The Tribune

PEDRYA Seymour picked up another victory on Saturday in Champaign, Illinois as she ran the women’s 60 metre hurdles in 8.07 seconds to lead the outstanding performances turned in by both team-mates Kandie Bloch-Jones in the high jump and Valerie Bobart in the mile as the Fighting Illini women’s track and field team concluded the indoor regular season with the Orange and Blue Open. 

Models of consistency, Seymour and Bloch-Jones again displayed why they’re both one of the best in the country in their respective events. Seymour finished below 8.10 for the fourth and fifth time this season, clocking 8.09 in prelims and 8.07 in the final. Bloch-Jones cleared 6’0.5” (1.84m) and earned her fifth high jump event title in six meets this season. The Illini senior again made attempts at breaking the Illinois school record of 6’1.25” (1.87m), but fell short.

“It’s just another day at work for them,” head coach Ron Garner said of the two All-Americans. “The standard that they’re setting is that each time they come out, whether they feel great or not, they’re running national-level performances, which sets them up to be confident going into major-meet situations. They’re some of the best in the history of Illinois. Pedrya (Seymour) is putting herself in that place in the hurdles and Kandie (Bloch-Jones) is doing the same thing in the high jump.”

In the 60m hurdles final, Seymour was flanked by teammates Jayla Stewart and Kortni Smyers-Jones at the finish line, as Stewart took second place with a time of 8.35 and Smyers-Jones’ timed 8.59 to claim third. Stewart’s 8.35 time was a lifetime-best performance, improving upon her season-best 8.40 time from last season, while Smyers-Jones’ time sets a season-best for this season.

Up next, Illini will travel to Geneva, Ohio for Big Ten Indoor Championships at Spire Institute. Competition begins February 24 and continues until February 25.