The Illinois men’s and women’s track and field teams completed the first day of the fourth-annual Gary Wieneke Memorial on May 1 at Demirjian Park in Champaign. Anastasia Retsa achieved a second-place finish in the pole vault, clearing 4.22 meters, which ranks as the fourth-best mark in program history.
The event showcased several notable performances from Illinois athletes. In the women’s hammer throw, Phethisang Makhethe secured first place with a season-best toss of 68.27 meters, while teammates Jordan Koskondy and Oluwatomilayo Akintunde finished second and third respectively. Mia Morello won gold in the pole vault by clearing 4.33 meters, and Landry Allen placed third with a mark of 3.82 meters.
Jackson Gilbert claimed victory in the men’s 200-meter race with a time of 21.24 seconds. Additional results included Javaris Ambrose placing fourth in the hammer throw (60.92m), Ashley Oliver finishing fifth in the women’s 400-meter hurdles (1:01.99), Katelyn Lehnen taking tenth place in the women’s 200 meters (24.94), Cece Young finishing tenth in the hammer throw (44.07m), and Tadeas Placek coming ninth in the men’s 200 meters (22.09).
The University of Illinois Fighting Illini women’s track and field program participates in both indoor and outdoor competitions according to its official website. The program is part of NCAA Division I athletics within the Big Ten Conference according to its official website, enhancing both athletic heritage at Illinois and supporting student-athletes’ academic responsibilities according to its official website.
The teams will return for final events on May 2 as competition continues at Demirjian Park, which serves as home for Fighting Illini track programs based out of Champaign-Urbana according to its official website.
