CHAMPAIGN – The Illinois men's track and field team added a 15-member recruiting class that includes the silver medalist in the triple jump at the 2009 Maccabi Games and four state high school champions.
"We are very pleased with the quality and depth of this recruiting class," Illini coach Wayne Angel said. "It offers a nice mix of youth and experience. This is one of the best recruiting classes that we have had in quite some time at Illinois, and we are still looking at bringing in more talented athletes at the semester."
The group includes two area athletes, distance runner Zebo Zebe of Unity and sprinter Malcolm Taylor of Urbana University High.
Zebe finished second in the 800 meters and fourth in the 400 at the IHSA Class 1A state meet in May.
"He was a multi-sport athlete (in high school)," Angel said, "and with a year-round focus on track the sky is the limit as to how good he can be."
Taylor placed third at state in the Class 1A 400.
Incoming field events athletes include Central Michigan transfer Oz Lifshitz, the 2009 Mid-American Conference champion in the indoor and outdoor triple jump. The native of Rishon Lezion, Israel, was the runner-up in his signature event at the Maccabiah International Games in July. Lifshitz has two years of collegiate eligibility remaining.
"Oz adds a much-needed big gun in the horizontal jumps," Angel said. "His maturity and previous collegiate and international experience will serve him well as he comes into the Big Ten. He should be a good example for our younger jumpers."
State champions joining the Illini include Bai Kabba of Batavia; Boyea Lockett of Tulsa, Okla.; Ryan Lynn of Maine South; and Josh Zinzer of Aurora West.
Lockett won a total of four Oklahoma Class 6A state titles, two in the 100 and two in the 200. Kabba is the reigning IHSA 3A champion in the 400. Lynn won the 3A title in the 800 this year, and Zinzer captured the 200 crown in the same meet.
In golf:
Illini duo ousted. Both remaining Illini players in the U.S. Amateur Championship at Tulsa, Okla., were eliminated Thursday during the second round of match play.
Senior Zach Barlow lost to Mike Anderson of Beaufort, S.C., 1-up, and junior Scott Langley was ousted by Marcel Puyat of the Philippines 4 and 3 in the Round of 32.
Anderson was 3-up through 15 holes before Barlow won the next two holes to cut his deficit to 1. However, Barlow was unable to extend the match when both players matched par on the par-4 18th.
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