[Updated with photos and audio] Competing in what might have been the toughest sectional in Class 1A, the Illineks on Saturday qualified for the IHSA state finals for the second consecutive year. With 121 points, Uni finished third out of 20 teams at the Decatur St. Teresa sectional meet.

[Updated with photos] The Uni girls cross country season ended on Saturday with an 11th-place finish at the Class 1A Decatur St. Teresa sectional meet. The top Illinek finisher was senior Elizabeth Russell, who placed 45th. Overall, the team improved by 28 points and two places over last year's sectional.

The Illineks will be among 20 teams competing in the Class 1A girls sectional meet Saturday in Decatur. At stake is a trip to the Nov. 7 state finals in Peoria. But to qualify for sectionals, the Uni girls had to place in the top five of last weekend's regional meet at Kickapoo State Park. As this photo essay by Will Fernandez shows, the weather wasn't ideal, but the Illineks pushed forward and grabbed fourth place, good enough to advance to the penultimate stage of the postseason.

When the Uni girls cross country team qualified for sectionals last weekend, four Illineks placed in the top 25. Consisting of Elizabeth Russell, Sarah Vaughen, Emma Coverdill, and Christina Harden, this foursome has come on strong for the resurgent Illineks.

The 2009 Illineks are a step closer to returning to the IHSA Class 1A state finals thanks to their weekend victory at the St. Joseph regional meet. The boys' next challenge will come Saturday, when they take on 19 other teams at the Decatur St. Teresa sectional. The meet will be held at the Hickory Point Golf Course.

Led by Elizabeth Russell's 10th-place performance, Uni came in fourth out of eight teams at Saturday's Class 1A St. Joseph regional meet, qualifying for the upcoming sectional in Decatur. Besides Russell, three other Illineks placed in the top 25: Sarah Vaughen (16th), Emma Coverdill (20th), and Christina Harden (22nd).

Led by runner-up Albert Anastasio and third-place finisher Buck Walsh, the Uni boys this weekend earned their second straight Class 1A cross country regional title. Next stop: Decatur's Hickory Point Golf Course, where the 2008 sectional champs will defend their title on Saturday.

Freshmen Alex Mestre and Edo Roth missed school today. No, they are not sick; they are competing in the U.S. Tennis Association's National Championships as part of a seven-person team that won the Midwestern championship in August. The tournament spans from Friday to Sunday. Check inside to see what's in store for the duo.

Uni continued its chess season Thursday without missing a step. Two victories over Notre Dame de La Salette improved the team's record to 4-0 overall in the East Central Illinois Chess League. The defending IHSA state champions are relying on freshmen George Ruan and Max Sigalov and sophomore Kathy Qiu to power them on the top three boards.

The subbies reached the end of their phenomenal cross country season Saturday morning at the IESA Class A state meet in Normal. Uni was represented by four runners who all finished in the top 50, led by Mara Dolan's 11th-place performance.

In another successful week for Uni varsity athletics, both cross country teams finished fourth at the Cumberland Invitational, while the boys soccer team won both of its games, including a 3-1 Senior Night victory over St. Thomas More. Check inside for more about last week in Uni sports.

The subbie cross country team has been having a great season, and the success continued Saturday at the IESA sectional meet at Kickapoo State Park. Four Illineks advanced to state, including girls champion Mara Dolan. Look inside for more about how the subfreshmen did.

On Wednesday the Uni and Urbana girls swim teams will hold their annual Make a Difference Meet. You can come out and cheer on Uni's dynamic swimmers at the Urbana Indoor Aquatic Center while also helping out a good cause, the Center for Women in Transition. Read on for details.

Freshman Patrick Wong and four of his classmates have provided a spark to Uni soccer this fall. Whether it's Wong's goal-scoring, Tarik Koric's playmaking, Freddie Stavins' defense, or Paul Seeley and Alex Mestre's energy off the bench, these fabulous frosh have meshed well with veterans like Dan Lilly to make the Illineks a serious threat in the Class 1A postseason.

Last week was a busy stretch for boys soccer, girls swimming, and girls volleyball. On the soccer field, the Illineks proved their recent tie with Champaign Central was no fluke, turning in three strong performances. The swim team kept progressing against top competition, while the volleyball team had a very successful week, ending with a repeat victory as Crusader Invitational champs.