Yeboah Emerges as Women’s Program’s First High Jump National Champion - University of Illinois Athletics (2024)

Recap

Full Results

EUGENE, Ore. – The Illinois women's track and field team completed the final day of competition at the NCAA Outdoor Championships on Saturday (June 8) from Hayward Field. Redshirt junior Rose Yeboah became the first Illinois women's high jump national champion with an NCAA Outdoor Championships meet- and school-record leap of 1.97m (6-5 1/2).

Yeboah is the first national champion for the Illinois women's team since Ashley Spencer won the 400m in 2013. In addition, she is the women's program's first ever field event national champion, the fourth Illini woman to stand on the podium in the event and the first to do so since Stacy Ann Grant in 1997.Her mark has automatically qualified her to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Junior Darja Sopova earned All-America honors in the triple jump, improving her school record to 14.01m (45-11 3/4). She isthe second-ever Illini woman triple jump All-American in program history;the only other one was Nicole Whitman in 2003.

"Rose Yeboah was the absolute highlight of our team in distinct fashion hitting the automatic qualification standard for the Paris Olympics," exclaimed director of track, field and cross country Petros Kyprianou. "Winning an NCAA Championship is huge especially in an event that was the deepest in the history of the NCAA. Just to give context 1.97m was the winning jump at the Rio Olympics! Also, Darja Sopova's silver medal and massive school record was huge as well. This meet is all about quality and quality only. It has been our strategy to capitalize in events that are technical and hard to coach. It shows that it pays off in just year two. I'm very proud of our student athletes and staff for an amazing and memorable year. I can't wait for next season to return all these outstanding student athletes plus the new additions!"

Yeboah completedher first season with the Illini by earning All-America honors in the high jump both indoors and outdoors. She also won the high jump at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, becoming the first one to achieve the feat since Grant in 1998.

Sopova completedher first season in the Orange and Blue after garnering All-America honors in the triple jump both indoors and outdoors. She took home the triple jump Big Ten Indoor title and owns both school records indoors and outdoors.

Junior Jessica McDowell placed ninth in the 400m finals with a time of 51.35. Her 2024 season highlights include a Big Ten Indoor title in the 200m and a Big Ten Outdoor title in the 400m. She led the women's team in scoring with 16 points to grant the Illini their first Big Ten Indoor Championships trophy since 2013.

Junior Bara Sajdokova placed ninth in the high jump, clearing 1.87m (6-1 1/2). Sajdokova finishedher first season with Illinois as an Indoor All-American and Big Ten champion in the high jump. She placed fourth in the high jump at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships and cleared the program's second-best mark (1.91m (6-3 1/4)) at the Fighting Illini Tune-Up.

The women's team placed 16th with 20 points, their highest finish since the 2013 team placed 14th.

Hannah Dederick, representing Illinois, became the inaugural national champion in the 100m wheelchair race with a time of 16.15.

2024 SEASON FLASHBACK

This concludes the 2024 season for the track and field teams and the second season under Kyprianou, a year that was highlighted by the women's Big Ten Indoor Championships title, their first in 11 years (2013), and Yeboah's national title in the high jump. Kyprianou coached a total of 12All-Americans (six indoors, sixoutdoors)and nine Big Ten champions (five indoors, four outdoors).

In addition to Saturday's events, he also coached Sophia Beckmon to aU.S. Olympic standard long jump, two Big Ten records (Beckmon long jump and Amber Simpson hammer throw), 14 school records and 63 top-10 program marks all in the outdoor season. Aiden Ouimet now owns the Big Ten Indoor Championships meet record in the heptathlon (6,120 points), and Tori Thomas owns the Big Ten Outdoor Championships record in the pole vault (4.52m (14-10)) under Kyprianou.

The women's team recorded their highest finish (19th) since 2013 at the NCAA Indoor Championships and highest finish since 2013 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The men's squad placed the highest (38th) since 2017 at the NCAA Indoor Championships and highest finish since 2018 (T-42) at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

NOTES

• Rose Yeboah won the high jump to become a national champion, 1.97m (6-5 1/2).
  • Bara Sajdokova placed ninth in the high jump, 1.87m (6-1 1/2).
• Darja Sopova placed second and is an All-American in the triple jump, 14.01m (45-11 3/4).
• Jessica McDowell placed ninth in the 400m finals (51.35).