Senior Malcolm Taylor, junior Nathan Smith, and sophomores Albert Anastasio and Buck Walsh were among the runners selected for honors today by The News-Gazette. Check inside and listen to some of the Illineks talk about their stellar 2008 season, which ended with a fourth-place finish at state.

The first few weeks of the 2008 cross country weren't the best for junior Katherine Allen. But as soon as she corrected some of the problems — mainly stemming from faulty footwear — everything got so much much better. The season is over now, giving Katherine the opportunity to think about what makes Uni cross country so special.

The 2008 Illineks capped off a spectacular season by turning in the second-best performance by a boys sports team in school history. Uni placed fourth at today's Class 1A state meet; only the third-place 1995 boys cross country team has done better. Malcolm Taylor won an all-state medal by finishing 17th overall.

During a brief lunchtime pep rally, head coach Doug Mynatt introduced the eight runners who will be in Peoria for Saturday's state-final race: seniors Malcolm Taylor and Isaac Chambers, juniors Nathan Smith, Langston Allston-Yeagle, Jack Snyder, and Andrew Weatherhead, and sophomores Albert Anastasio and Buck Walsh.

A week after winning the Class 1A St. Joseph regional, the 2008 Illineks — led by senior Malcolm Taylor's fifth-place individual finish — decisively triumphed at the Paxton sectional. They joined the 1984 cross country squad as the only Uni boys team in any sport to win a sectional title. Next stop: the IHSA state finals in Peoria on Saturday.

Although they didn't qualify for a fourth straight trip to the IHSA state finals, the Uni girls ran a strong sectional meet Saturday at Paxton-Buckley-Loda High School. Everyone on the team recorded season or personal bests.

The success of last year's girls cross country team was a hard act to follow, but the 2008 Illineks have made it to the Class 1A Paxton sectional meet, their last step before the Nov. 8 state finals at Peoria's Detweiler Park. Led by junior Elizabeth Russell and senior Elaine Gu, the girls have overcome several obstacles this year on their way to a solid season.

Junior Elizabeth Russell was the runner-up at the Class 1A St. Joseph regional meet Saturday at Kickapoo State Park. Senior Elaine Gu joined Russell in the top 10 as they led the Illineks to a fifth-place finish, despite having only five healthy runners. The team earned the final spot to sectionals.

On Saturday, senior Malcolm Taylor ran the Kickapoo State Park course in 16:28 to finish first overall and lead his teammates to Uni's second regional boys title in four years. Three other Uni runners placed in the top 10: Nathan Smith (seventh), Buck Walsh (eighth), and Albert Anastasio (10th). The Illineks are trying to become the first Uni boys squad to make it to the state finals since 1997.

The Uni boys haven't qualified for the state cross country finals since 1997. That streak could end this year as the 2008 Illineks have emerged as one of the top teams in Class 1A. They begin the postseason this Saturday at regionals. Here's a look at what has made this team such a strong contender for a season-ending trip to Peoria.

The boys continue to improve as the season wears on, tying for first at the St. Joseph Spartan Classic with Bureau Valley, but losing the tiebreaker determined by the sixth runner. The girls also had a successful day running their unusual 1.97 mile course, finishing eighth overall.

After an impressive victory by the boys on Saturday at the Tuscola Classic, both cross country teams were back in action Tuesday at a meet hosted by Monticello. The girls placed second overall, led by top 10 finishes by Elizabeth Russell, Elaine Gu, and Maddy Levin, while the boys won even without their No. 2 runner, Nathan Smith.

Malcolm Taylor and Nathan Smith led the Uni boys to a decisive victory at the Tuscola Classic on Saturday. Among the the teams they beat was Shelbyville, which entered the meet ranked No. 7 in Class 1A while Uni was No. 9. The girls team, led by junior Elizabeth Russell, placed eighth amid substantial improvement from several runners.

Both Uni squads won impressively at their final home meet of the 2008 cross country season. The girls dispatched Judah Christian by almost 30 points, while the boys beat three opponents, including last year's No. 4 team in Class 1A, Paxton-Buckley-Loda.

With No. 1 runner Malcolm Taylor back in action after missing the last two meets because of a respiratory illness, the Uni boys took another step in establishing themselves as an elite program by placing fourth at the 34-team Woodruff Class 1A Invitational on Saturday.