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12/10/2012
2012 Cross Country Season in Review
Senior leads youthful squad throughout season
11/02/2012
Hynes Leads Illini at Hoosier Invitational
Illini compete in final race before NCAA Midwest Regionals
11/01/2012
Small Squad to Compete at Hoosier Invitational
Five Illini look to set personal-bests on the 5K course
10/28/2012
Illini Finish Ninth at Big Ten Championships
Yaeger leads team and earns second-team All-Big Ten honors
10/25/2012
Orange and Blue Travel to Big Ten Championships
Illini will travel to East Lansing for conference meet
AT ILLINOIS
Cross Country
2012 XC - Junior
Set personal-bests at each distance ... Competed in first career Big Ten Championships, finishing 97th overall ... Finished first for the Illini at the Bradley Classic, running her first 6K race with a time of 22:36 ... Scored points for Illinois at the Illinois Open and the Illini Challenge, finishing second and fifth, respectively ... Academic All-Big Ten.
2010 XC - Freshman
Made Illini debut at the Illini Challenge, placing eighth for the Illini ... Finished 14th for Illinois at the Illinois Intercollegiate Championships ... Improved her 5K time by more than a minute in the Illini Open.
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2013 Track and Field
Indoor: Did not compete.
2012 Track and Field
Outdoor: Competed in the 1,500m and 3,000m ... Set a personal-best time of 4:45.51 in the 1,500m at the Purdue Open Outdoor Invitational ... Finished fifth in the 3,000m at the Tom Botts Invitational with a season-best time of 10:56.21.
Indoor: Set career-bests in the 1,500m, mile and 3,000m ... Placed seventh in the 1,500m at the Purdue Invitational with a time of 4:45.51 ... Ran a career-best mile time of 5:23.64 at the EIU Friday Night Special, finishing 12th ... Clocked a personal-best time of 10:52.87 in the 3,000m at the Illinois Orange and Blue Open.
2011 Track and Field
Indoor: Recorded her personal-best time in the 3,000m with 11:13.23 at the Illini Classic.
High School
Earned five varsity letters between cross country and track and field ... Was a Dupage Valley All-Conference selection for cross country in 2009 ... Two-time National Honor Society honoree ... Was a National Merit Commended Scholar and an Illinois State Scholar during her senior year.
Personal
Full name is Rachel Ellen Irion ... Daughter of Dave and Patti Irion ... Born Sept. 18, 1991 in Urbana, Ill. ... Father, Dave, was a distance runner at Illinois State University ... Her favorite athlete is Lance Armstrong because, after fighting cancer, he had every excuse to give up, but he came back stronger than ever ... Hobbies include playing guitar, bike riding and watching movies ... Her high school coach, Aislinn Hicks, most influenced her athletic career because she helped her realize her potential as an athlete and a leader ... Majoring in psychology and Spanish.
Irion's Personal Bests
Cross Country
4K: 16:21 - Illini Challenge (8/31/12)
5K: 18:50 - Notre Dame Invitational (9/28/12)
6K: 22:36 - Bradley Classic (10/12/12)
Track
Indoor
1,500m: 4:45.31 - Purdue Invitational (1/29/11)
Mile: 5:23.64 - EIU Friday Night Special (2/17/12)
3,000m: 10:52.87 - Illinois Orange and Blue Open (2/4/12)
Outdoor
3,000m: 10:56.21 - Tom Botts Invitational (4/14/12)
Updated April 2013
