By Elaine Gu
Gargoyle staff reporter
Posted Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2006, The OG, sports

CHAMPAIGN — Swimming against some of dominant teams in the state, including several from the Chicago suburbs, the Uni girls swim team placed 14th out of 15 teams Saturday at the Charger Invitational at Centennial High School.

But Uni swimmers recorded 13 season-best times at the Charger Invite and set five personal records.

“[This is] a giant-size meet. What we hope for is for some people to get into the top six,” head coach Howard Schein said before the meet.

Uni's 200-yard medley relay, consisting of junior Katie Ryan and seniors Anne Dixon, Liz Reese, and Nicole Gong, swam a season-best time of 2 minutes, 7.06 seconds, more than four seconds faster than they did last Sept. 9 against Chicago University High.

Overall, Uni scored 11 points, just one point short of 13th-place Galesburg.

Lincoln-Way East won the meet with 423 points, followed by Champaign Central (358.5) and Centennial (344).

Uni swimmers who turned in season-best times were:

— Erika Belmont, 100 free, 1:08.57 (personal record)
— Anne Dixon, 50 free, :29.01
— Eunice How, 500 free, 7:29.15
— Eunice How, 100 backstroke, 1:27.91
— Nicole Gong, 100 fly, 1:08.99
— Nicole Gong, 200 IM, 2:41.84
— Deborah Ladd, 200 free, 2:41.93 (personal record)
— Deborah Ladd, 500 free, 6:58.12 (personal record)
— Katie LaPointe, 200 IM, 3:10.04 (personal record)
— Liz Reese, 100 free, 1:02.90
— Katie Ryan, 100 free, 1:01.82
— Katie Ryan, 200 free, 2:15.84 (tied for season best)
— Lor Sligar, 100 free, 1:18.51 (personal record)

The Stingrays, as this year's Uni team calls itself, will take on Charleston and O'Fallon at Eastern Illinois University this Saturday.

2006 VARSITY RESULTS (2-0 in dual meets)

Sept. 2: at Stanford Olympia (vs. Stanford Olympia), W 128-38
Top Uni individual swimmers:

— Liz Reese, 50 free, 1st (:28.56)
— Katie Ryan, 100 free, 1st (1:02.62); 200 free, 1st (2:18.16)
— Deborah Ladd, 500 free, 1st (7:15.34)
— Anne Dixon, 100 breast, 1st (1:19.67)
— Nicole Gong, 100 fly, 1st (time to be posted); 200 IM, 1st (2:43.97)
Top Uni relay swimmers:
— Anne Dixon, Nicole Gong, Liz Reese, Katie Ryan, 200 free, 1st (1:57.64)
— Anne Dixon, Krista Olson, Nicole Gong, Liz Reese, 200 medley, 1st (2:13.19)
— Eunice How, Krista Olson, Katie Ryan, Aliisa Rantanen, 400 free, 1st (4:45.36)

Sept. 9: at the University of Chicago (vs. Chicago University High), W 87-81
Top Uni individual swimmers:

— Liz Reese, 50 free, 1st (:27.93)
— Katie Ryan, 200 free, 1st (2:15.84)
— Liz Reese, 500 free, 1st (6:16.12)
— Anne Dixon, 100 breast, 1st (1:17.62)
Top Uni relay swimmers:
— Katie Ryan, Anne Dixon, Nicole Gong, Liz Reese, 200 free, 1st (1:56.11)
— Anne Dixon, Krista Olson, Nicole Gong, Liz Reese, 200 medley, 1st (2:11.89)

Sept. 16: at Champaign Centennial High School (Charger Invitational), 14th place (11 pts)
Top Uni individual swimmer:
— Anne Dixon, 100 breast, 1 pt (1:17.92)
Top Uni relay swimmers:
— Elizabeth Allen, Maritza Mestre, Aliisa Rantanen, Erika Belmont, 200 free, 2 pts (2:02.38)
— Katie Ryan, Anne Dixon, Nicole Gong, Liz Reese, 200 medley, 8 pts (2:07.06)