as they travel to Minnesota for the first time this year? 

@dre2xx

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