Despite a competitive field at the Iowa State Classic in Ames, Iowa, seven Illini claimed top-10 finishes for the women’s track and field team. Four Illini hit personal records and two won their respective events over the weekend.

Four ranked teams — No. 2 Florida, No. 12 Texas Tech, No. 15 Oklahoma State and No. 18 Wisconsin — and three other Big Ten teams — Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska — joined the 18th-ranked Badgers and the Illini.

“The team gave a great effort this weekend,” head coach Ron Garner said in a press release. “We are in a good position as we head toward the Big Ten Championships. Each week we are getting consistent performances.”

Senior Breeana Coleman had a particularly successful weekend. She won the preliminaries and the finals of the 60-meter hurdles. The Kansas native and former Arkansas Razorback had an idea of what she wanted to accomplish over the weekend, but her results exceeded her expectations.

“My goal was to work on the technical side of the 60-meter hurdles,” Coleman said. “And to maintain focus towards a personal best time.”

Coleman edged Minnesota freshman Emma Spagnola by 12-hundreths of a second and sophomore Kimberly Golding by 14-hundreths of a second. The Golden Gophers were the only team to place two runners in the event final.

Senior Stephanie Richartz also had another strong weekend, winning her second straight pole vault event and her third of the last four.

Richartz pointed to consistency as the takeaway from her weekend.

“Consistency is always a confidence booster and that is what I took away from the meet this weekend,” Richartz said. “Plus after struggling in warm-ups, it was encouraging to be able to bounce back and end up with a good performance.”

Richartz’s main goal over the course of the indoor season has been to prepare for Big Tens, which is a week from Friday.

With four other Big Ten teams at the meet, Richartz said competing against conference opponents has her feeling more comfortable because she has beaten them.

Richartz won the event this weekend with a clearance of 4.26 meters, besting North Carolina’s Cameron Overstreet by 0.10 meters, Minnesota’s Katie Murgic by 0.20 meters and Wisconsin’s Courtney Walden by 0.35 meters.

Senior Alyssa Schneider also had a solid weekend: Despite finishing in 12th place, she ran a career-best time of 16 minutes, 21 seconds in the 5,000 meters.

“I was happy that it was an indoor personal best,” Schneider said. “But honestly, I know I can run faster. I wasn’t completely satisfied with it. I am anxious to get another chance to race it again.”

Schneider beat the time she set at the 2014 Indoor Big Ten Championships by eight seconds. Her 5,000 time is the second-fastest in school history.

The Illini return to the Armory on Saturday at 10 a.m. to host the Orange and Blue Open. The event will be the last before the Illini head to the postseason.

Alex can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @AWallner93.