By Gargoyle sports staff

Posted Sunday, May 6, 2007, The OG, girls track & sports

Freshman Rachel Harmon bears down during the

4x200 relay. (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)

ST. JOSEPH — Two of Uni's top runners, juniors Shivani Khanna and Ruthie Welch, had to leave Friday's 31st Lady Spartan Classic early because of their SAT exam the next morning.

Another key runner, sophomore Elaine Gu, wasn't able to attend the meet at all.

Nevertheless, Uni came out of the 18-team event with a solid ninth-place finish, the same as in 2006, when the team competed at full strength.

Bloomington Central Catholic won the meet with 98 points; Uni finished with 27.5 points.

The Illinek star of this year's competition was senior Paige Martin, who took home first place in the pole vault with a personal best of 10 feet — which tied the meet record. She also placed second in the triple jump. Her distance of 31 feet, 6 inches was her best yet in an outdoor meet.

As if that weren't enough, Martin also ran a personal best in the 300-meter low hurdles — 54.32 seconds — although her seventh-place finish was just shy of earning points for the team.

Martin's winning height in the pole vault was 18 inches better than her second-place competitor — and 18 inches better than the automatic state qualifying standard for the Class A finals.

To help Martin make that vault, Uni assistant coaches Karl Knox and Katrina Watry told her that she was attempting 9-9, not 10-0.

“For some time now I've been stuck at 9-6 (usually the heights go up by 6 inches at these meets, so trying 9-9 was rarely an option).” said Martin, who placed sixth last June at the 2006 Youth Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Greensboro, N.C. “Last summer, I consistently vaulted 9-6, and every time I tried for 10-0 I would get a little nervous and my form would disintegrate.

“On April 24,” she continued, “the Uni track team had a meet at Unity, and I cleared 9-6. As soon as the bar was moved to 10-0, my vaulting completely changed. I ran down the runway a few times without vaulting (I kept psyching myself out), and when I finally got off the ground, my form wasn't very good. After that meet, I told Karl that next time he should tell me the bar is at 9-9, but then put it at 10-0.”

Knox obliged Martin this time around.

“Even though I told him that, I really didn't think he and Katrina would actually do it,” she said. “But I must say that I'm very glad that they did! Now that 10-0 mental block shouldn't get in my way anymore!”

Martin is one of several Uni athletes who will go into this week's 16-team Class A sectional at Sidell (Jamaica) with a strong shot at qualifying for state.

In the triple jump, the automatic qualifying standard is 33-5, but if Martin places in the top two at sectionals she will qualify regardless of her distance.

Athletes can make it to state by finishing in the top two of their events at sectionals or by meeting the automatic qualifying standards, also at sectionals. The IHSA state finals will be held May 18-19 at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

The other event in which Uni athletes have an excellent chance of qualifying is the 3,200-meter rely.

At the Lady Spartan Classic, the squad of sophomore Lizzy Warner, Khanna, senior Aria Collopy, and Welch clocked in at 10:22.01 to finish third behind second-place Monticello (10:21.40) and winner Tri-Valley (10:16.77). Neither of those teams will compete in Uni's sectional.

Although Uni's time was almost 7 seconds slower than its best performance this year (10:15.50 at last week's Lady Sages Invitational at Monticello), it still beat the automatic qualifying standard of 10:23.74.

“I was just getting over the flu, so personally my time wasn't what I'd hoped,” Warner said. “But after I handed off to Shivani, she really stepped it up and put us back in to the game! Elaine is definitely a key contributor to the 4x800 but seeing as she wasn't there, Aria ran it and got a PR, which was really amazing. Then Ruthie just took us home; Ruthie definitely knows how to pace herself like a distance runner, but when it comes down to the last 200 meters she can really kick it!”

Sophomore Lizzy Warner runs the first split of

the 4x800 relay. (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)

Collopy's personal best in the 4x800 (approximately 2:35) was one of two PRs she ran at the meet. She also PRed in the 400, breaking the 66-second mark.

The other event in which Uni placed in the top five was the 4x200 relay. The team of sophomore Rachel Skoza and freshmen Katherine Allen, Cheyenne Stewart, and Rachel Harmon ran their first-ever sub-2:00 race, clocking in at 1:57.11 — good for fifth place.

Their time was almost 4 seconds faster than the 2:01.31 they ran last week at the Lady Sages Invitational. St. Joseph-Ogden won the event with a time of 1:53.24.

“The 4x200 was really happy being able to finish under 2 minutes,” Warner said, “and they were able to place, which was a big accomplishment.”

Without Khanna and Welch, Uni didn't have anyone who placed in the top six of the 800 run. (Athletes in the top six earned points for their team.)

But the 4x400 relay made it to the finals heat without them. Skoza and freshman Elizabeth Russell filled in, joining regulars Collopy and Warner. The squad tied St. Thomas More for sixth place, running the distance in 4:31.28.

Russell also finished sixth in the 1,600 with a time of 5:52.63.

“Elizabeth was particularly amazing,” said Warner, who anchored the team, “considering she ran a 1,600 and then got off the track and immediately hopped in to the 4x400. Also, Rachel ran a PR, which really helped pull the team ahead.”

So, with sectionals now just days away, how do the Illineks feel about their chances? Last year only the 4x800 team of Khanna, Welch, then-freshman Laura Hazlett (who has since moved), and then-senior Josie Chambers qualified for the state meet.

“I feel very optimistic about sectionals,” Martin said. “Things will be slightly different, because the pole vault will actually take place the day before, on Thursday, since the sectionals site doesn't have pole-vaulting facilities (or so I've been told). So I won't have to run back and forth between pole vault and triple jump, which will be nice. In the pole vault, I just have to make sure I have a solid meet and don't get psyched out by anything.”

Added Warner: “We're definitely looking pretty good for sectionals! Paige for pole
vaulting, the 4x800, and the 4x400 probably all have a decent shot at making it to state. I would also say that Shivani and Ruthie both have solid 800 times, Paige and Elizabeth Russell both have a good shot in triple or long jump, and we still have many individual runners who continuously place at meets.

“Our team is fairly unique this year,” she continued, “because not only do we have good runners overall, but each person on the team knows how to push themselves. We're able to dig deep. If there's someone a couple of meters in front, there is just no doubt about it; because when it comes down to it our team really knows how to push the limits.”

2007 GIRLS VARSITY TRACK & FIELD RESULTS (OUTDOOR)

March 29: Gibson City Meet (at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley H.S.)

• TEAM FINISH: 5th (out of 5 teams), 30 pts

• STORY: Relay teams run season bests at Indoor Classic (Outdoor results included in story)

• EVENT RESULTS (top 3 finishes):

— 100: Rachel Skoza (so), 2nd, 14.35

— 3,200: Elizabeth Russell (fr), 3rd, 13:56.7

— 4x200 relay: Skoza, Katherine Allen (fr), Angie Jin (jr), Lizzy Warner (so), 3rd, 2:03.08

— 4x400 relay: Skoza, Allen, Russell, Warner, 2nd, 4:41.6

— high jump: Russell, 3rd, 4-8

— triple jump: Russell, 1st, 30-0

March 31: Champaign County Meet (at Urbana H.S.)

• TEAM FINISH: No overall team standings were compiled

• STORY: Uni athletes take first in three events at county meet

• EVENT RESULTS (top 5 finishes):

— 400: Lizzy Warner (so), 4th, 1:09.8

— 3,200: Elizabeth Russell (fr), 5th, 14:01

— 4x200 relay: Rachel Skoza (so), Katherine Allen (fr), Cheyenne Stewart (fr), Warner, 4th, 2:00.1

— 4x400 relay: Skoza, Allen, Linda Ly (fr), Warner, 1st, 4:49

— 4x800 relay: Shivani Khanna (jr), Elaine Gu (so), Aria Collopy (sr), Ruthie Welch (jr), 1st, 10:48

— high jump: Russell, 3rd, 4-6

— long jump: Angie Jin (jr), 4th, 14-1

— triple jump: Russell, 1st, 29-11

April 10: Gibson City Tri-Meet (at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley H.S.)

• TEAM FINISH: 2nd (out of 3 teams)

• STORY: Uni athletes win 11 events against GCMS, PBL

• EVENT RESULTS (top 3 finishes):

— 200: Cheyenne Stewart (fr), 2nd, 31.04

— 400: Aria Collopy (sr), 1st, 1:07.41; Ruthie Welch (jr), 2nd, 1:08.6

— 800: Shivani Khanna (jr), 1st, 2:40.1; Elizabeth Russell (fr), 2nd, 2:45.6

— 1,600: Katie Easley (sr), 2nd, 6:56.8

— 3,200: Elaine Gu (so), 2nd, 13:02.6

— 4x200 relay: Rachel Skoza (so), Katherine Allen (fr), Stewart, Lizzy Warner (so), 1st, 2:00.6

— 4x400 relay: Welch, Khanna, Skoza, Warner, 1st, 4:38.7

— 4x800 relay: Warner, Collopy, Welch, Khanna, 1st, 10:48.9

— long jump: Angela Jin (jr), 3rd, 12-1

— triple jump: Russell, 1st, 28-9

April 13: Unity Girls Invitational (at Unity H.S.)

• TEAM FINISH: 11th (out of 21 teams)

• STORY: Relay teams run seasonal bests at Unity Invite

• EVENT RESULTS (top 10 finishes):

— 400: Lizzy Warner (so), 8th, 1:04.87; Aria Collopy (sr), 9th, 1:06.17

— 800: Ruthie Welch (jr), 3rd, 2:32.51

— 1,600: Elaine Gu (so), 4th, 5:55.02

— 4x400 relay: Welch, Elizabeth Russell (fr), Collopy, Warner, 5th, 4:33.48

— 4x800 relay: Welch, Collopy, Russell, Gu, 2nd, 10:39.24

— long jump: Angie Jin (jr), 8th, 13-07.25

— triple jump: Russell, 8th, 29-07.50

April 20: Falcon Invitational (at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley H.S.)

• TEAM FINISH: 11th (out of 16 teams)

• STORY: Illineks tune up for sectionals with Falcon Invitational

• EVENT RESULTS (top 5 finishes)

— 800: Ruthie Welch (jr), 5th, 2:35.77

— 1,600: Elizabeth Russell (fr), 3rd, 5:46.41; Shivani Khanna (jr), 5th, 5:47.14

— 4x400 relay: Welch, Khanna, Aria Collopy (sr), Rachel Skoza (so), 5th, 4:37.85

— 4x800 relay: Welch, Collopy, Khanna, Elaine Gu (so), 2nd, 10:31.07

— Distance medley relay: Skoza, Gu, Linda Ly (fr), Katherine Allen (fr), 3rd, 4:56.25

April 24: Unity Dual Meet (at Unity H.S.)

• TEAM FINISH: 2nd (out of 2 teams)

• STORY: none. In several of the events, Uni faced no competition; in others the competitors were overwhelmingly from Unity High. The meet gave both teams a chance to experiment with different lineups. “The best thing about the meet was we learned how to compete against ourselves — how to push ourselves,” said junior Shivani Khanna.

April 27: Monticello Lady Sages Invitational (at Monticello H.S)

• TEAM FINISH: 14th (out of 21 teams)

• STORY: Martin, 4x800 team excel at Lady Sages Invitational

• EVENT RESULTS (top 15 finishes)

— 200: Rachel Skoza (so), 12th (semifinals heat), 29.79

— 400: Lizzy Warner (so), 10th, 1:05.84; Aria Collopy (sr), 12th, 1:06.55

— 800: Shivani Khanna (jr), 5th, 2:31.17; Ruthie Welch (jr), 7th, 2:33.44

— 1,600: Elizabeth Russell (fr), 5th, 5:49.10; Elaine Gu (so), 7th, 5:51.76

— 300 low hurdles: Paige Martin (sr), 14th, 55.60

— 4x200 relay: Skoza, Katherine Allen (fr), Cheyenne Stewart (fr), Rachel Harmon (fr), 10th, 2:01.31

— 4x400 relay: Welch, Khanna, Collopy, Warner, 7th, 4:26.79

— 4x800 relay: Warner, Khanna, Gu, Welch, 3rd, 10:15.50

— Triple jump: Martin, 7th, 30-0; Russell, 11th, 28-10.5

— Pole vault: Martin, 2nd, 9-0

May 4: Lady Spartan Classic (at St. Joseph-Ogden H.S.)

• TEAM FINISH: 9th (out of 18 teams)

• STORY: see above

• EVENT RESULTS (top 6 finishes)

— 1,600: Elizabeth Russell (fr), 6th, 5:52.63

— 4x200 relay: Rachel Skoza (so), Katherine Allen (fr), Cheyenne Stewart (fr), Rachel Harmon (fr), 5th, 1:57.11

— 4x400 relay: Skoza, Russell, Aria Collopy (sr), Lizzy Warner (so), 6th (tie with St. Thomas More), 4:31.28

— 4x800 relay: Warner, Shivani Khanna (jr), Collopy, Ruthie Welch (jr), 3rd, 10:22.01

— Triple jump: Paige Martin (sr), 2nd, 31-6

— Pole vault: Martin, 1st, 10-0

Remaining meets: see schedule