Senior Ruthie Welch, seen here at sectionals Friday, set a personal record in the 800 at Monday's News-Gazette Honor Roll Meet. Gargoyle photo (click to enlarge)



Junior Lizzy Warner, also seen here at sectionals, set a personal record in the 400 at the Honor Roll Meet. Gargoyle photo (click to enlarge)

URBANA — In a meet that brought together the area's best track and field athletes, Uni won three events Monday night, including dominating victories by junior Malcolm Taylor in the 400-meter dash and senior Ruthie Welch in the 800 run.

Taylor and teammates Isaac Chambers, Austin Rundus, and Jacob Olshansky got things going with a first-place performance in the 4x800 relay.

Their time of 8 minutes, 18.18 seconds was their second fastest of the season, coming just two days after the squad's season best of 8:15.9 at Saturday's Mahomet-Seymour Bulldog Invitational.

The Illineks ran a full 8 seconds ahead of second-place Monticello (8:26.19). Class AA Danville came in third (8:27.94).

In individual events, Welch set a personal record in the 800 with a time of 2:20.49. It's her second PR in three days. On Friday she won the 800 at the Paxton sectional, running a 2:22.37, the fourth fastest time in the entire state among Class A runners.

Carson Day of Arthur-Lovington was almost 2 seconds behind Welch (2:22.33), while Kayla Stipp of Danville placed third (2:26.92).

Then it was Taylor's turn to get the crowd on its feet. The junior showed everyone that he has to be considered a serious contender for the Class A state title in the 400 dash, winning the event in 49.26 seconds.

It wasn't a PR — that came two days ago when he ran a 48.99 at the Bulldog Invite. But Taylor held off challenges from two Class AA standouts, Michael Neal of Centennial (50.12) and Ian Wells of Central (50.35), and he also defeated one of the top Class A runners in the state, Zebo Zebe of Unity (50.48).

Two other Uni athletes also competed Monday night, and they turned in strong performances as well.

Junior Lizzy Warner set a PR in the 400 with a time of 1:02.28, good enough for third place. On Friday she ran a 1:03.00 to finish third as well at the Paxton sectional. Before tonight, her previous best had been 1:02.55 at St. Joseph-Ogden on April 3.

Senior Frankie McFarland was Uni's only field athlete to compete. He placed seventh in the shot put with a distance of 44 feet-1/2 inch.

McFarland holds the school record in the shot put (46-4), which he set May 1 at the PBL Varsity Invite.

And so began what promises to be an amazing week in Uni track. Things will pick up again on Friday morning, when Welch will compete in the Class A state prelims at O'Brien Stadium in Charleston.

If Welch makes the first-day cut in the 800, she will compete in the state championship race Saturday afternoon.

For the boys, Monticello High School will be the place to be late Friday afternoon as their Class A sectional gets underway at 5 p.m. Sometime between 8 and 9 that evening, the team will know how many Uni athletes will be going to Charleston the following weekend for the state meet.

MORE PHOTOS: UNI'S HONOR ROLL ATHLETES IN ACTION

Frankie McFarland, shown here at the Mahomet-Seymour Bulldog Invitational on Saturday, competed in the shot put at Monday's News-Gazette Honor Roll Meet. Please note that all photos in this section were taken Saturday at the Bulldog Invite. Gargoyle photos (click to create your own slideshow)

McFarland finished seventh at the Honor Roll Meet with a distance of 44 feet and one-half inch.

The senior also competes in the discus throw for the Illineks.

McFarland will compete Friday at the Class A Monticello sectional meet. To advance to state, he will have to finish in the top two of his events or throw an automatic-qualifying distance of 49-0 in the shot put, 143-0 in the discus.

Junior Isaac Chambers (center) starts the 4x800 relay for the Illineks at Saturday's Bulldog Invite. The 4x800 team placed third at Mahomet but first at Monday's Honor Roll Meet.

Senior Austin Rundus, after dealing with injuries early in the season, is back in action. The Illineks ran their season-best time of 8:15.9 at the Bulldog Invite.

Senior Jacob Olshansky begins the third leg of the relay at the Bulldog Invite. The Illineks' winning time of 8:18.18 at Monday's Honor Roll Meet was 4 seconds faster than the state-qualifying time of 8:22.24.

Malcolm Taylor has been a revelation all season as 4x800 anchor, 800 runner, and 400 sprinter.

The junior ran a personal-best (and school-record) time of 48.99 in the 400 Saturday at the Bulldog Invite. Two days later at the Honor Roll Meet, he ran a 49.26 to win the 400 against a field that included top sprinters from Class AA Centennial and Central. Next up for Taylor and the Illineks: Class A sectionals at Monticello on Friday. Field prelims begin at 5 p.m.; running prelims begin at 6.

NEWS-GAZETTE HONOR ROLL MEET RESULTS AT A GLANCE

• Boys 4x800-Meter Relay
  1. UNI HIGH (Chambers, Rundus, Olshansky, Taylor), 8:18.18
  2. Monticello, 8:26.19
  3. Danville, 8:27.94
  4. St. Joseph-Ogden, 8:37.75
  5. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley, 8:51.33
  6. Tuscola, 9:05.53

• Girls 800-Meter Run
  1. RUTHIE WELCH, UNI HIGH, 2:20.49
  2. Carson Day, Arthur-Lovington, 2:22.33
  3. Kayla Stipp, Danville, 2:26.92
  4. Hannah Schaap, Mahomet-Seymur, 2:30.21
  5. Tiffany Trombley, Clifton Central, 2:36.53
  6. Spenser Bolden, Champaign Central, 2:37.66

• Boys 400-Meter Run
  1. MALCOLM TAYLOR, UNI HIGH, 49.26
  2. Michael Neal, Centennial, 50.12
  3. Ian Wells, Champaign Central, 50.35
  4. Zebo Zebe, Tolono Unity, 50.48
  5. Trevor Unzicker, Fisher, 51.05
  6. Mark Klinger, Arcola, 51.78

• Girls 400-Meter Run
  1. Abby Popejoy, Prairie Central, 59.92
  2. Lauren Taylor, Sullivan, 1:01.85
  3. LIZZY WARNER, UNI HIGH, 1:02.28
  4. Erin Wachtel, St. Thomas More, 1:02.97
  5. Lauren Henderson, Villa Grove, 1:03.17
  6. Sidney Long, St. Joseph-Ogden, 1:03.17

• Boys Shot Put
  1. Sean Nicholson, Salt Fork, 48-10
  7. FRANKIE McFARLAND, UNI HIGH, 44-1/2