Wilmot graduate Zach Beth set the tone for the University of Wisconsin track and field team in its first road meet of the season over the weekend.

Competing in the annual Meyo Invitational at the Loftus Center on the Notre Dame campus in South Bend, Ind., the fourth-year junior won the 1,000-meter run in a school-record time of 2 minutes, 22.39 seconds.

Beth beat Ohio State’s Cory Leslie (2:22.48) and Notre Dame’s Johnathan Shawel (2:22.76) to the finish line.

Last season, Beth qualified for the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships in the 800. During the outdoor season, he was the NCAA Mideast Regional runner-up in the 800.

Simon stars for CMU

Scamps product and Central graduate Katie Simon posted her best performance of the season as the Central Michigan gymnastics team posted a season-best score of 194.975 to win the 18th annual State of Michigan Classic on Sunday.

Simon, a senior, won the all-around with a season-best 39.175. The Bristol native posted a 9.7 or better in all four events to crack the 39-point barrier in the all-around for the first time this season. She won the balance beam with a season-best 9.80 and posted scores of 9.775 on the uneven bars (tied for second), 9.825 on floor (tied for fourth) and 9.775 on vault (tied for sixth).

“Katie is a real competitor,” CMU coach Jerry Reighard said on the school’s Web site. “She has been hot and cold through the first few meets this year. She looked like the Katie of last year. She was very vocal that she was ready at the end of the week in practice. Today, she was very confident and very sure of herself.”

The Chippewas (7-1, 1-0 Mid-American) bested No. 21 Michigan State along with MAC foes Eastern Michigan and host Western Michigan.

In last year’s MAC Championships, Simons won four titles (vault, bars, floor and all-around).

Big 12 honors Maccani

Scamps product Ceilia Maccani is a fifth-year senior on the 20th-ranked Iowa State gymnastics team.

On Tuesday, she shared the Big 12 Event Specialist of the Week award with Oklahoma’s Melanie Root after her performance at Michigan.

Maccani took the balance beam title with a career-best 9.85 to help lead Iowa State to a season-best 49.000 on the event. Maccani also scored a season-high 9.75 on vault to take fourth and posted a 9.75 on bars.

The honor marks Maccani’s first career Big 12 award. The Big 12 Event Specialist of the Week is awarded to the top non-all-around gymnast in the league for the previous week.

Ventura productive

Kenosha native Anthony Ventura had a goal and an assist for the Lake Forest hockey team in an 8-3 loss to 12th-ranked Adrian College on Saturday at the Alumni Memorial Rink in Lake Forest, Ill.

In 18 games, the junior forward has two goals and five assists for the Foresters, who are 7-8-1 in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association and 7-12-1 overall.

Adrian improved to 16-0 in the MCHA and 18-3 overall.

Anichini at Utah State

Central graduate Katelyn Anichini is in her first season as a member of the NCAA Division I Utah State track and field team.

In the Bronco Invitational on Jan. 30 at Boise State, the freshman finished 20th in the mile run in 5 minutes, 57.32 seconds.

Boone steps up

Scamps product Lyndsie Boone is a junior on the Utah State gymnastics team.

In Friday’s triangular with Brigham Young and Denver, Boone was fourth in the all-around with a 38.275.

Boone started things off for USU’s beam rotation, posting a 9.55. After recording a 9.65 on beam, Boone moved to the floor exercise where the Aggies posted a season-best score of 48.550. Boone would have scored a career-high 9.85, but she stepped out of bounds for a one-tenth deduction, finishing with a 9.75. She finished up with a 9.325 on vault.

In the previous meet, the Aggies came up a half-point shy in falling to 21st-ranked Boise State, 191.625-191.125. Boone posted a career-high in winning the all-around with a 38.850. She also tallied a career-high 9.825 on vault and finished tied for second, while placing third on beam with a 9.725.