Jul. 18 -- It was another strong year for Illinois track and field (again, mostly field) athletes, who dominate the list of top Illini female athletes. Beat writer Scott Richey spotlights the 10 best from 2025-26:
1. Sophia Beckmon Track and field
No Illinois field athlete had ever won an indoor national championship before Beckmon cleared 22 feet, 51/4 inches to win the long jump at the NCAA indoor championship in Arkansas in mid-March. The Oregon City, Ore., native also won a Big Ten title in the event indoors (to go with a bronze in the 60-meter dash) and earned her second All-American honor of the year with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA outdoor championships.
2. Rose Yeboah Track and field
Yeboah wasn't at full strength at the NCAA outdoor championships in June, but a foot injury didn't stop the 2024 Olympian from clearing a season-best 6-4 to finish as the high jump runner-up. That made the native of Kumasi, Ghana, a double All-American this season after her sixth-place finish indoors. Yeboah also picked up a pair of silver medal finishes in the event at the Big Ten indoor and outdoor championships.
3. JaiCieonna Gero-Holt Track and field
Holt's second season in...
Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/illinois-review-top-female-athletes-144600391.html
- Log in to post comments
Link