Director of track, field and cross country Petros Kyprianou will travel to Kujawy Pomorze, Poland for the World Indoor Championships on March 20-21, where he will coach Illinois alum Abria Smith in the shot put and current assistant coach Heath Baldwin in the heptathlon.
The event highlights the ongoing achievements of University of Illinois Fighting Illini Men’s Track and Field athletes and staff. The program emphasizes both team spirit and individual accomplishment across a range of events, according to the official website.
Smith competed for one year at Illinois, earning two All-American honors and winning the Big Ten outdoor championship. She was also the national runner-up outdoors in 2025. Smith holds both indoor and outdoor program records with throws of 17.99 meters (59-0 1/4) indoors and 18.92 meters (62-1) outdoors. Recently, she improved her personal best to 19.23 meters (63-1 1/4) at the USATF Indoor Championships, which qualified her for this year’s World Championships.
Baldwin joined Illinois as an assistant coach last season while continuing his own training under Kyprianou. He achieved a new personal best heptathlon score of 6,245 points during his second-place finish at the USATF Indoor Combined Events Championships on February 22, securing his spot at the World Championships.
The University of Illinois Fighting Illini Men’s Track and Field contributes to the university’s athletic tradition by providing student-athletes with opportunities for competition, development, and academic success according to the official website. The coaching staff is focused on training and performance according to the official website, offering participation in both indoor and outdoor meets according to the official website. The team competes in NCAA Division I athletics within the Big Ten Conference according to the official website.
Looking ahead, participation by Smith and Baldwin at an international level reflects positively on both their individual careers and on Illinois’ commitment to fostering high-level athletic achievement.
