Chambana Sun

The Illinois track and field teams concluded their participation in the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Junior Jessica McDowell achieved a significant victory by winning the 400m dash with a time of 51.73 seconds, earning her a gold medal and ten points for her team. This marks Illinois' first win in this event since Ashley Spencer's victory in 2013.

Director of track, field, and cross country Petros Kyprianou commented on the event: "This weekend was a roller coaster of emotions as we had some great things happen but some not so great as well." He acknowledged the challenges faced by athletes due to weather conditions and praised those who managed to score despite difficulties. "Huge props to our four champions and everyone that pushed to represent and honor our university that provides so much for us."

The women's team secured fourth place with 96 points, marking their best finish since 2013. They had four individual champions over the weekend, the most since 1996. The men's team finished in 11th place with a total of 46 points.

In addition to McDowell's success, the women's 4x100m relay team earned a silver medal, contributing eight points to their team's score. Senior Robert Williams also performed well, taking second place in the 400m hurdles with a time of 51.24 seconds.

Freshman Cody Johnston won silver in pole vaulting by clearing 5.46 meters. Other notable performances included junior Darja Sopova securing third place in triple jump and junior Kam Garrett achieving bronze in high jump.

Kyprianou looked forward to future competitions: "We are more of an NCAA Championships team and I'm looking forward to making a push for the second part of our post season." He emphasized the need for improvement among male athletes due to injuries and lack of focus but expressed optimism about their potential.

Both teams will prepare for the NCAA West Preliminaries scheduled from May 22-25 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.