Illinois Track and Field Sends Program Record 18 Individual Qualifiers to NCAA Indoor Championships

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois men’s and women’s track and field squads are sending a program record 18 individual qualifiers (13 women and five men) across 19 events to the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 13-14.

The 13 individual women are the most ever in school history with the five men being the most since the 2006 season when they also sent five. This stat excludes adding in members of a 4x400m or distance medley relay squad; only those top-16 in their respective events are reflected in these historic representation marks.

The 13 women qualifiers are the most by any school in the nation. Fourth-year director of track, field and cross country Petros Kyprianou continues to improve the program each year as he shattered his own program record for qualifiers he set last season with 15, 11 of them women.

NATIONAL QUALIFIERS

WOMEN

Oluwatomilayo Akintunde (weight throw): Akintunde qualified to NCAA’s throwing the program’s third-best throw of 22.18m (72-9 1/4) in her sixth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships. She’s seeded number 11.

Sophia Beckmon (long jump): Beckmon has led the women’s team all season long as the most consistent individual on the team having no jumps lower than 6.67m (21-10 3/4) all season long. She qualified to the national meet with the national leading 6.85m (22-5 3/4) mark set at the Razorback Invitational. She’s fresh off becoming the Big Ten Champion last week and she also earned bronze in the 60m.

JaiCieonna Gero-Holt (high jump/pentathlon): Gero-Holt is the only one on the team to qualify in two events. She qualified in the pentathlon after winning silver at the Big Ten Championships with 4,400 points which is the second-highest score in the program’s history. She leapt 1.88m (6-2) at the Razorback Invitational to qualify in the high jump which is the third highest in school history. She’s seeded No. 4 in the pentathlon and No. 7 in the high jump.

Katharina Graman (triple jump): Graman qualified herself in the triple jump with a 13.40m (43-11 3/4) mark at the Razorback Invitational which is the fifth best in program history and she’s seeded No. 12.

Mercy Honesty (triple jump): Honesty qualified to NCAA’s with the program’s second-best mark of 13.52m (44-4 1/4) that she set at the Tyson Invitational and she’s seeded No. 6.

Meagan Humphries (pentathlon): Humphries set five personal bests on her way to becoming the Big Ten Champion with the new meet and school record point total of 4,459 points. She’s the national leader heading into the NCAA Championships.

Lucie Kienast (pentathlon): Kienast qualified to the NCAA Championships in her first pentathlon of the season back in the Fighting Illini Challenge and combined events when she scored 4,337 points. She’s seeded No. 7.

Jordan Koskondy (weight throw): Koskondy qualified to the national meet on the program’s second-furthest toss, 23.59m (77-4 3/4), set at the Tyson Invitational. She’s seeded No. 4 and is fresh off a bronze medal at last week’s Big Ten Championships.

Phethisang Makhethe (weight throw): Makhethe became a Big Ten Champion last week with the new school record throw of 23.70m (77-9 1/4) to qualify herself to nationals and she’s seeded No. 3.

Mia Morello (pole vault): Morello posted her best qualifying mark back at the Fighting Illini Challenge and combined events when she cleared 4.50m (14-9). I’s the second-best clearance in school history and the Big Ten bronze medalist is seeded No. 7.

Elizabeth Ndudi (long jump): Ndudi much like Beckmon had her best jump of the season at the Razorback Invitational of 6.63m (21-9) which is the third-best leap in school history and she will be seeded No. 4 at NCAA’s.

Romi Tamir (triple jump): Tamir leapt 13.50m (44-3 1/2) to qualify herself to the NCAA Championships which is the third-furthest mark in school history and she’s seeded No. 7.

Rose Yeboah (high jump): Yeboah is fresh off a Big Ten Championships title, but she set her qualifying mark at the Razorback Invitational when she cleared the program record 1.94m (6-4 1/4). She enters NCAA’s as the No. 2 seed.

MEN

Jip de Greef (heptathlon): De Greef only competed in one heptathlon thus far this season and that’s all he needed to qualify to the national meet with 6,019 points. He set this mark at the Fighting Illini Challenge and Combined Events and is seeded No. 5.

Cody Johnston (pole vault): Johnston finally shattered Dean Starkey’s 37-year-old program record at the Tyson Invitational when he vaulted a new personal best, 5.70m (18-8 1/4). In a deep pole vault field this season he’s seeded No. 7.

Viktor Morozov (triple jump): Morozov had is best jump of the season last week as he became a Big Ten Champion on a leap of 16.38m (53-9). It’s the third-furthest jump in school history and he’s seeded No. 11.

Luuk Pelkmans (heptathlon): Pelkmans made quite the Illinois debut shattering the program record in his first ever heptathlon at the Fighting Illini Challenge and Combined Events. He scored 6,127 points (6,151 converted) and enters the NCAA Championships at the No. 3 seed.

Zavien Wolfe (triple jump): Wolfe leapt his qualifying mark at the Tyson Invitational with the program’s second-best mark of 16.46m (54-0). He’s seeded No. 7 in the triple jump competition.