Posted Monday, Oct. 30, 2006, The OG, sports

STANFORD — The 2006 Illineks made history Saturday afternoon when they became the first Uni girls cross country team to win a sectional championship. Junior Michelle Mehnert led the way at Stanford Olympia with a second-place finish. Junior Shivani Khanna (ninth), freshman Elizabeth Russell (15th), and sophomore Elaine Gu (17th) joined her in the top 20. Junior Jennifer Roloff (33rd), junior Samantha Nguyen (67th), and freshman Isaure Hostetter (77th) also ran strong for the Illineks. They will compete in the Class A state final 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Detweiller Park in Peoria. A fan bus will leave Kenney Gym at 7:15 a.m. Contact Athletic Director Sally Walker (swalker6@uni.uiuc.edu) by 9 a.m. Wednesday to reserve a spot. Click here for more coverage of the sectional win.

photos by David Porreca