By Michael Belmont

Gargoyle sports editor


Posted Wednesday, April 11, 2007, The OG, boys track & girls track & sports

GIBSON CITY — After their meets were canceled last week due to cold weather, the Uni girls and boys track teams returned to action Tuesday at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley High School.

GCMS won the girls tri-meet with 74 points, while the Illineks edged out Paxton-Buckley-Loda for second place 48.5-46.5.

PBL won the boys tri-meet with 75 points. GCMS claimed second with 67 points, followed by Uni with 23.

In all, Uni athletes placed first in 11 events, with the girls winning six and the boys five.

For the girls, the 3,200-meter relay team consisting of sophomore Lizzy Warner, senior Aria Collopy, and juniors Ruthie Welch and Shivani Khanna came in first with a time of 10:48.9. Second-place GCMS was more than a minute slower, finishing in 11:49.3.

Uni girls also won the 4x200 (sophomore Rachel Skoza, freshmen Katherine Allen and Cheyenne Stewart, Warner) and 4x400 (Welch, Khanna, Skoza, Warner) relays with times of 2:00.6 and 4:38.7, respectively. GCMS placed second in those two categories as well, with times of 2:01.5 and 4:52.9.

The following girls placed in the top three in individual events:

— 200: Cheyenne Stewart (freshman), second place, 31.04

— 400: Aria Collopy (senior), first place, 1:07.41; Ruthie Welch (junior), second place, 1:08.6

— 800: Shivani Khanna (junior), first place, 2:40.1; Elizabeth Russell (freshman), second place, 2:45.6

— 1,600: Katie Easley (senior), second place, 6:56.8

— 3,200: Elaine Gu (sophomore), second place, 13:02.6

— long jump: Angela Jin (junior), third place, 12-1

— triple jump: Russell, first place, 28-9

For the boys, the 4x800 relay of sophomore Malcolm Taylor, junior Austin Rundus, sophomore Isaac Chambers, and junior Jacob Olshansky came in first with a time of 8:54.2. PBL's relay, which finished in 9:11.5, came in second.

Mirroring the girls meet, the boys also took first in the 4x200 (sophomores Carter Hutchens, Noel Knox, Cheng Luo, Kareem Sayegh) and the 4x400 (senior Nick Pratt, Taylor, Olshansky, Chambers) with times of 1:46.0 and 3:53.2, respectively. PBL (1:47.3, 4:03.7) came in second in both events.

The following boys placed in the top three in individual events:

— 400: Nick Pratt (senior), first place, 54.06; Isaac Chambers (sophomore), third place, 56.84

— 800: Malcolm Taylor (sophomore), first place, 2:10.1

— 3,200: Nathan Smith (freshman), third place, 11:56.1

— 110 hurdles: Nick Zukoski (freshman), second place, 21.4

— long jump: Pratt, third place, 17-10

— shot put: Frankie McFarland (junior), second place, 41-3

Next for both Illinek squads: the Unity Invitational in Tolono. The girls will compete Friday, while the boys will wait until April 20.

2007 GIRLS VARSITY TRACK & FIELD RESULTS (OUTDOOR)

March 29: Gibson City Meet (at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley H.S.)

• TEAM FINISH: 5th (out of 5 teams), 30 pts

• EVENT RESULTS (top 3 finishes):

— 100: Rachel Skoza (so), 2nd, 14.35

— 3,200: Elizabeth Russell (fr), 3rd, 13:56.7

— 4x200 relay: Skoza, Katherine Allen (fr), Angie Jin (jr), Lizzy Warner (so), 3rd, 2:03.08

— 4x400 relay: Skoza, Allen, Russell, Warner, 2nd, 4:41.6

— high jump: Russell, 3rd, 4-8

— triple jump: Russell, 1st, 30-0

March 31: Champaign County Meet (at Urbana H.S.)

• TEAM FINISH: No overall team standings were compiled

• EVENT RESULTS (top 5 finishes):

— 400: Lizzy Warner (so), 4th, 1:09.8

— 3,200: Elizabeth Russell (fr), 5th, 14:01

— 4x200 relay: Rachel Skoza (so), Katherine Allen (fr), Cheyenne Stewart (fr), Warner, 4th, 2:00.1

— 4x400 relay: Skoza, Allen, Linda Ly (fr), Warner, 1st, 4:49

— 4x800 relay: Shivani Khanna (jr), Elaine Gu (so), Aria Collopy (sr), Ruthie Welch (jr), 1st, 10:48

— high jump: Russell, 3rd, 4-6

— long jump: Angie Jin (jr), 4th, 14-1

— triple jump: Russell, 1st, 29-11

April 10: Gibson City Tri-Meet (at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley H.S.)

• TEAM FINISH: 2nd (out of 3 teams)

• EVENT RESULTS (top 3 finishes):

— 200: Cheyenne Stewart (fr), 2nd, 31.04

— 400: Aria Collopy (sr), 1st, 1:07.41; Ruthie Welch (jr), 2nd, 1:08.6

— 800: Shivani Khanna (jr), 1st, 2:40.1; Elizabeth Russell (fr), 2nd, 2:45.6

— 1,600: Katie Easley (sr), 2nd, 6:56.8

— 3,200: Elaine Gu (so), 2nd, 13:02.6

— 4x200 relay: Rachel Skoza (so), Katherine Allen (fr), Stewart, Lizzy Warner (so), 1st, 2:00.6

— 4x400 relay: Welch, Khanna, Skoza, Warner, 1st, 4:38.7

— 4x800 relay: Warner, Collopy, Welch, Khanna, 1st, 10:48.9

— long jump: Angela Jin (jr), 3rd, 12-1

— triple jump: Russell, 1st, 28-9

Remaining meets: see schedule.

2007 BOYS VARSITY TRACK & FIELD RESULTS (OUTDOOR)

March 29: Gibson City Meet (at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley H.S.)

• TEAM FINISH: 5th (out of 5 teams), 17 pts

• EVENT RESULTS (top 3 finishes):

— 110 hurdles: Nick Zukoski (fr), 3rd, 21.1

— 300 hurdles: Zukoski, 3rd, 57.8

— shot put: Frankie McFarland (jr), 3rd, 41-11.5

April 10: Gibson City Tri-Meet (at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley H.S.)

• TEAM FINISH: 3rd (out of 3 teams)

• EVENT RESULTS (top 3 finishes):

— 400: Nick Pratt (sr), 1st, 54.06; Isaac Chambers (so), 3rd, 56.84

— 800: Malcolm Taylor (so), 1st, 2:10.1

— 3,200: Nathan Smith (fr), 3rd, 11:56.1

— 110 hurdles: Nick Zukoski (fr), 2nd, 21.4

— 4x200 relay: Carter Hutchens (so), Noel Knox (so), Cheng Luo (so), Kareem Sayegh (so), 1st, 1:46.0

— 4x400 relay: Pratt, Taylor, Jacob Olshansky (jr), Chambers, 1st, 3:53.2

— 4x800 relay: Taylor, Austin Rundus (jr), Chambers, Olshansky, 1st, 8:54.2

— long jump: Pratt, 3rd, 17-10

— shot put: Frankie McFarland (jr), 2nd, 41-3

Remaining meets: see schedule.