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   Paced by a trio of MVP performances, Monmouth College’s men’s and women’s indoor track teams captured overall titles at the Midwest Conference Championships at Knox College Saturday.

     The victories came after a one-year sabbatical for the Fighting Scots, who had swept the indoor titles in 1996-98. Coach Roger Haynes has now won seven men’s indoor titles and is a perfect 1-for-1 on the women’s side.

     Jumper David Hodge, thrower Eric Holmes and sprinter Constance Jackson received MVP recognition, Holmes and Jackson will compete this weekend at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships at Bloomington, Ill., hosted by Illinois Wesleyan University. A third athlete, Scott Stanton, also qualified for the meet after winning the 55-meter high hurdles.

     Jackson’s huge performance was certainly a catalyst for the women, who topped Carroll 163-130 for the title, in the process breaking the old record of 161 points scored at an MWC meet.

     Jackson qualified for the national meet in both the long jump, which she won in 17’10-1/4, and the 400-meter dash (58.25). It will be Jackson’s second straight trip to the national meet in the 400 and the sixth straight year the Scots have sent a runner to nationals in that event (Christine Stanton went in 1995 and Heather Furrow qualified in 1996-98). In addition, Jackson’s first-place time of 25.77 in the 200-meter dash was a conference and fieldhouse record.

     In all, Jackson competed in seven events at the MWC meet, winning five of them and adding a second and a third to score 64 of a possible 70 points.

     She was not alone at the awards podium for the sprint races. In two events, Scots runners placed 1-2-3. Philicia Moredock (26.32) and Jill Hoops (26.34) trailed Jackson in the 200, while Hoops won the 55-meter dash in 7.41, followed closely by Jackson (7.42) and Moredock (7.65). Hoops took second in the 55-meter hurdles (8.78) and Moredock was third in the 400 (59.20).

     Monmouth’s elite sprint trio teamed with Elise Estes to win the 4x200 in a conference- and fieldhouse-record time of 1:44.05, and the trio added Angie Frick to win the 4x400 in a conference-best 4:04.97.

     The other first place effort for the women came from Melissa Jones in the high jump (5’1-3/4). Seconds were added by Julie Larson in the long jump (17’1 1/2) and triple jump (34’5-1/2) and Vanessa Armstrong in the shot put (38’7). Thirds came from the sprint medley relay squad of Jackson, Estes, Moredock and Ann Moody (4:19.60) and Kara Kuhrts in the triple jump (34’5-1/2).

     Six school records were set by the women: Beaty in the pole vault (old record – 7’0); Jackson in the 200 (old record – 25.84); the 4x200 relay (old record – 1:44.96); the 4x400 relay (old record – 4:06.02); the sprint medley relay (old record – 4:34.23); and the distance medley relay (old record – 13:44.60).

     On the men’s side, the Scots outdistanced runner-up Carroll 155-110. Hodge long jumped 23’1-1/2 and triple jumped 45’2-1/4, qualifying for nationals in the former event as he recorded a pair of firsts.

     Holmes, who had already qualified for the national meet, threw the shot a conference-record 53’10-1/4, and Monmouth took five of the six field events by adding firsts in the high jump and pole vault. Cort Mills (6’4) and Aaron Walker (15’0) had the winning marks in those competitions.

     Stanton’s time of 7.66 won the hurdles, and Haynes said his effort was "indicative of what having self-belief and a belief in our program can help you accomplish. Scott’s a perfect example of what we want our kids to be both athletically and personally."

     The Scots added first place finishes in the two relays and the 55-meter dash, which Justin Bryant won in 6.62. Matt Beverly, Amon Shelby, Chris Lacy and Aaron Calder won the sprint medley relay in 3:37.77 and Bryant, Beverly, Vaughn Gray and Randy Williams won the 4x200 in an MWC- and fieldhouse-record 1:30.5.

     Turning in seconds for Monmouth were Gray in the 55-meter dash (6.64) and Bryant in the 200-meter dash (22.64). Thirds came from Giaco Yanez in the hurdles (7.91), Lacy in the 400 (51.39), Calder in the 800-meter run (2:01.27) and the distance medley relay team of Tony Miles, Ken Williams, Bryan Bittner and Charlie Sunderlage (10:46.34).

     School records were notched by Walker in the pole vault (old record – 14’8), the sprint medley team (old record – 3:41.22) and the 4x200 relay squad (old record – 1:30.25).