April 7, 2003

Naperville, Ill. - Sophomore Nick Gazis captured the discus championship with a career-best throw of 153.2 feet to help the University of Illinois at Chicago men's track and field team to a 12th-place finish at the Chicagoland Championships, hosted by North Central College on Saturday afternoon.

Gazis also placed fourth in the hammer throw with a heave of 137.6 feet.

North Central captured the overall title with 142.5 points, followed by DePaul (95), Wheaton (68.5), Loyola (68), Chicago (65), College of DuPage (62), Chicago State (59), St. Joseph's (55.5), Elmhurst (41), Carthage (39), North Park (38), UIC (30), Harper (20), Lewis (12.5), Oakton (8), Benedictine (5), Concordia (4), Trinity Christian (2).

Seniors Rich Daubert (1,500-meter run, 4:02.36) and Joe Marren (3,000-meter steeplechase, 10:02.2) each turned in a pair of fifth-place finishes for the Flames.

Junior jumper Kevin Mitchem tied for sixth overall in the high jump with a leap of 5'11½".

UIC will be back in action on Saturday, as they will travel to Macomb, Ill., to participate in the Les Calhoun Memorial, hosted by Western Illinois.