THE GRAND OPENING

Since mid-August, the Fighting Scots football team has been on the new synthetic FieldTurf at April Zorn Memorial Stadium on an almost daily basis, including a scrimmage last weekend that was played under the facility’s new lights.

Other parts of the sparkling new venue, including home and visitor seating and a 120-foot long press box, received their first use during last fall’s record-breaking football season.

But this weekend, the college’s $4.2 million April Zorn Memorial Stadium will finally become “official,” as it will be formally dedicated Sept. 5 at 10:30 a.m., prior to the Scots’ season opener vs. Loras College at 1 p.m. A hospitality tent located behind the press box will open at 11:30 a.m.

The game will mark the conclusion of a busy weekend related to the new stadium, which is named for April Zorn Huff, the late wife of Walter S. Huff Jr. Both were MC students in the 1950s.

“April was very fond of Monmouth College football,” said Huff, a 1956 graduate who also donated the naming gift for the college’s Huff Athletic Center. “That fondness goes back to her days as a student, when she participated in the Pep Club and school band. She enjoyed going to football games, whether it be high school, college or professional games.”

After graduating from Monmouth in 1959, Zorn taught in Peoria and Highland Park and earned a master’s degree in guidance and counseling from the University of Illinois. She took time out from her career to raise two children, then returned to teaching in California in 1994. She died on Nov. 17, 2007, after a battle with cancer.

The first phase of the stadium renovation, completed last summer, improved the football experience for fans and support staff. New seating was constructed on both sidelines, and a state-of-the-art press box, with improved webcasting capabilities, was built. Those capabilities were especially appreciated by Fighting Scots fans who were unable to make it campus for one or both of the NCAA playoffs games that Monmouth hosted last season.

The second phase primarily benefits the players and coaches, as synthetic FieldTurf has replaced a grass playing surface. Fans, of course, will most notice the change on game days, but the players are able to practice on it every day.

Besides hosting football practices and games, April Zorn Memorial Stadium will also benefit the college’s intramural programs and its marching band. The track also received a new surface as part of the second phase of the construction, paving the way for use by the college’s nationally-ranked track teams next spring.

Although the completed April Zorn Memorial Stadium is yet to host an official game, it has already earned an award, as college officials accepted a Lorraine D. Wright Construction Award for the project this summer.

FOLLOWING IN HER COACH’S FOOTSTEPS    

Tanesha Hughes (Peoria, Ill./Woodruff) may have been a thrower on the Fighting Scots track team, but she cleared a hurdle last week, becoming the Fighting Scots’ second semifinalist since 2003 for the NCAA’s prestigious Woman of the Year award.

Hughes, a three-sport athlete at Monmouth who competed all four years in volleyball, basketball and indoor/outdoor track, was selected as one of just 10 representatives from Division III for the annual Woman of the Year award. This summer, the Monmouth graduate was named the Midwest Conference’s representative for the award, given annually to a female athlete who has distinguished herself, not only in the athletic arena, but also in the classroom and community. She was the second consecutive nominee from Monmouth to represent the Midwest Conference, following Ashley Yeast’s selection last year.

Not only does Hughes make it 2-for-2 in the conference competition, she joins her basketball coach Melissa Bittner as a semifinalist, making her the second Monmouth College student-athlete named to the semifinal field since 2003. As a student, Bittner was the Illinois state winner in 2003 and a top 10 finalist for the national award that year.

“The experience of meeting women from other NCAA divisions was fascinating,” explained Bittner of her trip to the awards in 2003. “It was interesting to compare backgrounds and experiences. Tanesha is a good representative for Monmouth. She is a well-rounded and gifted individual. Her work on the court, in the classroom and in the community exemplifies the type of student-athlete we graduate at Monmouth.”

Monmouth – a liberal arts college in western Illinois – has nominated three women for the award since 2003 and all three have advanced through the first round of the selection process. Hughes could join Bittner on another level as a finalist if the selection committee tabs her as one of three Division III finalists next month. Only nine women from 132 entrees from all the divisions will be named to the finals field. That could magnify even more the college’s successful run in the Woman of the Year competition.

“Tanesha this year, Ashley last year, and Coach Bittner in 2003, are classic examples of the type of student-athlete we try to recruit,” said athletic director Roger Haynes. “All three are well-rounded individuals with a variety of interests and athletic skills. At Monmouth, we try to nurture that diversity. The fact that Coach Bittner, and now Tanesha, advanced to the semifinals is a testament to the job our faculty, coaches and staff have done to encourage the students’ involvement in a wide range of activities both on and off the court.”

In the classroom, Hughes earned academic all-conference status 10 times. She was also named to the National Dean’s List and holds membership in Blue Key honor society and the National Society of Scholastic Scholars. During her career at Monmouth, Hughes was involved in more than 15 volunteer activities, including Special Olympics, Relay for Life and Circle K International.

An outside hitter for volleyball, a center on the basketball team and a thrower in track and field, Hughes had a stellar senior season in all three sports. She earned her first All-American award in the final track meet of her career, placing fourth in the discus at the NCAA National Outdoor Track & Field Championships, and she earned her first volleyball and basketball all-conference awards, too. The five-time Midwest Conference track and field champion’s appearance at last spring’s outdoor championships was her third appearance at the meet. In volleyball, Hughes was second on the team in blocks and third in kills. On the hardwood, the 5-foot-10 Hughes had her career-best year, leading the MWC in both scoring and (16.3 ppg) and rebounding (10.2 rpg).

A banquet in Indianapolis on Oct. 18 will honor all 30 women selected as semifinalists for the Woman of the Year. The field is selected by a committee from NCAA member schools and conferences. The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics will select the overall winner who will be announced at the banquet as the culminating event of the months-long process.

Hughes graduated in May with a degree in computer science and currently works as a software specialist for an information system company outside St. Louis, Mo.

IT’S FINALLY HERE

Saying they’re ready mentally, the football team opens the 2009 season at home Saturday at 1 p.m. on new artificial turf against last year’s opening opponent, Loras College. The Fighting Scots posted a 24-17 come-from-behind win over the Duhawks last season.

“We had a lot of work to do this week,” reported MC head coach Steve Bell. “The guys are ready to play someone else instead of facing each other in practice. They’re ready physically and mentally to get the season started. We still have a few question marks, but going into the season opener, I think we’re about where we need to be.” 

Like the Midwest Conference champion Scots, who return the majority of last year’s starters, Loras returns 17 starters from last year’s team, which finished third in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Duhawks return sophomore quarterback Vaughn Gesing, who – as a freshman – completed nearly 52 percent of his passes on the way to throwing for 1,355 yards.

“He (Gesing) has a year’s experience under his belt,” warned Bell. “He did a nice job last year as a first-year starter. The coaches will be more familiar with his strengths and weaknesses, so we expect him to be even better.”

Gesing hit 10 different receivers last season, but his favorite target, Ben McMahon, was lost to graduation as was the Duhawks’ top rusher, Alex McGrew, who carried the ball 80 percent of the time in 2008. McMahon ended the year with nearly 700 yards in receptions.

“They ran the ball well last year and they always have,” said Bell. “I don’t expect them to be that much different this year. There may be some tweaks, but we don’t expect any wholesale changes. Defensively, our guys have to do their job to the best of their abilities and tackle well. That’s always a first game concern. We can’t allow yards after a catch, or any long runs. We’ll have to eliminate mistakes on alignments and assignments. Those two are controllable things.”

Loras’ defense should be tested, too.

Alex Tanney guides a Scots offense that led Division III in scoring last season and returns all but one offensive lineman. Sixteen different players recorded catches last season and a dozen had at least one carry. Loras had as much success controlling the Scots’ high octane offense as anyone last season, holding Monmouth to a season-low 24 points.

“They’re good,” said Bell of the Duhawk defense. “Loras is well-coached on offense and defense. You know their kids are being taught where to be and when to be there. They play with a lot of discipline. They’ll have some of the better defensive players we’ll see this season up front. It will be physical, so we’ll have to bring our hardhats. If it goes like I expect, it will be a good game to watch.”

The two teams had just over 400 yards of offense in last year’s matchup – combined. Bell is hoping for a little more offense out of his team in this year’s opener.

“We didn’t play up to our offensive abilities against Loras last year,” said Bell. “If we play the way we’re capable, we’ll at least give ourselves a chance.”

Last year’s second half comeback propelled the Scots to a 10-0 regular season, but Bell isn’t looking to last season for inspiration.

“Last year was last year,” claimed Bell. “Obviously, we have a lot of experience coming back, but we haven’t proved anything yet this year. No one is going to give us anything because of what we were. You can’t hang on to what was when you’re trying to get to what you’re going to be. That hasn’t been written yet.”

At the end of Saturday, the Scots are hoping Bell will write a passing grade on their first test.

OFF TO A FAST START

A pair of cross country runners will have a hard time bettering their performance from Tuesday’s Titan Opener dual meet at Illinois Wesleyan.

Junior Mary Kate Beyer and sophomore Geoff Bird won the women’s and men’s competitions, respectively. Beyer set the 2 mile Fighting Scots’ record for a junior, clocking an 11:44.7. Katie Staab’s 12:15.9 sixth place finish set the Scots’ standard for seniors over that distance.

Brianna Flynn placed 11th in 12:53.1 to led the remainder of the pack – Taryn Tang’s 13:03.1 placed her 13th while freshman Brittney Frazier and senior Amy Aghababian were 16th and 17th. Another freshman – Tori Beaty – placed 19th and Jayme Ayers was 21st. Whitney Didier in 23rd position and Marlee Lane in 26th rounded out the Scots’ women. Less than 30 seconds separated Tang in 13th from Ayers in 21st.

The Scots’ men had three distinct packs, led by Bird’s win and Jonathan Welty in second at 16:39.0. The second pack consisted of five runners, paced by freshman Jake Barr in 8th with a time of 17:14.2, just two-tenths ahead of senior Damon Bautista in 9th. A trio of freshman closed out the second pack with Connor Shields 10th in 17:24.4, Paul Davies 12th at 17:34.5 and Nate Jones in 13th with a time of 17:43.6.

Monmouth’s final pack was paced by junior Craig Maher who placed 18th in 18:09.0. Three freshmen – Matt Gatlin, Brian Daly and Peter Lipinski finished 20th, 22nd and 25th.

The Scots have 10 days off before competing at next Friday’s Bradley University Open.

THAT’S A WINNER

“Good things come to those who wait,” may be a popular phrase for mothers to use with an impatient child, but for women’s soccer coach Barry McNamara mother’s lesson was put into use in their season opener.

It took them more than a half, but the Fighting Scots finally solved host MacMurray’s packed-in defense and put a ball in the back of the net in their season opener. Two more goals followed as Monmouth stayed unbeaten all-time against the Highlanders in five matches.

Freshman Ashley Reynoso recorded the first goal, heading home a short cross from senior midfielder Lauren Vana in the 53rd minute. Four minutes later, Vana again had a helper, setting up classmate Emily Caron on the far post for a 2-0 lead. Playing in front of some hometown fans from nearby Springfield, junior Katie Zeter completed the scoring with her first varsity goal, knocking in a pass from classmate Berenice Martinez. The Scots were strong in the back and did not surrender a shot to the Highlanders.

Sarah Wintersteen and Katerina Meletis split time in goal to share only the third season-opening shutout in the history of the program. The Scots hit the road for Coe College this Saturday.

A CLOSE-KNIT GROUP

The women’s golf team was the first Fighting Scots team to begin competition this season, finishing sixth at last Saturday’s Augustana Invitational.

Heavy rains in the days prior to the meet at the Emeis Golf Course in Davenport, Iowa, made for a soggy course. Windy conditions didn’t help, either, but for Scots’ coach Molly McNamara, it was still a good day to golf.

“It was nice to get a round under our belts and give us a good foundation for the rest of the year,” said McNamara. “We hadn’t really been able to get much course time in, so just being able to play a live round was beneficial.”

Just 12 strokes separated the Scots’ five golfers. Monmouth’s two seniors led Monmouth in their season debut. Lynsey Barnard’s 93 tied her for 14th and Kendra Catterton tied for 27th with a career-best 99. The Scots’ other returner – junior Kristin Humphrey – fought off front nine trouble and found her driver on the back side to tour the course with a 101 and tie for 31st.

“Kendra wasn’t satisfied with her round,” reported McNamara of Catterton’s career-best. “She missed a few putts that hurt, but she has high expectations of herself. She could shoot a 72 and still not be satisfied. That’s kind of the attitude you want to have as a golfer.”

A freshman and a sophomore each made their team debut Saturday. Despite trouble with her putter, newcomer Nicole Hurst got in the scoring column carding a 103 to tie for 35th. Sophomore Lanae Hoffman’s 115 placed her 44th.

“Nicole and Lanae were able to calm their nerves down,” praised McNamara. “Nicole shaved nine strokes off the back nine in her first college event. She was striking the ball well, but had some trouble on the greens. Lanae only played one college round last year, but had a nice round. She has the potential for improvement.”

Missed putts were the common theme for the Scots in their opening score of 396, just two strokes back of St. Ambrose for fifth. They’ll get the chance to fix that problem this weekend at the Illinois College Fall Invitational at Jacksonville, Ill.

“This will be good test for us this weekend,” claimed McNamara. “Including us, four of the seven conference schools who have golf will be playing. We’re gearing for improvement on each round. The links course has some trouble holes on the back nine. We’ll need to avoid the big numbers on those holes. This will be a measuring stick for us.”

GROWING PAINS – PART I

Volleyball coach Kari Shimmin knew her team would experience some growing pains heading into the season, after all, half of last year’s varsity roster graduated.

The Scots felt that pain in their opener Tuesday, falling to Cornell 3-0. The veteran-laden Rams had their way with the Scots early, setting the tone for the sweep.

A couple of newcomers provided some bright spots for the Scots as did two veterans. In her collegiate debut, 5-foot-9 freshman Chelsey Widdop recorded a team-high six kills. Another newcomer – junior transfer Alicia Yeakey – put down four winners. Returners Alyson Schroeter and Kendra Newlon added five and four kills, respectively. Defensive specialist Sara Schoon had nearly half the Scots digs with a career-high 15 and Laura Anton contributed a team-best 13 assists.

Cornell jumped out to an early lead in the first set and never took their foot off the gas to take two of the last three meetings with Monmouth over the past two seasons.

The Scots get a chance to rebound this weekend, hosting the five-team Monmouth Invitational at Glennie Gym. Matches begin at 9:30 Saturday morning.

GROWING PAINS – PART II

Like the volleyball team, George Perry’s men’s soccer team had a large influx of new talent this fall and it may be a few games before it all comes together.

Elmhurst took advantage and rained on Monmouth's home opener, posting a 6-0 win over the Fighting Scots last night. The Blue Jays' Keith Thurman put Elmhurst on the board in the ninth minute with his first of four goals on the day. The Scots trailed 2-0 at halftime, but Elmhurst put two more in the back of the net in the first 14 minutes and cruised to the win.

The Scots actually got 75 percent of their shots on goal, but couldn’t get past the Elmhurst keeper. The Blue Jays meanwhile bombarded Scots keepers Owen Robinson and Nicholas Vyncke with a dozen of their 13 shots on goal. Two quick Elmhurst goals early in the second half and two more late in the game made for the lopsided score.

Perry’s squad hosts Benedictine Saturday in a 1:30 game at Peacock Memorial Athletic Park.

A PACKED HOUSE

For what may be the first time in modern Monmouth College history, all of its student-athletes met at the same place on Aug. 26. More than 400 Fighting Scots team members completely filled the east-side bleachers of Glennie Gymnasium.

Roger Haynes, who is entering his second year as the college’s full-time director of athletics, recreation and fitness, initiated the all-athlete meeting, which lasted approximately 45 minutes. Items that Haynes and the rest of the MC coaching staff addressed included:

         • a video on NCAA drug testing.

         • the explanation and completion of several Monmouth College and NCAA forms, relating to such issues as participation agreements and the Family Educational Right to Privacy Act (FERPA).

         • academic requirements, specifically related to satisfactory progress toward a degree and academic honesty.

         • a review of a Social Guidelines Agreement that Haynes instituted a year ago, with items relating to such issues as alcohol and substance abuse, eligibility and travel policies.

         • goals for the college’s athletic teams, which included extending the streak of five consecutive men’s all-sports championships and student-athletes posting a cumulative GPA higher than the campus average.

         • creating a new Leadership Council of student-athletes that would address issues not currently being handled by the college’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee. The 40-member council will include two members from each of the college’s 20 athletic teams.

“I think it’s important to have some consistency and continuity among our athletic teams and how we run our programs,” said Haynes of the meeting. “Sharing things like our common goals and our social guidelines can only help us.”

INSTANT REPLAY

OK, so it’s not REALLY instant replay, but Fighting Scots fans WILL be able to catch the action via their computer again this season.

Fans not able to attend the games in person may watch the action on their computer by logging on to www.midwestconference.tv to view the live action with video and audio. All webcasts are free simply by logging on.

All football, conference volleyball matches and selected other events will be covered via streaming audio and video. Kickoff time for all football games are set for 1:00 p.m. with pregame coverage set for 12:45 p.m.

As they say “Check your local listings,” or in this case, check the “Schedules – Fall 2009” link on the athletic department website.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Thurs., Sept. 3
Women’s Tennis – hosts Lawrence, 3:00 pm
Walk the Turf night – 6:00 pm 

Sat., Sept. 5
Women’s Golf – at Illinois College Invitational, 8:00 am
Volleyball – Monmouth College Invitational, 9:30 am
Dedication of April Zorn Memorial Stadium, 10:30 am
Football – hosts Loras, 1:00 pm
Women’s Soccer – at Coe, 1:00 pm
Men’s Soccer – hosts Benedictine, 1:30 pm 

Sun., Sept. 6
Women’s Golf – at Illinois College Invitational, 8:00 am 

Mon., Sept. 7
Women’s Soccer – at Hannibal-LaGrange, 4:00 pm 

SCOTSIVATIONAL

“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude”. – Thomas Jefferson