Big Ten Shines at NCAA Women’s Indoor Track & Field Championships

Championship Central  |  Final Results  

Rosemont, ILL. – Eight Big Ten student-athletes were crowned NCAA Championships on Saturday evening at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark., which is the most individual NCAA Champions in a single season in Big Ten history.  Two Big Ten teams also placed within the top three, as Oregon finished second overall with 44 points, and Illinois narrowly finished behind the Ducks with 42 points.  
 
The Ducks led all Big Ten schools with four individual Champions. Aaliyah McCormick won the 60m Hurdles with a time of 7.86. After coming short in the Big Ten Championships, Wilma Nielsen reclaimed the throne in the Mile with a time of 4:40.06. Oregon’s Distance Medley Relay team of Juliet Cherubet, Lakely Doht-Barron, Silan Ayyildiz, and Wilma Nielsen captured the title with a time of 10:48.76. Freshman Liisa Maria-Lusti captured the pentathlon after securing a score of 4498.  
 
The Big Ten also reigned supreme in throws, as Nebraska’s NCAA-record holder Axelina Johansson captured the Shot Put title with a throw of 19.55m (64-1 ¾), which was more than a whole meter greater than second place. Minnesota’s Anthonett Nabwe, who fell to Illinois’ Phethisang Makhethe in the Big Ten Championships, reversed the result this time around with a throw of 25.13m (82-5 ½) to claim the title. 
 
Illinois Sophia Beckmon claimed the long jump with a mark of 6.84m (22-5 ¼). Beckmon’s title makes her the first Big Ten woman to win the indoor national title in three major jump events (high jump, long jump, triple jump).  
 
Washington’s Hana Moll was victorious in pole vault with a mark of 15-8 ½. Moll easily surpassed the meet record she set last year with her sister Amanda, posting the highest clearance ever at an NCAA meet, indoors or out. It also marks her third national title.  
 
The Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year, Field Athlete of the Year, and Freshman of the Year will be announced on Wednesday, March 18.  
 
The Big Ten earned 72 All-America certificates at the NCAAs, which will be made official this week by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. 

ALL-AMERICAN – WOMEN 
First Team (Places 1-8) 
Sophia Beckmon, Illinois, 1^st, Long Jump 
Aaliyah McCormick, Oregon, 1^st, 60m Hurdles 
Wilma Nielsen, Oregon, 1^st, Mile 
Liisa-Maria Lusti, Oregon, 1^st, Pentathlon 
Anthonett Nabwe, Minnesota, 1^st, Weight Throw 
Axelina Johansson, Nebraska, 1^st, Shot Put 
Juliet Cherubet, Oregon, 1^st, Distance Medley Relay 
Lakely Doht-Barron, Oregon, 1^st, Distance Medley Relay 
Silan Ayyildiz, Oregon, 1^st, Distance Medley Relay 
Wilma Nielsen, Oregon, 1^st, Distance Medley Relay 
Hana Moll, Washington, 1^st, Pole Vault 
JaiCieonna Gero-Holt, Illinois, 2^nd, Pentathlon 
Phethisang Makhethe, Illinois, 2^nd, Weight Throw 
Rose Yeboah, Illinois, 2^nd, High Jump 
Madison Whyte, USC, 2^nd, 400m 
Yanla Ndjip-Nyemeck, UCLA, 2^nd, 60m Hurdles 
JaiCieonna Gero-Holt, Illinois, 4^th, High Jump 
Jordan Koskondy, Illinois, 5^th, Weight Throw 
Mine De Klerk, Nebraska, 5^th, Shot Put 
Maddie Pitts, Penn State, 5^th, Pentathlon 
Chioma Nwachukwu, 6^th, 4x400m 
Damaris Mutunga, 6^th, 4x400m 
Izzy Zahn, Iowa, 6^th, 4x400m 
Olicia Lucas, Iowa, 6^th, 4x400m 
Zoie Dundon, Minnesota, 6^th, 800m 
Silan Ayyildiz, Oregon, 6^th, Mile 
Ela Velepec, Nebraska, 7^th, High Jump 
Karsyn Leeling, Nebraska, 7^th, High Jump 
Rhianna Phipps, Nebraska, 7^th, Triple Jump 
Dajaz DeFrand, USC, 7^th, 60m 
Taylor Kesner, Wisconsin, 7^th, Weight Throw 
Elizabeth Tapper, Michigan, 8^th, Shot Put 
Juliet Cherubet, Oregon, 8^th, Mile 
Brianna Selby, USC, 8^th, 60m 
Dajaz DeFrand, USC, 8^th, 200m 
 
Second Team (Places 9-16) 
Hedley Streit, Minnesota, 9^th, Weight Throw 
Berlyn Schutz, Nebraska, 9^th, Mile 
Mia Brahe-Pedersen, USC, 9^th, 200m 
Christine Mallard, USC, 9^th,  4x400m 
Joelle Trepagnier, USC, 9^th,  4x400m 
Madison Mosby, USC, 9^th,  4x400m 
Madison Whyte, USC, 9^th,  4x400m 
Mia Morello, Illinois, 10^th, Pole Vault 
Elle Adrian, Michigan State, 10^th, Weight Throw 
Mia Cochran, Washington, 10^th, Mile 
Chloe Foerster, Washington, 10^th, Distance Medley Relay 
Chloe Symon, Washington, 10^th, Distance Medley Relay 
Jenica Swartz, Washington, 10^th, Distance Medley Relay 
Julia David-Smith, Washington, 10^th, Distance Medley Relay 
Veronica Vacca, Washington, 10^th, Pole Vault 
Diana Cherotich, Oregon, 10^th, 5,000m 
Christine Mallard, USC, 10^th, 200m 
Oluwatomilayo Akintunde, Illinois, 11^th, Weight Throw 
Chima Nwachukwu, Iowa, 11^th, 400m 
Boh Ritchie, Penn State, 11^th, 800m 
Valentina Fakrogha, UCLA, 11^th, High Jump 
Ashley Erasmus, USC, 11^th, Shot Put 
Mercy Honest, Illinois, 12^th, Triple Jump 
Veronica Hargrave, Indiana, 12^th, 800m 
Elizabeth Ndudi, Illinois, 13^th, Long Jump 
Katharina Graman, Illinois, 13^th, Triple Jump 
Meagan Humphries, Illinois, 13^th, Pentathlon 
Aniya Mosley, Ohio State, 13^th, 800m 
Chloe Foerester, Washington, 13^th, Mile 
Lucie Kienast, Illinois, 14^th, Pentathlon 
Diarra Sow, Minnesota, 14^th, Triple Jump 
Silan Ayyildiz, Oregon, 14^th, 3,000m 
Romi Tamir, Illinois, 15^th, Triple Jump 
Chloe Thomas, Washington, 15^th, 5,000m 
Hayley Kitching, Penn State, 15^th, 800m 
Tolulope Akinduro, Maryland, 16^th, Triple Jump 
Amelia Flynt, Nebraska, 16^th, Shot Put