Sept. 15, 2006

Results

Champaign, Ill. - The Fighting Illini officially kicked off the 2006 season by dominating the annual Illini "Pack-It-Up" Challenge Friday evening at the UI Arboretum, by sweeping the top seven overall finishes and capturing their second-consecutive Challenge title. The Orange and Blue won the race with a total of 15 points, followed by Illinois-Chicago (63), Illinois State (69), and Wisconsin-Milwaukee (94).

Freshman Jeremy Stevens, who joined the Illini after winning the Illini Open two weeks ago as an unattached runner, led the Orange and Blue with a finishing time of 24:56. Stevens came into the lead late in the race after pacing with the team through the first 5K of the 8K course. He broke free from the pack and continued on his way to claim the victory in his first collegiate meet.

"This race was a warm up for our bigger races," said Stevens. "Notre Dame is in two weeks and that is a bigger race. It was good to get our racing legs underneath us. Every workout we do together everyone is getting better and better, so it should be a really good year."

Head Coach Wendel McRaven was pleased with how his team stuck to the plan set before the race.

"It was a good showing. They went out pretty conservatively and built really well. Most of them ran a negative split the last couple of miles, so I was pleased," said McRaven. "It was a good test in the sense that we set out a plan that we wanted to stay together through 5K. The guys controlled themselves when they could have gone out much faster."

Coming in second and third were newcomers as well. Redshirt Freshman Rob Pykosz and true freshman Jacob Nachel finished with tying times of 25:30. Junior Michael Kelley crossed the finish line in fourth with a time of 25:36, and senior Maciej Sniegorski came in with a time of 25:41.

Rounding out the top seven were juniors Matthew Flaherty and Justin Aronson, with finishing times of 25:44 and 25:45, respectively.

With the Notre Dame Invitational coming in two weeks on Friday, Sept. 29 in South Bend, Ind., McRaven and the Illini look to improve upon the standards they have set early on in the season.

"Two weeks at Notre Dame is a test," said McRaven. "How we react when there is a whole field of guys going out really fast and you're in a pack where not everyone is wearing the same color uniform. That'll be a test."

Illinois results:
1. Jeremy Stevens (1)          24:56
2. Rob Pykosz (2)              25:30
3. Jacob Nachel (3)            25:30
4. Michael Kelley (4)          25:36
5. Maciej Sniegorski (5)       25:41
6. Matt Flaherty (6)           25:44
7. Justin Aronson (7)          25:45
8. Dan Stock (11)              26:13