After hoping for Tempe’s event to become the Illini’s premier meet of the outdoor season, head coach Tonja Buford-Bailey couldn’t help being disappointed.

“Some good things happened, but I think I expected to do a little bit (better) considering we were going all the way to Arizona,” Buford-Bailey said.

With chilly weather and on-and-off rain, it was no surprise that the Illini’s top performances came when the weather was at its best.

Sophomore Tamika Robinson qualified for the NCAA Regional Championships for the first time in the 100-meter hurdles, clocking a personal-best time of 13.79 seconds.

“When Tamika ran, (the weather) was perfect, not a lot of wind, it was dry, the sun was out,” Buford-Bailey said.

Robinson wasn’t the only Illini to excel when the conditions were right.

Junior Angela Bizzarri opened up her outdoor season by qualifying for regionals in the 1,500 meters, finishing third in the premier heat with a time of 4:17.65 that came just 0.15 seconds short of tying the school record. “It wasn’t too bad, it was a little rainy throughout the day, but during my race it was really nice so I can’t complain,” Bizzarri said. “It was really close, it was a really good race. It went out fast like they always do so it was a really good opportunity just to get a fast time in.”