With just two weekends of competition left before the Big Ten Championships, the Illinois men’s track and field team will split up for the first time this season and head off for competition in two separate meets over the weekend. The Illini will be competing at the Armory Collegiate Invitational held in New York and at the Meyo Invitational held in South Bend, Ind.
“This weekend is going to tell us a lot about where we stand as a team going forward into the conference championship and into the national meet,” said head coach Mike Turk, who will travel to New York. “We are going to see a volume of great teams and tough competitors at both meets, and I really want to see how our guys respond to that.”
The Armory Collegiate Invitational will exclusively be for the short- and middle-distance runners and throwers, whereas the Meyo Invitational will feature long-distance athletes. In New York, the Illini will have to contend with an extremely fast track — one with a slight incline on the turns — and will compete against a multitude of top-tier SEC and ACC teams.
The 200-meter dash will be a major event the team will focus on in New York. The 200-meter crew includes Brandon Stryganek and Julian Smith, both whom finished first and second at the Indiana University Relays last week. They will expect to see a similar outcome this week. Stryganek, who is currently ranked No. 1 in Big Ten and 13th in the nation in the 200, will look to add to his national standing over the weekend. Both will also race in the 60-meter dash.
“I’m excited to be running in New York for the first time and since I have always seen this place on TV, I’m glad to have the opportunity to compete,” Smith said. “I just want to see myself break my personal best and to do better than I have done before.”
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Other notable events and competitors for the Illini at the Armory Collegiate Invitational will be Vanier Joseph in the 60-meter hurdles and throwers Brandon Noe and Davis Fraker in the shot put. The 4×400-meter relay squad will also be looking to repeat its title-winning performance from last week.
In South Bend, the Illinois distance runners will be tested once again with their toughest test so far in the season. After his record-breaking effort in the mile last week, Graham Morris will be looking to replicate his success. Other distance runners scheduled to run over the weekend will be Jordan Hebert in the 5,000-meter run and Kyle Engnell and Tommy King in the 3,000-meter. Matt Bane leads the pole vaulting squad, with a Big Ten-high vault of 5.4 meters, who leads the Big Ten with a vault of 5.4 meters,
“This will be a crucial meet for our distance guys,” Turk said. “A lot of what happens over weekend will directly influence what we see from the distance guys come conference championship time in a few weeks. The preparation from all of them has been solid throughout the week, so I expect some fast times and strong finishes.”
Dan can be reached at [email protected].
