MWC Champions...AGAIN!!!

by Ian Van Anden
Ass. Sports Editor

While the rest of us were enjoying our spring break, wherever we were, the Monmouth College track team was on it’s way to sweeping its fifth straight Midwest Conference Title.

Friday, March 3 and Saturday, March 4 the Scots’ track teams competed in the two day long Midwest Conference Championships. The weekend was highlighted with MC individual victories 18 in all, out of 36 events, as well as victories in all five relays.

Sophomore Megan McKenna took first place in the women’s pole vault and junior Kila Cox dominated the 400-meter dash. Freshman Shannon Turczyn hurdled over the competition in the 55-meter hurdles. Sophomore Jen Babos won the women's weight throw, and senior Christina Reiner leaped above everyone else receiving the blue ribbon in the high jump.

Junior Dante Daniels continued his winning ways since arriving at MC, as he won the 200-meter dash and junior Tyler Rundle captured first in the 400-meter dash. Sophomore Peter Sprecher captured first in the men’s pole vault.

Sophomore Zach Wilson dominated the shot put and weight throw competitions in his magical season and weekend. Senior Albert Greene again won another long jump competition and junior Kel Bond came out on top in the 800-meter run and mile.

Wilson’s performance over the weekend was one of the more dominate during the MWC weekend. His distance in the shot put was an extraordinary 51’6-1/4. As for the weight throw competition Wilson blew away his competitors with a throw of 57’2.

Bond who has led the men's distance team all year finished his third year on the MC indoor track team out with a bang. His time of 4:21.97 in the mile is jaw dropping and equally impressive as his 1:55.50 in the 800-meter run.

Greene continued his winning ways in the long jump. The MC record holder of the triple jump captured first place in the long jump with his jump of 23’.

Next year the Scots will bring back all but two of their first place finishers, as Green and Reiner will both graduate at the end of the spring term. This just means the Scots will be returning nine Midwest Conference Champions next indoor track season; this is without mentioning all the other talent returning and arriving next year.

Bond, along with two other Fighting Scots headed to Northfield, Minn for the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships which took place on Friday March 10 and Saturday March 11. Also traveling to Northfield are pole vaulters Sprecher and Jonny Henkins.

At the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships Bond finished 10th in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:55.54. In the pole vault competition Spercher captured 11th place with Henkins was not able to record a height.

After their performance during the championships, it leaves many to wonder how long this epic streak will continue. Although mostly unnoticed behind the accomplishments of MC’s football team, the track program is beginning to put together an impressive resume.

With Coach Haynes at the helm for now 23 years (as men's coach 7 as women's coach), he has created both a stable and continually competitive program. Despite the loss of talent every year to graduation, injury, and eligibility, Haynes and the track program have continually risen to the occasion.

The standard for success in Midwest conference track is held by Coe. Coe captured 10 straight outdoor titles from 1972-81. Now, including both the indoor and outdoor meets, Monmouth's men won their 11th consecutive MWC meet Saturday, dating from 2001-2005.

St. Norbert is the only school with more consecutive indoor and outdoor championships The Foresters recorded 12 consecutive women’s title sweeps from 1986-1991.

Monmouth College has now firmly established itself at the MWC track and even athletic powerhouse. MC's football and track teams are showing no signs of slowing down after each had yet another impressive season this 2005-2006 school year.

MC’s other teams had down season compared to the football and track programs but overall the college's athletics seem to be on the upswing.

The track team has a relative quick turn around as outdoor practice has already begun. The Fighting Scots will be competing in their first outdoor meet of the season on April Fools day Saturday Apr. 1 at Washington University Invitational in St. Louis, MO.