By Michael Belmont & Gargoyle sports staff

Posted Wednesday, April 25, 2007, The OG, girls track & sports

Rachel Skoza heads for the finish line in

the 4x400 relay at the Falcon Invitational.

(Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)

GIBSON CITY — Despite missing one of their top runners due to illness (sophomore Lizzy Warner), the Illineks managed to record a season-best time in the 3,200-meter relay Friday night at the Falcon Invitational at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley High School.

The 4x800 squad of junior Ruthie Welch, senior Aria Collopy, junior Shivani Khanna, and sophomore Elaine Gu placed second with a time of 10 minutes, 31.07 seconds — representing more than an 8-second improvement over the 10:39.24 that the Illineks ran a week earlier at the Unity Girls Invitational.

Tri-Valley won the event and set a meet record with a blistering 10:20.69 — 3 seconds faster than the automatic state-qualifying time of 10:23.74.

Last year at the same meet, the Uni 4x800 team also finished second, recording a time of 10:28.27. That squad consisted of Welch, Khanna, Samantha Nguyen (then a sophomore and substituting for regular team member Laura Hazlett, then a freshman), and Josie Chambers (then a senior).

Sixteen schools participated in Friday's meet, which each spring is one of the biggest local Class A events before IHSA sectionals. In fact, with most of the Falcon Invitational participants also scheduled to compete in the same sectional as Uni, the meet was a test run of sorts for the postseason.

The good news for the Illineks is that Tri-Valley will compete in the Chillicothe sectional on May 11, while Uni will compete in the Sidell (Jamaica) sectional.

Athletes qualify for state by finishing in the top two of their events at sectionals or by meeting the automatic state-qualifying standards, also at sectionals.

Last year's 4x800 squad of Welch, Hazlett, Khanna, and Chambers was Uni's only state qualifier. That relay won its sectional and finished 12th at state with a time of 10:00.01.

Also at Friday's meet, Uni's 4x400 relay (Welch, Khanna, Collopy, and sophomore Rachel Skoza) and distance medley relay (Skoza, Gu, freshmen Linda Ly and Katherine Allen) also finished in the top five, taking fifth and third, respectively, with times of 4:37.85 and 4:56.25.

Individually, Welch placed fifth in the 800 with a time of 2:35.77. Freshman Elizabeth Russell placed third in the mile, finishing in 5:46.41, while Khanna came in fifth in that event with a time of 5:47.14. In both of these events, one of the runners who topped the Uni competitors was from Tri-Valley, which means the Illineks will not have to face these opponents at sectionals.

Overall, Uni finished 11th out of 16 teams with 28 points. Lexington placed 10th with 32 points, while Hoopeston Area finished 12th with 23. Tri-Valley scored 82 points to win the meet, and Bismarck-Henning scored 73 points to come in second.

“I think [the team] is progressing well,” said Khanna. “I think we can be competitive in a lot of events in the postseason.”

In particular, Khanna feels that state appearances by the 4x800 and 4x400 relays and senior pole vaulter Paige Martin are possible. (Martin did not compete in Friday's meet.) If Khanna and Welch continue to improve in the 800, one or both of them might make it past the sectional meet as well, and if Gu runs the 3,200, Khanna believes she could be another state contender.

Looking ahead to sectionals, Gu is optimistic.

“I think we're in good shape,” she said.

Both the girls and boys teams competed Tuesday in a duel meet against Unity High School in Tolono. (Results to be posted.)

The next girls meet is Friday at the Monticello Girls Classic.

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: see above

• EVENT RESULTS (out of 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

Remaining meets: see schedule