CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Scout Regular (St. Louis, Mo./Incarnate Word Academy), Diamond Riley (St. Louis, Mo./Ritenour), Jazmyn Smith (Pinecrest, Fla./Gulliver Prep) and Malia Watkins (Upper Marlboro, Md./Missouri State) each won events as the Northern Illinois University women's track and field team competed at the Illini Classic on Saturday (April 9). Regular won the 100-meter hurdles, Riley claimed the triple jump, Smith was first in the long jump and Watkins earned the title in the 100-meter dash. 

"It was another successful competition in the books," said NIU Director of Track and Field Connie Teaberry. "Again the weather was not the best, but it could have been worse. We regained athletes that had been out due to injury and the others continue to improve. Times for some were not blazing fast, or big jumps, yet their technique and race models get better each week. The quality work these ladies are putting in is showing positively."

In the 100 meters, Watkins led a Huskie one-two as she posted a winning time of 11.96 seconds. Skylynn Blue (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central) was second with a time of 12.05 seconds. Two other Huskies finished in the top-10 as Regular was sixth in 12.54 seconds and Katrina Small (Atlanta, Ga./Arkansas-Pine Bluff) finished 10th in 12.60. 

Regular won the 100-meter hurdles for the second consecutive week. Last week, the St. Louis, Mo., native won the hurdles at Illinois State's Redbird Invite and this week she ran a time of 14.32 seconds to take the top spot at Illinois. Kendal Only (Huntley, Ill./Huntley) also earned a top-five in the hurdles with a time of 15.57 seconds. 

NIU also won a pair of field events, including the long jump where Smith also won for the second consecutive meet. Smith's top mark of 5.67 meters came on her first attempt of the competition and helped the Huskies take three of the top-four spots in the event. Riley finished third with a mark of 5.33 meters while Small was fourth with a jump measuring 5.25 meters. 

In the triple jump, Riley claimed the top spot with a leap of 11.75 meters on her fourth attempt, comfortably ahead of second-place Susan D'Onofrio of Saint Louis (11.17m). 

Along with the four event champions, Jahnetta Jones (Romeoville, Ill./Romeoville) took second in the 400-meter dash with a time of 55.48 seconds, the second fastest time in the Mid-American Conference this season, just two-tenths of a second behind first-place Kiersten Walker of DePaul (55.28). 

NIU will return to action next weekend as it travels to Gainesville, Fla., to compete in the Tom Jones Memorial at the University of Florida on Friday and Saturday, April 15-16. 

100-meter Dash
1. Malia Watkins, 11.96
2. Skylynn Blue, 12.05
6. Scout Regular, 12.54
10. Katrina Small, 12.60

100-meter Hurdles
1. Scout Regular, 14.32
5. Kendal Only, 15.57

200-meter Dash
4. Roshell Rowe, 25.75

400-meter Dash
2. Jahnetta Jones, 55.48
8. Kaitlyn Lewis, 57.90

400-meter Hurdles
4. Kennedy Crawford, 1:05.77

800-meter Run
4. Emma Vorpagel, 2:19.18
9. Julia Finegan, 2:22.10
10. Kayla La Fontain, 2:22.20

1,500-meter Run
16. Brooke Lytle, 4:39.16
30. Sara Atkins, 4:50.78
39. Grace Louis, 4:55.79
43. Hannah Ricci, 4:57.70
55. Meagan Biddle, 5:20.29
57. Joy Jackson, 5:21.85

High Jump
4. Dymier Jeffery, 1.55m

Long Jump
1. Jazmyn Smith, 5.67m (18-07.25)
3. Diamond Riley, 5.33m (17-06.00)
4. Katrina Small, 5.25m (17-02.75)
9. Dymier Jeffery, 4.94m (16-02.50)
11. Kendal Only, 4.77m (15-07.75)

Triple Jump
1. Diamond Riley, 11.75m (37-06.00)