Stevenson grad Brandon Stryganek and Grant grad Jonathan Wells were two of the top performers for the University of Illinois men’s track team at the Big Ten Conference meet.
Stryganek, a senior, won the 100-meter dash (10.27 seconds) and took third in the 200 (20.83).
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Wells tied for second in the high jump in a competition in which the top three finishers all cleared 7-feet-1.5. Wells needed three tries to clear that height and the winner needed two, which was the tiebreaker.
Wells also finished fifth in the long jump (24-2.5). The winning jump was (24-9.25). In addition, Wells competed in the 110 high hurdles, but he did not qualify for the finals in that event.
Wells’ high jump earned him a bid to the NCAA West Regional on May 28-30 in Texas. There will be 48 competitors and the top 12 will advance to the NCAA Championships in June in Eugene, Ore.
In track, a competitor is invited to either the East Regional (in Florida) or West Regional based on performances during the regular outdoor season. The top 12 finishers in each regional will earn a trip to Oregon.
Thirteen of the high jumpers in the West Regional have cleared a height better than Wells’ 7-1.5 this season.
Wells also has qualified for the West Regional in the long jump with a best of 24-3.5 this season. However, that’s 34th-best among the invitees.
Stryganek will accompany Wells to the West Regional and will compete in the 100 and 200. He’s currently ranked 18th in the regional in the 100 and 25th in the 200.
American Conference
Lake Forest graduate and Memphis University junior Carolina Carmichael won the pole vault at the American Conference women’s track championships in Connecticut by clearing 14-feet-9.
The junior now has won the conference title in the 2014 outdoor meet, the 2015 indoor meet, and the 2015 outdoor meet.
Her next competition will be the NCAA East Regional in Florida on May 28-30 in Florida. The top 12 finishers in that regional will advance to the NCAA’s championship meet in June in Eugene, Ore.
Carmichael set the conference meet record by clearing 14-9. And, of the 48 women who will be competing at the East Regional, she and Megan Clark of Duke are the only ones to clear 14-9.
However, at the West Regional, superstar Sandi Morris of Arkansas has cleared 15-4.75 and Demi Payne of Stephen F. Austin is just a fraction behind that with her best vault.
MVC
Round Lake graduate and Illinois State junior Antonio Farley had a good meet at the Missouri Valley Conference championships, finishing sixth in the 400 dash and running the opening leg on the Redbirds’ victorious 1,600 relay.
ISU’s performance in the relay was good enough to earn a bid to the NCAA West Regional in Texas on May 28-30. The top 12 teams at that meet will qualify for the NCAA national finals.