Monmouth track team vaults over competition

By: Ian Van Anden
Sports Editor

The women’s track team participated in the Titan Open at Illinois Wesleyan University on Saturday, Feb. 3. In the open, the Scots placed fifth out of the 12 competing teams.

The distance medley relay “A” team placed first in a time of 13:15.41. This was a big win for the team at the end of the open.

Junior Jessica White became yet another provisional qualifier in the pole vault with a height of 11’8”. Two other MC women looked good in the pole vault: junior Megan McKenna and sophomore Erin Degelman. McKenna tied for fifth and is a provisional qualifier with her height of 11’2-1/4”. Meanwhile, Degelman tied for eighth in event.

Sophomore Shannon Turczyn ran 9.30 in the 60 -meter high hurdle event. Also running in the 60-meter high hurdle event was sophomore Ashley Widdop, who placed fifth.

Senior Andrea Emery had a good afternoon as she placed sixth in the high jump, hitting a height of 4’11” and then placed 11th in the triple jump. Also competing in the high jump were junior Megan Clennon and freshman April Campen. Clennon finished in eighth and Campen finished tying for ninth.

Junior Jenny Babos placed eighth in the shotput and then fourth in the weight throw for Monmouth. Senior Kila Cox had a solid performance in the 200-meter dash placing in a tie for eighth.

As for the Scots’ men’s track team, it looks to continue its 2007 indoor season success at the Illinois Wesleyan open. On Saturday, Feb. 3 Monmouth traveled to Bloomington, Ill., for the open. The Scots placed first at the open, outworking the 16 other competing teams.

Once again the Scots performed well in the field events. Senior Jeff Rebholz set a school record in the weight throw with a distance of 58’5-1/4. The throw earned Rebholz first place and made him a provisional qualifier in the event. Rebholz was even better in the shot put, where he placed first and also threw a provisional qualifying mark of 54’6-3/4.

Junior Zach Wilson finished second behind Rebholz in the weight throw with a distance of 56’7-1/2 also making him a provisional qualifier. Wilson finished fourth in the shot put event.

The Monmouth College pole vaulters all looked good on the afternoon. Junior Peter Sprecher placed third in the event and became a provisional qualifier when he hit a height of 15’10”. Sprecher finished behind junior teammate Jonny Henkins. Henkins placed second with a height of 16’4” and is also a provisional qualifier.

Senior Tim Frank tied for first in the high jump with a height of 6’4-3/4”. Another MC senior, Alex Stuart, placed first in the triple jump with his distance of 45’4-1/4”.

As for the Monmouth College runners, they performed well also. Senior Kel Bond placed second in the mile and then third in the 800-meter run. Senior Dante Daniels, like Bond, placed second and third in his two events. First in the 200-meter dash Daniels grabbed second and then in the 400-meter dash he grabbed third.

Senior Aaron Etienne looked good in his two events. First, in the mile, Etienne placed fourth, slightly behind Bond. Then, in the 3,000-meter competition, the senior placed seventh.

Senior Brandon Hurckes and sophomore Nick Long each competed in the 60-meter high hurdles. Hurckes placed fifth and Long placed eighth.

Another senior, Tyler Rundle, placed seventh in both of his events, the 200-meter run and the 400-meter run. Freshman Clay Staley looked good in the 5,000-meter run, where he placed sixth.

The men will join the women at the DePauw Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 10.