CHAMPAIGN — Look at pictures of Jon Davis completing his first-ever sub-four-minute mile, and you see an excited athlete surrounded by equally thrilled Illinois teammates. Becoming only the 498th American to accomplish the feat will generate that response.
But a day after Davis finished 1 mile Saturday at The Armory in 3 minutes, 58.36 seconds — setting an Illini record in the process — he described a different emotion.
"It was just a really big relief," Davis said Sunday. "I thought if I could get to 1,200 meters at three flat or 2:59, I knew I could finish.