[Note: Visit coach Howard Schein's Web site for more coverage of the Uni swim team, including comprehensive listings of swimmers' times.]

DANVILLE — The Uni girls swim team finished second at a triangular meet held Saturday at Danville High School. Uni scored 184 points, almost as far ahead of third-place Schlarman (86) as behind meet winner Danville (292).

Senior Katie Ryan and sophomore Sian Best each earned second-place finishes in two individual events.

Ryan took second in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 29.15 seconds, less than 3 seconds behind the winner, Sunny Strader of Danville (00:26.67). Strader also outdueled Ryan in the 500 free. The Lady Viking sophomore clocked in at 5:39.04 compared to Ryan's 6:00.97.

"We've been having really intense practices lately, so for being tired, everyone swam pretty well," Ryan said. "You can't get a [personal record] every meet, especially with sprinting a million yards every morning."

Best, meanwhile, was second in the 100 fly (1:10.72), about 8 seconds behind Lauren Drennan of Danville (1:02.19). Drennan, a sophomore, was also about 8 seconds faster than Best in the 100 back, turning in a time of 1:04.42 compared to Best's 1:12.70.

"The meet today went really well, despite us all being kind of tired," Best said. "There were some close races, personal records, and some great comebacks. We all cheered each other and there was a good team spirit — especially from Natsuki [Nakamura, a junior who placed fifth in the 100 fly and sixth in the 100 breast]."

Senior Aliisa Rantanen earned second in the 100 free with a time of 1:03.52, a little less than 6 seconds behind sophomore Eden Jackowski of Danville (00:57.98).

Ryan, Best, and Rantanen teamed up with sophomore Maritza Mestre to place second in the 400 free relay. Their time of 4:26.63 trailed only the Danville team of Jackowski, Strader, Drennan, and Kelbi Ervin (4:04.11)

Uni competed in Saturday's meet without sophomore Erika Belmont, who has been one of the team's stronger swimmers this year. Belmont was in Chicago competing in a soccer tournament.

"We're about halfway through the season, and practices have a pretty high intensity level," said senior Adriana Black, who placed seventh in the 100 free. "We've all been really burned out, so the meet went super when put into perspective."

The team's next competition will be the Champaign Central Invitational, scheduled to begin 10 a.m. Saturday at the Unit 4 Pool in Champaign.

SEPT. 29 MEET RESULTS

[Note: Swimmers who placed in the official meet results are listed. Visit coach Howard Schein's Web site for other results.]

200-yard medley relay

• 3rd: Katie Ryan, Diana Liu, Sian Best, Maritza Mestre (2 minutes, 19.03 seconds)
• 5th: Eunice How, Revathi Maturi, Natsuki Nakamura, Lor Sligar (2:42.71)

200 free

• 3rd: Aliisa Rantanen (2:24.67)
• 4th: Maria Gao (2:41.53)

200 individual medley

• 5th: Lor Sligar (3:08.53)

50 free

• 2nd: Katie Ryan (00:29.15)
• 6th: Maritza Mestre (00:31.30)
• 7th: Diana Liu (00:33.60)

100 fly

• 2nd: Sian Best (1:10.72)

100 free

• 2nd: Aliisa Rantanen (1:03.52)
• 6th: Maria Gao (1:14.50)
• 7th: Adriana Black (1:21.02)

500 free

• 2nd: Katie Ryan (6:00.97)

200 free relay

• 3rd: Maria Gao, Diana Liu, Aliisa Rantanen, Lor Sligar (2:19.41)
• 4th: Adriana Black, Kahlilah Cooke, Revathi Maturi, Natsuki Nakamura (2:36.02)

100 back

• 2nd: Sian Best (1:12.70)

100 breast

• 5th: Diana Liu (1:32.04)
• 6th: Natsuki Nakamura (1:34.05)
• 7th: Revathi Maturi (1:41.25)

400 free relay

• 2nd: Sian Best, Maritza Mestre, Aliisa Rantanen, Katie Ryan (4:26.63)
• 5th: Adriana Black, Kahlilah Cooke, Maria Gao, Eunice How (5:55.80)

Next meet: The girls will travel to Centennial's Unit 4 Pool on Saturday for the Champaign Central Invitational. The contest is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Click here for directions.