Senior Malcolm Taylor ended his stellar Uni sports career today by placing third in the 1A 400-meter state finals. Taylor, the defending state runner-up, sprinted more than half a second faster than he did last year. First-time track finalist Albert Anastasio finished 23rd in the 3,200 run.

Senior Malcolm Taylor was one of nine sprinters who made the cut in Thursday's 400-meter semifinals in Charleston. Taylor ran the third-fastest time out of 38 competitors. He and sophomore Albert Anastasio (3,200 run) will compete Saturday for state honors.

After missing the final two meets of the regular season due to a hamstring injury, Malcolm Taylor returned to action Friday night and won the 400-meter dash at the Class 1A Monticello sectional. Two other Illineks also qualified for next week's state meet in Charleston: Isaac Chambers (400) and Albert Anastasio (3,200).

The Uni boys head to Monticello today to compete in the Class 1A track sectional meet. Despite several injuries, the Illineks look to do well, with senior Malcolm Taylor (defending state runner-up in the 400), sophomore Albert Anastasio, senior Isaac Chambers, and the 4x400 and 4x800 relay teams all having a shot at advancing.

Seniors Rachel Skoza and Malcolm Taylor were named Female and Male Athletes of the Year Tuesday night at the spring athletic awards ceremony in Uni Gym. Also honored were seniors Daniel Borup and Adam Tiouririne, and many IHSA and East Central Illinois Conference scholar athletes. Check inside for details.

Uni athletes made the top 10 in five events at the Illinois Elementary School Association's Class 8A state track and field meet this weekend. Sarah Vaughen led the Illineks with a sixth-place finish in the girls 1,600-meter run. Nealay Kalita finished seventh in the boys 200 dash. Check inside for more results from the two-day meet in East Peoria.

[Update: Sectional meet was suspended Friday after several events; it will resume 9 a.m. Saturday.] Can Tuli Bera keep up her winning streak in the 100-meter dash and qualify for the IHSA state meet? Will Lizzy Warner lead the 4x200 relay to a state berth? Will the girls track team set new personal records? Those are some of the questions that will be answered at the Tolono Unity sectional.

Four Uni subfreshmen have qualified for the Illinois Elementary School Association's Class A track and field state meet. Emma Hoyer, Bissy Michael, and Sarah Vaughen advanced in a total of four girls events, while Nealay Kalita qualified in two boys events. The athletes competed Saturday in the St. Malachy sectional at Rantoul High School.

The Illineks did their best Friday night under difficult circumstances, but they failed to place at the annual Unity Girls Invitational. Twenty-one teams scored points, led by winner St. Joseph-Ogden. The Illineks, however didn't make the list of scoring teams. With injuries, the already small Uni squad was down to seven athletes.

The outdoor track season picked up momentum last week as the Uni boys placed third and the girls fifth at a meet hosted by St. Thomas More. Highlights included Lizzy Warner's victory in the 300-meter low hurdles, wins by Albert Anastasio in the 3,200 and Malcolm Taylor in the 800, and a triumph in the 4x400 boys relay. The next big meet will be Friday's Unity Girls Invitational in Tolono.

With senior Malcolm Taylor leading the way, the 2009 outdoor track and field season should be a memorable one for the Uni boys. The team looks to be as strong as ever, especially in distance events. The 1A state finals are scheduled for May 28 and 30 in Charleston. Make plans now — there should be plenty of Illinek athletes going for the gold.

The key, according to head coach Doug Mynatt, is motivation. That's something the Uni girls track and field team has in abundance. Whether it's Tuli Bera and Lizzy Warner trying to qualify for the Class 1A state meet after near-misses last year or other team members striving to set personal bests, this is a small but hungry team that's sure to make Uni fans proud this spring.

Led by senior Malcolm Taylor, the Uni boys won Class A state titles in two events Friday night at the 18th Illinois Prep Top Times Indoor Classic: the 400-meter dash and the 4x400 relay. The biggest surprise came in the 4x400, thanks to a stellar performance by Taylor in the anchor position. [April 2 update: Taylor was named The News-Gazette's male Athlete of the Week for his performance.]

Senior Malcolm Taylor ran the 400-meter dash in 50.58 seconds Saturday at the Charleston Boys Indoor Invitational. That was the fastest 400 time in the state for a Class 1A runner this indoor season. Taylor was one of several Uni athletes whose performances have earned them invitations to Friday's Prep Top Times Meet in Bloomington, the unofficial indoor track state meet.

The junior sprinter, who narrowly missed qualifying for state last year in the 100, swept the Class A field in the 55 Saturday at the Charleston Invite. Teammate Lizzy Warner also earned points for the Illineks in the 400. Read on for the complete Uni results from the weekend meet.