Chambana Sun

The Fighting Illini track and field teams are gearing up for their first home meet of the outdoor season, the Gary Wieneke Memorial. The event will take place on Saturday, April 13, at Demirjian Park in Champaign, Illinois. Field events are scheduled to start at 11 a.m., with track events commencing at noon. Attendees can enjoy live music by Sojourn Rocs from noon until 3 p.m.

Highlighting recent performances, junior Bara Sajdokova broke a long-standing school record in the high jump during her outdoor debut at the Florida Relays, clearing a height of 1.90 meters (6-2 3/4). Her achievement ranks third nationally this year. Another standout is redshirt junior Rose Yeboah, who cleared 1.83 meters (6-0), placing her tenth in the nation.

On the men's team, junior Kam Garrett recorded a high jump mark of 2.16 meters (7-1), ranking him 13th nationally. Junior Jessica McDowell won the 400-meter race with a time of 51.41 seconds, currently the fourth-fastest in the nation.

Freshman Cody Johnston's pole vault performance places him fourth nationally with a mark of 5.60 meters (18-4 1/2). Freshman Jordan Koskondy achieved the program's fourth-best hammer throw at 55.50 meters (182-1), while senior Tyler Sudduth ranks 16th in shot put with his mark of 18.84 meters (61-9 3/4).

The national qualifiers watch includes several Illini athletes poised for regional advancement based on their current rankings within their respective events.