“Itʼs not the best performance I could have had,” Roberts said of his 31:07.4 time. “But I was just proud to be there representing my teammates and the school.” 

His teammates gave their full support in return, with many making the nearly 700-mile drive from Champaign to Charlottesville to watch the race and cheer Roberts on.

“It was super cool to see,” Roberts said. “It was a lot of fun having them there.” 

The last Illini to compete in the championship was current assistant coach Jon Davis, who ran in 2021. Davis contacted Roberts before Saturdayʼs meet to wish him luck. Robertsʼ time of 31:07.4 also marks the best by an Illinois runner at the championships since Dylan Lafondʼs time of 30:34.6 at the 2016 championship. 

The championships marked the end of a strong season for the program. The menʼs team took first or second in all four of their regular season meets, while the womenʼs team finished in the top ten at both. The teams also secured top-10 finishes at both the Big Ten championships and NCAA regionals.

A lot of their success could be attributed to first-year head coach Helen Lehman-Winters.

“She was a huge help,” Roberts of Lehman-Winters. “Her experience with big meets was a total game changer.” 

Robertsʼ impressive resume included three individual regular season wins, a ninth-place finish at the Big Ten championships, a second-team All-Big Ten nod, a 10th-place finish at NCAA regionals and a trip to the national championship.

Oklahoma State, with 49 points, captured the menʼs team championship. OSU runners accounted for three of the top 10 finishes in the race. Harvard junior Graham Blanks was the individual champion, finishing with a time of 28:37.7. Blanks is the first Ivy League runner to win the menʼs championship.

NC State beat out Northern Arizona by a single point for the womenʼs team title. Florida junior Parker Valby set a championship record with a time of 18:55.2 en route to her victory. The previous womenʼs championship record time of 19:19.5 was also bested by both Alabamaʼs Doris Lemngole and Notre Dameʼs Olivia Markezich, who finished second and third, respectively. 

Many of the team members, including Roberts, will now take a brief break before they begin to prepare for the track and field season, which kicks off early next year.

“Iʼm going to take like a week off and then get back to it with some basic training post-Thanksgiving break,” Roberts said. “Weʼll be ready to roll in January.” 

bdg4@dailyillini.com

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This year, the championships take place at Panorama Farms Cross Country Course in Charlottesville, Virginia. The men’s 10K is slated to begin at 10:10 a.m. CT. 

Roberts, Illinois’ lone qualifier for the meet, has set the pace all season. He finished inside the top ten at all five meets this season, winning three. He recorded the seventh-fastest 8K in program history at 23:48.8 at the Gans Creek Classic on Sep. 29. 

In addition to his trio of victories, Roberts earned the All Big-Ten second-team accolade following his ninth-place finish at the Big Ten championships. He was also named Scholar-Athlete of the Week for the week of Nov. 6-12.

At the NCAA Midwest Regionals last week, Roberts finished 10th (30:27.6). He earned his spot in the championships by being one of the top four individual finishers who did not belong to a qualifying team. 

Roberts is the first Illinois runner to qualify for the championships since 2021 when Jon Davis qualified but could not finish the race. The last Illini to place at the men’s championships was Dylan Lafond, who took 56th (30:34.6) in 2016.

Only three Illini have ever turned in top-10 finishes at the men’s championships: Clarence Dunn, who finished sixth in 1942, Frank Hedgcock, who took ninth in 1956 and Craig Virgin, whose 1975 victory represents the only time an Illini has won the championships. 

Across the Big Ten, Wisconsin and Michigan qualified for the men’s race as teams, while Michigan State’s Andrew Nolan and Iowa’s Max Murphy, who finished just a hair ahead of Roberts at regionals, qualified as individuals. 

Wisconsin also qualified for the women’s race as a team, as did Michigan State. Ohio State’s Addie Engel and Daniella Santos, Michigan’s Kayla Windemuller and Northwestern’s Ava Earl qualified as individuals. 

Last season, Stanford senior Charles Hicks won the championships with a time of 28:43.6. Northern Arizona captured the team victory with 83 points. It was led by Nico Young and Drew Bosley, who finished second and third, respectively. Hicks has since graduated, but Young and Bosley return as part of a Northern Arizona team that won the NCAA Mountain regional in convincing fashion.

NC State secured the women’s team title after tallying 114 points. They were led by Katelyn Tuohy, the individual champion, and Kelsey Chmiel, who placed third. Florida sophomore Parker Valby finished second. 

The Saturday morning forecast for Charlottesville calls for temperatures in the mid-50s with clear skies and little wind. 

The races will be broadcast live over ESPNU and the ESPN app, with coverage beginning at 8:30 a.m. CT. 

bdg4@dailyillini.com

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Roberts has competed in six meets this season and has finished in the top ten at all six of them, including first-place finishes at three. He will be the first Illini to compete in the NCAA championships since 2021 when Jon Davis qualified and finished 39th (30:46.3).

Outside of Roberts, Friday marked the end of the season for the program. The men’s team, with 205 points, placed sixth which was a one-spot improvement from last season. Two hundred five is also the team’s best regional point total since 2017, when they tallied just 98 points. 

Junior Anthony Maida, who finished 181st at last year’s regionals, improved 145 places and took 36th (31:34.2). Sophomore Brady Masters also drastically improved upon his 96th place finish last year by taking 44th (31:43.9).

Rounding out the top five were sophomore Alex Partlow, who placed 47th (31:45.7), and senior William Merrick, who took 68th (32:10.1). Freshman Kyle Clark made his regional debut by finishing 105th (32:43.4), 18th best among freshmen. 

Maida, Partlow, Merrick and junior Nicolas Dovalovsky, who finished 118th (32:52.8), all set new personal bests in the 10k race. 

Junior Halle Hill set the pace for the women’s team. Hill placed 16th (21:00.8), a 44-spot improvement from last year. Hill also earned All-Region honors for her performance. The women’s team finished 10th overall with 302 points.

Juniors Sam Poglitsch and Maggie Gamboa took 43rd (21:36.6) and 47th (21:39.5), respectively. Gamboa improved 89 spots over her finish last season. Freshman Avril Andre set a 6K personal best at 21:51.2, good enough for 58th.

Senior Breena Shreeves closed out the top five by placing 139th (22:58.8). Sophomore Lydia Malacek finished 158th (23:18.9), and freshman Mabry Bruhn placed 194th (24:00.5), each in their regional debut. 

Oklahoma State ruled the meet, capturing first in both races by a large margin. Four of the top five men and three of the top five women, including both the first and second-place individuals in each race, represented OSU. 

Denis Kipngetich, at 29:39.2, was the overall men’s winner. Brian Musau took second ten seconds later. The pair of Ohio State freshmen figure to be a dominant duo at next week’s championships. 

Iowa State, the second-place team in both the men’s and women’s races, also earned a berth at the championships. Joining Roberts as individual qualifiers are Kansas’ Chandler Gibbens, Iowa’s Max Murphy and Loyola Chicago’s Chris Devaney.

Billah Jepkirui (20:28.4) was the overall women’s winner. Her Ohio State teammate Taylor Roe finished a close second (20:29.1).

Advancing outside of Ohio State and Iowa State on the women’s side are Kansas’ Lona Latema, North Dakota’s Yonca Kutluk, Drake’s Brooke Mullins and Northwestern’s Ava Earl.

The NCAA championships will take place Saturday at Virginia’s Panorama Farms Cross Country Course. Roberts will race at 10:10 a.m. Central Time. 

bdg4@illinimedia.com

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This year’s meet is at the Greiner Family OSU Cross Country Course in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The women’s 6k will start at 10:30 a.m., while men will compete in their first 10k of the year an hour later at 11:30 a.m. 

At last year’s regionals, the since-graduated Colin Yandel led the way for the men’s team, finishing 29th overall (30:10.0). Junior Tyler Cushing took 42nd (30:27.6) and senior Jack Roberts placed 45th (30:30.2). The men’s team tallied 257 points, good enough for a seventh-place finish.

Roberts was named second-team All-Big Ten this year after taking ninth (24:38.6) at the Big Ten championships two weeks ago. Roberts also collected three first-place finishes this season, including at the Gans Creek Classic, where he recorded the seventh-fastest 8k in school history at 23:48.8. 

Sophomore Brady Masters and junior Anthony Maida also ran last year, finishing 96th (31:15.2) and 181st (32:56.4), respectively. They will both be looking for big improvements this year. Sophomore Alex Partlow will be competing in his first NCAA regional tournament.

Tulsa totaled 49 points and won the Midwest Regionals last year. Tulsa’s top four runners, three of whom have since graduated, finished third, fourth, fifth and sixth. Isai Rodriguez of Oklahoma State was the overall men’s winner, while Loyola’s Ryan Martins took second. Rodriguez and Martins have also graduated, leaving only one of the top six men’s finishers returning.

The women’s team, with 176 points, placed sixth at last year’s regionals. Olivia Howell, who transferred to Texas over the summer, was the overall winner (20:02.9). The recently graduated Emma Milburn took 10th (20:25.1).

Returning for the women’s team are a trio of juniors: Sam Poglitsch, who placed 51st (21:10.4) last year; Halle Hill, who took 60th (21:16.9); and Maggie Gamboa, who finished 136th (22:14.0). Freshman Avril Andre will be making her NCAA regional debut. 

Oklahoma State won last year’s Midwest Regionals with 58 points. Three of the top five women’s finishers will return, while the other two have transferred out of the Midwest region. 

The men’s team’s only NCAA regional championship came in 1976. Current assistant coach Jon Davis took first (29:06.2) in 2017 and was the last individual champion. The women’s team has won the NCAA regional twice, most recently in 2019. 

Morning forecasts for Stillwater are predicting temperatures in the high 50s with clear skies and no chance of rain.

In order to qualify for next week’s NCAA Championships, the Illini must finish either first or second overall or be selected as an at-large team. The top four individuals who do not belong to selected teams will also compete in the championships, along with two individuals selected at-large. 

bdg4@dailyillini.com

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The Illinois cross country teams showed improvements across the board at the Big Ten Championships on Friday. The men’s team took fifth with 133 points, while the women’s team finished eighth after posting 201 points. Both teams finished one place higher than they did at last year’s championships.

Senior Jack Roberts was named second-team All-Big Ten after finishing ninth with a time of 24:38.6. Roberts’ ninth-place finish is the highest individual finish for an Illini runner at the Big Ten Championships since current assistant coach Jon Davis took third in 2021.

Sophomore Alex Partlow finished No. 15 with a time of 24:47.8 and junior Anthony Maida finished No. 29 with a time of 25:15.7. Both Partlow and Maida improved by over 50 places from last year.

Rounding out the scoring for the men’s team were sophomore Brady Masters, who placed No. 42 with a time of 25:31.3, and senior William Merrick, who finished No. 45 at 25:33.4.

Junior Nicolas Dovalovsky, freshman Kyle Clark and senior Evan Cummins also ran, finishing Nos. 88, 107 111, respectively.

For the women’s team, junior Sam Poglitsch took No. 22, finishing at 21:47.5, representing a 54-spot improvement from last year. Junior Halle Hill improved 74 places this year to finish 23rd with a time of 21:49.7.

Freshman Avril Andre set a personal best with a time of 22:02.5, good for No. 29 overall. Junior Maggie Gamboa took No. 49 with a time of 22:26.5 and sophomore Lydia Malacek rounded out the top five, finishing No. 103 with a time of 23:31.7.

Senior Breena Shreeves, who took No. 122, and sophomore Audrey Ginsberg, who finished No. 136, also ran for the Illini.

The men’s fifth-place finish represents their highest finish since 2017, when they took fourth, while the women’s eighth-place finish was their highest since taking sixth in 2021.

Wisconsin won the men’s championship for the sixth straight year while posting just 19 points. Four of the top five finishers were Badgers, including Bob Liking and Jackson Sharp who finished No. 1 and No. 2 for the second straight year. Liking’s victory gave him his third consecutive individual championship.

Michigan State posted 46 points to win the women’s championship for the fourth time in the last five years. Ohio State’s Addie Engel won her second straight individual championship.

The Illini’s next run comes at NCAA Midwest Regional in Stillwater, Oklahoma on Nov. 10.

bdg4@dailyillini.com

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Both the men’s and women’s teams will head to the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course in Madison, Wisconsin for the morning races.

The men’s team finished either first or second in each of their four meets this season, while the women’s team recorded top-10 finishes at two of their three meets.

Fifth-year senior Jack Roberts took first in three races this year, including the Gans Creek Classic, where he recorded the seventh-fastest 8K in program history with a time of 23:48.8.

Roberts finished 32nd overall at the Big Ten Championships last season in Ann Arbor, Michigan, as the team placed sixth with 161 points. Roberts was the third Illini runner to finish last season, but both Colin Yandel, who took 18th, and Irwin Loud, who finished 30th, have since graduated.

“I think we’re all really looking forward to it,” Roberts said about the championships. “We’re going into it with a really good mindset right now and in a really good place.”

Sophomores Brady Masters and Alex Partlow posted strong seasons as well and will look to improve after finishing 49th and 69th overall, respectively, last season. Junior Anthony Maida is hoping to do the same after placing 88th last year.

Wisconsin won the men’s championship last year with just 25 points, and now have a home-field advantage as they look to repeat. Returning for the Badgers are Bob Liking, the overall winner, and Jackson Sharp, who finished second.

The women’s team tallied 210 points and took ninth at the Big Ten Championships last season. Illinois’ top four finishers have all since graduated or transferred.

After placing 97th at the championships last year, junior Halle Hill finished first, second and sixth in her three races this season.

Also returning to the championships for the Illini are junior Sam Poglitsch, who finished 76th last year, and junior Maggie Gamboa, who took 89th.

Michigan State won the women’s championship last season with 78 points. Katie Osika, who took second at the championships last year, will return for the Spartans, as will Ohio State’s Addie Engel, who finished first overall.

The men’s 8K race is set to start at 10:45 a.m. while the women’s 6K will begin at 11:45 a.m. Morning forecasts for Madison call for temperatures in the low 60s with a marginal chance of showers.

The men’s team is aiming for their fourth Big Ten Championship, and first since 1984, while the women’s team is still searching for their first.

@BrendanGallian

bdg4@dailyillini.com

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Gray skies and showers did little to slow Illinois cross country last weekend, as it finished second of 29 in the Bradley Pink Classic on Oct. 13.

“The course was a total mess,” said senior Jack Roberts. “We were the third race of the day, so it was pretty sloppy out there.”

Despite the subpar conditions, Roberts posted a time of 24:08.40 and took first place for the second straight meet, a feat he had never accomplished in his cross country career to that point. It was by no means under regular circumstances either, as the poor weather meant that Roberts and the Illini had to make a fair amount of adjustments.

“I think there’s a lot of things going into it,” Roberts said. “You can’t necessarily take the shortest path every time. Sometimes, you’re better off going in a spot where it’s drier or less muddy.”

Sophomore Alex Partlow finished fifth overall with a time of 24:22.30, while sophomore Brady Masters took 10th with a time of 24:37.00.

Illinois was in first at the five, six and seven-kilometer markers but fell back at the very end. The Illini finished with 121 points, a close second to IUPUI and its 118 points.

Junior Anthony Maida finished 17th with a time of 24:39.50, and sophomore William Merrick placed 88th with a time of 25:32.20 to round out the scoring.

Also in the race for Illinois were senior Evan Cummins, who finished with a time of 26:00.20, and junior Tyler Cushing, who was just short of Cummins with a time of 26:04.20.

Freshman Kyle Clark, running in the 1:30 p.m. open race, finished fourth overall with a time of 25:20.70. Senior Will O’Brien and freshman Shawn Juliette also ran in the open race, finishing 53rd and 69th overall, respectively.

The Illini ended the regular season with two first-place finishes and two second-place finishes across their four meets. Illinoisʼ next time out will be at the Big Ten Championships in Madison, Wisconsin, on Oct. 27. Roberts believes the team is not shying away from that elevated stage.

“I think we’re all really looking forward to it,” Roberts said. “We still have some things to clean up as a team, but we’re going into it with a really good mindset right now. We’re in a really good place.”

bdg4@dailyillini.com

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The Illini will travel to Peoria’s Newman Golf Course for one final tuneup before the Big Ten championships.

On Sept. 29, the Illini posted 46 points to win the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, Missouri behind the strong performances of senior Jack Roberts and sophomores Alex Partlow and Brady Masters.

Roberts was the overall winner of the meet, setting a personal best and recording the seventh-fastest 8k in program history with a time of 23:48.8.

Partlow, with a time of 24:16.1, and junior Nicolas Dovalovsky, with a time of 24:25.8, both set personal bests while finishing eighth and 12th, respectively. Masters finished ninth with a time of 24:20.3.

Also contributing to the victory were junior Anthony Madia, who finished 16th with a time of 24:35.8; freshman Kyle Clark, who finished 81st with a time of 25:45.7; senior Evan Cummins, who finished 131st with a time of 26:31.1; sophomore Shawn Juliette, who finished 149th with a time of 26:48.4; and Will O’Brien, who finished 168th with a time of 27:03.3.

Illinois also won the Illini Open with 28 points on Sept. 1 and finished second in the Badger Classic with 53 points on Sept. 6.

The Illini finished fourth overall with 145 points last year at the Bradley Pink Classic. In 2015, Illinois tallied 70 points to win the meet for the first and only time.

This year’s meet will feature both an 8k open race at 1:30 p.m. and an 8k invite race at 3 p.m. The Illini will have runners in both events.

The track around Newman Golf Course consists of a single lap around the mostly flat 2,000-meter initial loop followed by three laps around the hilly 2,000-meter inner loop before the finish straightaway.

Illinois will have next week off before the Big Ten championship on Oct. 27 in Madison, Wisconsin.

bdg4@dailyillini.com

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Illinois Athletic Director Josh Whitman announced the appointment of Petros Kyprianou as the new director of the Illinois track and field and cross country programs on Tuesday. The former Georgia coach will be placed in charge of both programs on a five-year contract following the firing of longtime director Mike Turk earlier this month.

“We are excited to welcome Coach Kyprianou to the Fighting Illini family,” Whitman said in a press release announcing the appointment. “During his time at Georgia, Petros proved himself as a program-builder and spearheaded a tremendous six-year run that featured two national championships and numerous podium finishes — results their program had never before experienced.”

Kyprianou, formerly a head coach of track and field and cross country at Georgia, is no stranger to success and is coming to Illinois with an impressive resume.

During his 13-year tenure with the Bulldogs, Kyprianou was a two-time NCAA Champion, a three-time USA Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association National Coach of the Year and coached 28 athletes to becoming NCAA Champions. Now, Kyprianou will be bringing his experience and expertise to two hungry Illini programs that are searching for the type of achievement that Kyprianou has enjoyed.

“I am thrilled for this opportunity,” Kyprianou told Illini Athletics. “As I feel the University of Illinois track and field and cross country program is a sleeping giant in a conference that is changing for the betterment of all sports.”

Kyprianou’s role in revamping the track and field and cross country programs at Georgia has seen him recognized not only as an elite coach, but also an effective program-builder. He will be taking the role of director of track and field and cross country that was formerly held by Mike Turk. Turk was recently dismissed after an 11-year tenure at Illinois that saw limited success in recent times. The Illini’s appointment of Kyprianou comes as a clear sign of intent to opposition.

“It will be a long, hard road,” said Kyprianou. “But I am excited for the future.”

@james_kim15

jamessk4@dailyillini.com

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COVID-19 has changed the way sports have been played and viewed in the past few years. Adjusting to competing in smaller venues and behind closed doors was tough for football and men’s basketball programs across the country who expect packed stadiums full of students and fans alike. But for many women’s and smaller men’s collegiate programs, playing in small or empty venues is the norm.

Underappreciation of women’s athletics and smaller men’s programs on campus is something that isn’t new for many athletes. In fact, some have grown accustomed to playing for lesser crowds than their counterparts.

“If you go to a men’s match versus a women’s match, the atmosphere is so different,” said senior tennis player Ashley Yeah. “No matter what, they always get a decent crowd, and we go into our matches never expecting the same. We’ve never had quite the same crowd as them.”

Yeah and the rest of Illinois women’s tennis are coming off the back of their best season since 2018 when they reached the round of 32 in the NCAA Championships. A 16-9 record wasn’t enough for a bid to NCAAs this season, and their 11-1, dominant home record wasn’t enough to garner a consistent crowd at Atkins Tennis Center.

On the contrary, the 14-14 men’s tennis team packed out the same facility for their home matches, despite going just 10-5 at home. While both teams are deserving of support from the student body, only one program receives it.

Graduate student runner for track & field and cross country, Rebecca Craddock, has noticed women’s and smaller sports starting to gain traction, though. In her five years at Illinois, she has noticed a huge difference in the treatment of sports within the community and on social media.

“People just don’t know what’s going on,” Craddock said. “When we made it to Nationals in my junior year, it was a huge accomplishment: We won Regionals! Our media person at the time put out a really, really great video about it, but I don’t think it reaches as far into the community as it should.”

While a video from men’s basketball and football would have reached tens of thousands, Craddock noticed that this video in particular only reached “parents and friends from back home.”

If students are looking to become a part of the Illini Athletics FamILLy, the best way to start is by following teams on social media and interacting with their posts, so more fans can see.

“Everyone’s on social media nowadays,” Craddock said. “It’s super easy to add to your Instagram story or just retweet something. I think engagement will really get those numbers up, and once it gets spread a little bit, it just takes off.”

While nearly every student on campus knew when Illinois men’s basketball won a piece of the regular season Big Ten trophy, not many students were aware of athletes making waves elsewhere.

Track and field star senior Olivia Howell earned All-American honors for the second year in a row and was the Big Ten champion in the mile race. While Kofi Cockburn also received Big Ten champ and All-American status, he received more than 10 times the amount of interactions on social media than Howell in their Illini Athletics social media posts.

Additionally, programs like women’s and men’s gymnastics, men’s golf, volleyball and women’s and men’s tennis all outshone the Illinois football program in 2021, with all teams garnering winning seasons or runs in the postseason. While this isn’t to say Illinois football doesn’t deserve its support from students and the community, other sports have been consistently performing above Illinois football, but they don’t receive even a fraction of the same support.

Engaging with smaller sports and building that community is exciting. Being a part of the fanbase of smaller sports is something that can typically be done for free and without committing a whole weekend to it.

“My friends and I decided we wanted to see at least one event per team while we’re on campus,” Craddock said. “You can do it easily. There are so many different events going on, and there are so many different sports. I think students and other community members are like ‘OK, Saturdays are football games, we’ll go to all those,’ but they don’t see that there is a game or event or match going on pretty much every single day.”

Playing for big crowds isn’t just rewarding for athletes either. A lot of times, the support can help change the momentum in a close match. Sometimes, just being in attendance can be the difference between a team’s biggest win of the season and a loss.

This was true on April 17. After Yeah and the rest of women’s tennis went down 2-0 to conference and in-state rivals Northwestern, the team brought it back and won in dramatic fashion with a score of 4-3. Atkins was at its loudest for its women that day. A little help from the men’s team on rivalry weekend was all that was needed to push freshmen Kasia Treber and Megan Heuser to set three victories and clinch the match for the Illini.

“One of the biggest wins we had this season was against Northwestern, and that was largely due to our men’s team being there and being really loud,” Yeah said. “The energy was really great, and it got on the nerves of the people on Northwestern while also helping us out. I think the crowd was really pivotal in that match to help us get that really big win.”

Smaller programs on campus don’t have to be smaller programs. Simple forms of support can go a long way in helping students find a community, helping athletes find success and creating an even bigger famILLy.

@DrewFriberg9

friberg3@dailyillini.com

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After 11 years, Illinois will see a new face leading the Illinois track and field and cross country programs. Athletic Director Josh Whitman announced that Mike Turk will not return for the 2022-2023 season.

“I want to thank Coach Turk for his longtime service to the University of Illinois,” said Whitman via press release. “Regrettably, following our Big Ten championship in 2015, competitive success in our men’s and women’s programs has been fleeting.”

Since the early 2010s high point, the two teams have seen minimal success. The men’s team finished in the top-five three times in the Big Ten Indoor and Outdoor Championships early in Turk’s head coaching career, which started in 2012. In 2020, he ascended into the role of program director.

The women’s team has seen even less success, consistently placing towards the bottom of the Big Ten standings since 2014, with 2012 and 2013 being the only remnants of Illinois women’s track and field success. The Illini finished in the top-five in 2012 and in the top-two in 2013.

Turk joined Illinois first as assistant coach for jumps and throws from 2006 to 2010 and as interim head coach in 2010 and 2011. Since then, Turk coached numerous All-Americans and place-winners at NCAA championships.

“With the programs now combined under a single coaching structure and with the recent opening of Demirjian Park, the time is right to usher in a new era for our proud running and field event programs. We wish Coach Turk all the best in his future endeavors,” Whitman said.

With the recent development of Demirjian Park, the new home of Illinois track and field which opened on April of 2021, Whitman is hoping that a new face and vision for the program will be what the team needs in order to match the investment by the Athletics department with higher placings in the postseason.

@JonathanAlday7

jalday2@dailyillini.com

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Illinois men’s cross country concluded the 2021–2022 season placing sixth in the Big Ten Championship and fifth in the NCAA Midwest Regional. Despite being Illinois’ highest regional finish since 2017, it was not enough to qualify the Illini for the NCAA championship as a team.

As Illinois looks to make improvements with the hopes of reaching the NCAA Championships this season, they will have to overcome the loss of graduate student Jon Davis. 

During his tenure with the Illini, Davis was a four-time All-American and was consistently representing Illinois as an individual at the NCAA Championships even when Illinois as a whole did not qualify. This offseason, the program looked to secure young talent that can one day have the kind of impact Davis had. 

The Illini hope to meet these needs with the signings of two talented XC prospects for the upcoming 2022–2023 season. Incoming freshmen Alex Partlow and Brady Masters are set to join the program next fall.

Alex Partlow hails from Carbondale, Ill., where he attended Carbondale High School. During his time at Carbondale, Partlow racked up an impressive number of performances. Partlow won several competitions with none as impressive as his 3-mile personal record of 14:11.96 in the Illinois state championship.

The next commit to Illinois men’s cross country is Brady Masters. Masters attended Madison Central High School in Richmond, Ky., where he won several competitions and stepped his game up when it mattered the most. During the 2022 state indoor championships, Masters notched a PR in both the 1500m and 3000m competitions, earning him third and second place respectively.

This duo’s ability to perform at the highest stage will be very valuable as Illinois looks to qualify for the NCAA championship in the coming seasons.

As Illinois men’s cross country looks to improve on the successes of last season, Illinois women’s cross country is in a completely different boat, as it looks to rebound after a somewhat disappointing year.

Illinois women’s cross country concluded their 2021–2022 season placing sixth in the Big Ten Championships and fifth in the NCAA Midwest Regional. This was the first time Illinois women’s cross country had missed the women’s NCAA Championships since 2018.

Illinois looks to make a return to the NCAA Championships with the addition of high school standout Audrey Ginsberg. 

During her senior year at Mt. Prospect High School, Ginsberg continually improved throughout the season, ultimately shaving nearly two and a half minutes off her 3-mile time. Ginsberg’s drive to improve will be highly valuable as Illinois women’s cross country looks to return to the NCAA Championships next season.

Overall, these three signings breathe a new life into Illinois cross country programs. If the high school successes can be replicated at the collegiate level, both programs are set to go even further than last season.

cblount3@dailyillini.com

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Graduate student Jon Davis’ season came to a close at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida on Saturday.

The Oakwood native was the only Illini that advanced to the championship round, but he was unable to finish the race.

Davis was entering his final postseason on a scorching hot streak after finishing third at the Big Ten Championships and coming in second at the NCAA Midwest Regional.

This appearance marked his third time at the NCAA Championships meet.

The men’s cross country program will be undergoing some major changes this offseason with Davis’s upcoming exit.

The long tenured veteran is leaving behind a team that has made big strides in developments with the rise of sophomore Tyler Cushing and freshman Nicolas Dovalovsky.

The women’s team missed an opportunity to advance to the NCAA Championships for a third year in a row after placing fifth overall at this year’s NCAA Midwest Regional meet.

Similar to the men’s team, a lot of upperclassmen familiar faces will be leaving the women’s team including graduate students Rebecca Craddock and Allison McGrath.

This year’s freshman class has also shown the potential to step up big for the Illini’s women team in the coming years after some big underclassmen performances this season, including freshman Annalyssa Crain’s 17th-place finish at Big Ten Championships.

@ArtofRen

renatoa2@dailyillini.com

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After a long grueling season, the best of the best have made it to the cross country NCAA Championships.

This season, graduate student Jon Davis will be the only athlete representing the Illini at the NCAA this season after qualifying during the Midwest Regional meet with his runner-up finish on Nov. 12.

The Oakwood native will be advancing to the Championships round for the second year in a row after placing 49th overall with All-American Honors during last season’s NCAA Championship meet. 

The Championships are scheduled to take place on Saturday in Tallahassee, Florida. 

Davis will be heading into this championship meet on a hot streak after scorching his competition during his last two playoff matches. He previously placed third overall during the Men’s 5.2 mile run at the Big Ten Championships, which was just two weeks prior to the regional playoff match.

The Championship round selections also meant that the women’s team’s season came to an end after a long, hard-fought battle this season.

The women were attempting to return to the NCAA Championship round for a third year in a row but were unsuccessful after placing fifth overall at the NCAA Midwest Regional meet. 

Freshman Annalyssa Crain, who placed 44th overall with a time of 21:33.42 during the Women’s 6k race at the regional competition, shared how disappointing this ending was for her team this season, but she believes that the future is looking bright for the program.

“Overall, I’m really happy with the way this season went,” Crain said. “Unfortunately, we won’t be making that trip back down to Florida State, but we’ll have plenty more opportunities later in seasons to come.”

The NCAA Championships are scheduled to start at 9 a.m. and can be seen live on ESPN and the ESPN App on Saturday.

@ArtofRenato

renatoa2@dailyillini.com

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It was a cold and rainy day in Iowa, but that didn’t stop the Illini from giving it their all. 

The Illini men’s and women’s cross country team took home fifth place at the NCAA D-I Midwest Regional playoff meet.

This year’s regional playoff match took place in Iowa City on Friday and marked the first time in nearly two years that the event took place after getting canceled last year due to COVID-19.

Graduate student Jon Davis and junior Olivia Howell took home All-Region honors as the first finishers for the men’s and women’s team, respectively. 

Davis earned a runner-up finish in the men’s 10k race with a time of 30:21.7, while Howell placed 24th overall during the women’s 6k with a time of 21:17.80.

This season’s fifth-place finish marks the men’s team’s highest regional finish since 2017.

Sophomore Tyler Cushing played a big role in helping the men achieve this after placing 27th with a time of 31:01.09 as his team’s second finisher. 

Junior Jack Roberts and senior Colin Yandel followed behind, finishing 47th and 49th with times of 31:34.34 and 31:36.78, respectively. 

Freshman Nicolas Dovalovsky rounded out the top five for the men’s squad, placing 85th overall with a time of 32:19.55. 

Yandel, who was this year’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient, shared how exciting the program’s future looks, but he admits it will take some work to make sure they’re continuing on the right track to perform down the line.

“The future is looking really bright,” Yandel said. “Obviously, its going to be a big adjustment because Jon (Davis) isn’t going to be around forever getting second place, but we’ll be working toward the future and continue bringing these guys into the culture of our program.”

One of the biggest keys to his team’s success at the regional meet was their teamwork, which is something head coach Sarah Haveman has been preaching all season, Yandel says.

“We were running against some of the best today,” Yandel said. “It was really about going out there, remembering who I was doing it for, which is my teammates, and staying focused on what we’ve been working toward together.”

On the women’s side, senior Emma Milburn placed 37th overall with a time of 21:28.73. 

Graduate students Alison McGrath and Rebecca Craddock also finished in the top five for the women, placing 41st and 46th with times of 21:31.69 and 21:33.81, respectively. 

Like the men’s team, the women’s experienced veteran runners received a strong contribution from a younger underclassman that helped them secure their fifth-place finish.

Freshman Annalyssa Crain placed 44th with a time of 21:33.42 and finished as the Illini’s fourth fastest finisher during one of the biggest races of her young collegiate career.

At the team’s prior playoff meet, the Big Ten Championships, Crain placed 17th with a time of 21:11.0 as the Illini’s top runner, which helped them place sixth overall and ultimately advance to regionals.

Crain shared how much she’s enjoyed feeling like an “underdog” this season since she entered this year with few expectations. She believes this mentality has helped her thrive in high-pressure situations like this year’s regional playoff meet. 

“Coming into this year, my goal was to just make the traveling squad,” Crain said. “I definitely accomplished that, and I’ve been a scoring runner all season, which is more than I was expecting. Honestly, it was kind of exciting to be the freshman with unknown expectations.”

Crain also admitted she had mixed emotions after the meet finished because she believed everyone on the team ran well and did their part, but not everything “clicked” for them.

“We still fell a little bit short of our goal,” Crain said. “We were all a little bit disappointed, which is to be expected. We were fifth, and they were first as a team in 2019, and we were hoping to make it to nationals again.”

The NCAA Championships will showcase all the top teams from each region squaring off against each other for a chance at the cross country championship, but both programs will have to wait until the qualifying teams are announced before they officially learn their fate. 

The Division-I cross country championship selections are scheduled to be announced on Saturday at 4 p.m. 

Afterward, the NCAA national championship meet is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Nov. 20 in Tallahassee, Florida.

@ArtofRenato

renatoa2@dailyillini.com

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After placing sixth at the Big Ten Championships, the Illinois cross country team will head to Iowa City for the NCAA Midwest Regional playoff meet.

This event is scheduled to take place on Friday afternoon and marks the first time a Regional playoff matchup will take place since the 2019 season.

The last time the Illini competed at Regionals, the women’s team took home first place, while the men placed ninth overall. 

The roster of athletes traveling to Iowa City has a mix of upper and underclassmen for both teams, including a total of five freshmen. 

The women’s team includes freshmen Margaret Gamboa, Halle Hill, Sam Poglitsch and Annalyssa Crain, and the men’s roster includes freshman Nicolas Dovalovsky. 

Crain played a big role during the team’s last playoff meet, the Big Ten Championships, where she placed 17th with a time of 21:11.0 as the Illini’s first finisher during the women’s 6K.

Graduate student Jon Davis also is coming off a hot performance after he placed third overall with a time of 24:44.0 during the men’s 5.2 mile race.

The veteran runners on the women’s team, like graduate students Rebecca Craddock and Allison McGrath and senior Emma Milburn, will have to step up with some big performances to help their team return to the NCAA Championships for the third year in a row.

The women’s team previously placed 21st and 22nd at the NCAA Championships during the 2020 and 2019 seasons, respectively. 

Davis will have a chance to qualify for the NCAA Championships for the second year in a row, but the men haven’t advanced as a team since the 2016 season. 

Although the NCAA Regionals will be a tough battle for the Illini, the glory that’s being chased by many upperclassmen on both programs isn’t the only thing that’ll remain with these athletes.

Junior Olivia Howell shared that the importance of relationships has been one of the most important takeaways she’s learned throughout this season.

“One of the biggest takeaways is how important relationships are,” Howell said. “Whether it’s with a coach, with the team or friendship, those are the main ones that will help get through the toughest times … Definitely leaning on each other has helped us.”

The NCAA Regional, possibly one of the final cross country meets for several upperclassmen, is scheduled to start at 11 a.m.

@ArtofRenato

renatoa2@dailyillini.com

The post Illinois cross country to compete in NCAA Midwest Regional for first time in two seasons appeared first on The Daily Illini.

The Illini cross country season is nearly a few weeks away from wrapping up, with only a few playoff matches remaining, including the NCAA Regionals and NCAA Championships.

Both programs took home sixth place at their most recent meet, the Big Ten Championships, and three out of the top-five finishers for the men’s and women’s teams were upperclassmen athletes who will leave the program soon.

Of Illinois finishers, senior Emma Milburn and junior Olivia Howell placed 19th and 44th, respectively, in the Women’s 6k during the Big Ten race with times of 21:13.5 and 21:45.1, while graduate students Allison McGrath and Rebecca Craddock placed 41st and 56th with times of 21:37.4 and 21:54.7, respectively. 

On the women’s side, there are currently seven senior and graduate student-athletes out of 21 female runners on the roster that could potentially be leaving this offseason. 

This marks a crucial time for the next generation to learn as much as they can from the team’s current leaders to be fully prepared to take the torch for the 2022 season. 

The women’s team currently has four juniors, including Howell, who will be transitioning into new upperclassmen leadership roles on the team with so many departures taking place soon.

Howell recalled how the COVID-19 pandemic took away a big chunk of her sophomore year, so her transition from a freshman to a junior happened fairly quickly.

“All of a sudden I was an upperclassman,” Howell said. “I wouldn’t want to say that COVID messed up my career because I feel like I’ve definitely grown throughout that season. I had time to reflect on not just myself but on the team, and I feel like the team has really grown.” 

Regardless, Howell has shined when the pressure has turned up. Throughout the season, Howell has consistently finished as one of the top five finishers on the team in every Illini cross country race she has competed in.

One of Howell’s best races took place during the third meet of the season, the Joe Piane Invite, where she placed 59th as the Illini’s second finisher with a time of 17:10.1.

The Ohio native praised the team’s current leaders, such as Craddock and McGrath, for helping show her how to step up to the plate when they’re needed the most.

“This year I had to step up, especially with the large incoming freshman class we had,” Howell said. “I feel like I’ll be well prepared for next year, especially having leaders on the team like the fifth-years and seniors. They’ve been great examples of what I want to be for the team next year.” 

The women’s team has a boatload of young potential returning next year alongside Howell, including freshman Annalyssa Crain, who placed 17th as the Illini’s first finisher during the Big Ten race with a time of 21:11.0.

Howell praised Crain for her strong Big Ten performance and shared how she has taken note of how much determination and drive this freshman class has had since the beginning of the season. 

“Annalyssa recently had an amazing race,” Howell said. “I see great potential in the freshmen we have on the team. … I definitely saw it during the first day of practice. Everyone was just ready to get to the workouts and work together as a team.”

The team’s success this year can be credited to how strong their team chemistry is, which is something they plan on continuing to improve, Howell says. 

Howell shared this will be a key area she plans to teach the younger generation in the coming months and will continue to implement team dependency throughout practices and hard workouts.

“At the Big Ten meet, the most important thing is keeping an eye on a teammate, and no one else really matters in the race as long as we’re running for each other,” Howell said. “This sport is a huge team effort, and it’s much more important than what people realize. We definitely gain strength from each other to get past the hardest parts of the race.”

Looking forward to next season, Howell shared that she doesn’t have any individual goals in mind and just wants to continue to provide the consistency she’s displayed all season. 

She instead is much more focused on “helping the team beat the other team’s top five” and continuing to learn similar strategies that will help the team in the long run.

“That was one of the reasons why I came here,” Howell said. “I noticed how amazing the team chemistry was. Little things like pushing each other, encouraging teammates when they fall behind and celebrating everyone’s wins. When one person wins, we all do.”

@ArtofRenato

renatoa2@dailyillini.com

The post The next generation: Olivia Howell recognizes growing leadership role with Illinois cross country appeared first on The Daily Illini.

The Illini cross country teams finally had another chance to compete at the Big Ten Championships this season on Friday in State College, Pennsylvania, after five regular-season meets.

The men’s and women’s teams both took home sixth place behind other conference opponents such as Michigan State, Indiana, Wisconsin, which placed fifth, fourth and first, respectively. 

The sixth-place overall finish marks the second year in a row for the men’s team and the second time in three years for the women.

Head coach Sarah Haveman came into this year’s postseason with high expectations for both teams, especially the women’s team, which managed to take home third place at last season’s Big Ten Championships and advanced to the NCAA Championships, where they finished 22nd overall. 

Graduate student Jon Davis is familiar with these high stakes postseason environments and continued his hot streak this season by finishing third overall with a time of 24:44.0 as the Illini’s first finisher in the men’s 5.2-mile race.

Davis is looking to return to the next round of the cross country postseason for the second year in a row after being the only male runner representing the Illini at the NCAA Championships last season, when he placed 39th overall with All-American honors.

Underclassmen from both programs had some strong performances during their respective meets. At least one underclassmen runner finished in the top two for the Illini during both races.

On the women’s side, freshman Annalyssa Crain placed 17th overall with a time of 21:11.0 as her team’s first finisher. Senior Emma Milburn finished shortly after and placed 19th overall with a time of 21:13.5.

Sophomore Tyler Cushing managed to finish 12th for the men with a time of 25:13.0. After an initial struggle adapting to the challenges of COVID-19 in the beginning of his career, Cushing managed to play a big role on the men’s team during one of the biggest meets of the season.

The list of qualifying runners that will advance to the next round of the postseason is expected to be released in the following week, while several Illini from both programs remain hopeful to be listed after their strong performances at the Big Ten Championships.

The NCAA Regional is scheduled for Nov. 12 in Iowa City, Iowa.

@ArtofRenato

renatoa2@dailyillini.com

The post Illinois cross country finishes sixth at Big Ten Championships appeared first on The Daily Illini.

The Illini cross country team has officially ended its regular season and is headed to State College, Pennsylvania for the Big Ten Championships on Friday.

Head coach Sarah Haveman has been helping the cross country program improve their playoff finishes every year since joining the team in 2018, and she has yet another opportunity to build upon that success with the team’s upcoming playoff meets.

Both programs are filled with veteran talent that have led the team to success all season, including graduate students Rebecca Craddock and Allison McGrath and senior Emma Milburn on the women’s team and graduate student Jon Davis on the men’s side.

There are also a few younger runners who might be playing a role in helping these teams succeed this postseason, including freshmen Margaret Gamboa and Nicolas Dovalovsky, who has had some strong performances this season.

The women’s team started off its season strong with a runner-up finish at the first meet of the season, the EIU Crawford Open, and followed that performance up with a first-place finish at the Red Bird Invite.

They are headed to their conference playoff meet on a hot streak after most of their top runners helped the Illini place ninth overall at the NCAA Pre-Nationals meet on Oct. 15. 

On the men’s side, Davis has been on a tear this season. He has managed to be the top finisher for the Illini in every race he’s participated in. 

The men finished 37th out of 40 teams at the NCAA Pre-Nationals Meet, so this next playoff competition will provide them a chance to showcase everything they’ve been improving this season. 

They finished sixth during last year’s Big Ten Championships, and Davis was the only member to qualify for the NCAA Championships.

Many of the top runners on both programs managed to rest at the Illini’s prior meet, the Illini Open, since it granted several developing runners an opportunity to compete.

After the Illini Open, freshman Evan Cummins shared that every runner’s strong performance at this meet is helping the men build their confidence heading into this upcoming postseason.

“Everyone is pretty invested in each other’s success,” Cummins said. “The boys are running strong, and these next couple of weeks include Big Ten, Regionals and possibly Nationals. Having guys going out there and showing they’re in great shape just gives the team confidence in the program and the things we can do this postseason.”

The Big Ten Championships is scheduled to start at 9:45 a.m. Central Standard Time.

@ArtofRenato

renatoa2@dailyillini.com

The post Illinois cross country enters postseason, looks to shine at Big Ten Championships appeared first on The Daily Illini.

The Illini cross country team’s only home meet of the year took place at the University Arboretum on Friday. This year’s Illini Open marks the team’s first home meet in nearly two years.

Participants from both the men’s and women’s programs were limited as most of the top runners did not race at this event, which provided an opportunity to run for many athletes who haven’t had that much running experience in the year so far.

The Illini Open was dedicated to Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so athletes in both programs had a chance to wear pink attire and dedicate the race to someone who has been impacted by breast cancer.

Senior Ayah Aldadah helped set up the event after participating in a similar one at her previous school, Bradley University, as well as her own experience learning how troublesome it can be to understand what breast cancer is.

“I realized that not a lot of people know the process on how to check yourself for breast cancer, so that motivated me,” Aldadah said. “I know sporting events always raise breast cancer awareness by changing their jersey to pink or having other pink stuff, but I wanted to do more like teaching people how to take care of themselves.”

Aldadah helped the cross country program team up with the McKinley Health Center to provide a marketing booth that included an interactive course which shared information about breast cancer. 

The Peoria native also shared how she has stressed the importance of carrying on this tradition to her younger teammates.

The women’s team managed to finish second overall with 32 points behind Illinois State’s first place victory (26 points). The Illini had four runners finish in the top five, including freshman Kate Dickman, who ran unattached in the women’s 6k race but still managed to finish in first place with a time of 22:16.0. 

Junior Katie Hohe placed second behind Dickman with a time of 22:34.0, followed by junior Tracy Towns, who placed fourth with a time of 22:43.6. Unattached freshman runner Amalia Malecek finished fifth with a time of 22:53.8.

On the men’s side, unattached freshman runner Jake Myers finished second overall with a time of 26:11.1, followed by sophomore Ben Giblin who finished fourth with a time of 26:13.4

Junior Bennett Melone and (unattached) freshman Evan Cummins were the final runners for the Illini and finished 12th and 15th with times of 26:50.2 and 27:08.7 during the men’s 8k race, respectively. 

Cummins shared how exciting it was to experience the first home meet of his collegiate career, especially having a chance to see so many spectators show up to see his team compete.

“You couldn’t have asked for a better environment for an open meet where we’re resting our top guys,” Cummins said. “I think it’s a great opportunity to be able to put a cause behind having all these people here, and being able to have everyone rally around breast cancer awareness this October is something that is important for our team and this university.”

Many of the top runners on both programs will return to action at the Illini’s upcoming playoff meet: the Big Ten Championships. This playoff matchup is scheduled to take place in State College, Pennsylvania on Oct. 29.

The women’s team is looking to repeat last year’s playoff success where they went on to finish third overall during the shortened season’s Big Ten Championships, in which they went on to punch their ticket to the NCAA Championships.

The men’s team is trying to continue to improve after they placed sixth overall at last year’s Big Ten Championships and placed ninth during the prior year.

Aldadah shared that the women’s team is very excited to return to playoff competition since they’ve been preparing for these three upcoming playoff matchups since the middle of the summer.  

“Our biggest strength that we have is that we all run for each other, and we’re focused on working hard for our teammates,” Aldadah said. “Today we had pink scrunchies, and we usually wear orange scrunchies. We always look for orange scrunchies, and we always bring that mentality of putting the work in for each other.”

@ArtofRenato

renatoa2@dailyillini.com

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