The following post was written by staff writer Anthony Zilis.

With only two meets left before the Big Ten Championship, you’ve really got to feel for 400-meter runner Omoye Ugiagbe, who can’t seem to buy a break. In her first outdoor meet, Ugiagbe finished less than half a second from the regional qualifying mark, which she would need in order to run the race at the regional championships. At the next meet, the Sun Angel Track Classic, after regionally qualifying in the 200, she missed the 400 qualifying time by only one hundredth of a second. When I asked her if she was frustrated, she stayed extremely positive, saying she was sure she would get it at the next meet, the Kansas Relays.

The Kansas Relays came around and Ugiagbe was poised to run the regional qualifying time. She said that she would be ready, given the fact that she would only be running the 4×200 and the 400. As her luck has been going this season, Ugiagbe injured herself during the relay and was unable to participate in the 400. She will be out again this weekend when her team goes to California for the Brutus Hamilton Invitational.

Her only race before Big Tens will be the uncompetitive Illinois Twilight next Wednesday, and that’s only if she’s completely healed. When I talked to associate head coach Tonja Buford-Bailey, she said she wasn’t sure if Ugiagbe would be ready by next Wednesday. In other words, cross your fingers for good weather at Big Tens — her last chance to qualify.

Also, due to word constraints, I had to cut out of my last article the fact that Rachel Hernandez finished sixth in the Invitational Division of the 800 with a regional qualifying time of 2:09.93. She’s been consistently putting up solid times this year.

That’s all from me, Champaign’s finest women’s track reporter.

The following post was written by staff writer Lee Ann Sangalang.

Each week, the Illinois’ men’s golf team features a different lineup. While this may allow room for criticism because of the lack of consistency, even all the way into last week, the final week of the regular season, this flexibility may be the Illini’s biggest asset.

The team is at least seven-deep. Three individuals have taken first place medals — freshman Scott Langley, freshman Chris DeForest, and redshirt sophomore Matt Hoffman. The other four players that played in the Varsity lineup this season (Mark Ogren, Larry Blatt, Jon Krick, and Zach Barlow) have led the Illini at a tournament at least at one point. With this depth, head coach Mike Small really could not go wrong picking a lineup for this week’s Big Ten tournament.

Each player has the ability to come out on top. In addition, these players are of all different grade levels. The lineup boasts two freshmen, two sophomores, two juniors, and a senior. The upperclassmen have experience on their side and have capitalized. The trio – Blatt, Ogren, and Krick – have the second, third, and fourth highest stroke averages respectively. At the same time, the underclassmen are the ones who have taken all the titles this season. In collegiate sports, where seniority plays a huge part in deciding lineups, the men’s golf team has shown the underclassmen can compete just as well – and now hone talents for seasons to come.

The team has had nearly equal playing time between the seven. Langley is the sole individual who has been in every lineup. Small’s rotation has seasoned every player into being able to compete. The added healthy competition between players for spots in the lineup has allowed them to focus. With seven capable players and the top-five playing in the postseason, Illinois is going to be a force to reckon this weekend in East Lansing, Mich.

The following post was written by staff writer Kate Munson.

While the Illini (27-26, 6-8 Big Ten) may not have a particularly remarkable record, their offensive statistics are impressive.

The Fighting Illini are third in the Big Ten with a team batting average of .290. Senior shortstop Angelena Mexicano is leading the charge. She has belted 20 homeruns on the season, breaking the record she and teammate Shanna Diller set for most Illini long-balls in a single season when they each hit 16 in the 2007 season. Mexicano’s 20 homers are good for most in the Big Ten and the nation. She also has 53 RBIs for the Illini, second in the Big Ten, and is batting .367 on the season for eighth in the conference.

But she isn’t the only productive Illinois hitter. Lana Armstrong and Sarah Bryers are also in the top five of Big Ten run producers. And Shanna Diller is right behind Mexicano in average, batting .353 on the season.

So how can a team be close to the top of their conference in average and leading or in the top in individual offensive categories, especially RBIs, and still be below the .500 mark in conference play?

Look no further than pitching. As a staff, Illinois pitchers have a 4.09 ERA. Michigan has the lowest ERA in the Big Ten at 0.62. Indiana (13-31, 3-11) is the only team in the conference with a higher team ERA than the Orange and Blue at 4.79.