Eighteen athletes in six different sports were named to their respective All-Midwest Conference teams as Monmouth College recently finished its fall sports seasons. Monmouth, an NCAA Division III college located in Monmouth, Illinois, is a member of the Midwest Conference (MWC). The Fighting Scots had student-athletes recognized for outstanding achievement in football, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer and volleyball on lists released by the conference's sports information office.

Football
Seven Fighting Scot players were named to All-Conference teams in football. Monmouth ended the season at 2-7 and a conference mark of 1-2 (3rd in the MWC South Division). The Scots' only player on the First-team All-Conference offensive unit was senior fullback Nathan Johnson (Monmouth,IL). Senior interior lineman Mitchell Russell (Dunlap,IL) and junior defensive back Josh Didier (Des Plaines,IL) made the defensive First Team squad, along with junior Jeff Timmons (Lewistown,IL) at punter and sophomore Dan Taylor (Woodhull,IL) at defensive specialist. Senior Sean Dwyer (Wentzville,MO) earned Second Team honors at linebacker and freshmanJon Baikie (Oak Lawn,IL) was named as Second Team return specialist.

Men's Cross Country
Two runners earned All-Conference recognition at the 1997 MWC cross country championships, held November 1 in Grinnell, Iowa, as Monmouth placed third in the ten-team field. The top 15 runners were awarded All-Conference medals. Sophomore Jamie Nelson (Monmouth,IL) finished 6th to lead the Scots and was followed across the line by senior Frank Schweda (Rolling Meadows,IL), who placed 9th. It was the 8th consecutive year the Fighting Scots have placed among the league's top three teams and the ninth straight season with at least one top-ten individual runner.

Women's Cross Country
The Monmouth women's team placed 4th of 10 teams at the 1997 MWC cross country championship meet, held November 1 at Grinnell, Iowa, behind the All-Conference performances of senior Carrie Knauer (Strawn,IL) and Gretchen Vandergriff (Wolcott,IN). Knauer placed 6th for her third individual All-MWC medal and her first top-ten finish and Vandergriff ran 12th and earned her first conference honor. Monmouth has finished among the top four teams for four consecutive seasons.

Volleyball
The Fighting Scots were represented on the Southern Division First Team in volleyball by senior middle hitter Lynn Utter (Monmouth,IL). Two underclassmen were selected to the Second Team as junior Michelle Kommer (Monticello,IL) and freshman Cathie Osborn (Hartsburg,IL) were tabbed at outside hitter positions. Monmouth finished with a season match record of 14-17 and an MWC divisional record of 2-2. The Scots advanced to the conference postseason tournament and won one of three matches.

Men's Soccer
The Monmouth men's soccer team struggled through an injury-filled season and finished with a record of 4-12 (1-8, 8th MWC). Senior striker Josh Oakley (Mattoon,IL) was the only Scot player named to the All-Conference team as he led the Scots with 14 goals and 32 total points. Both totals were the fourth-highest single-season individual output in team history.

Women's Soccer
Three players from the women=s soccer team earned All-Conference recognition as the Scots recorded the first winning season in school history this fall. Monmouth finished 8-7 and their 5-4 MWC record (5th place) missed qualifying for the conference tournament by only one spot. Junior striker Tisha Kimoto (Aurora,IL) set a new team record with 11 goals and freshman forward Jessica Adams (Harvard,IL) added ten goals and posted the team=s first-ever individual three-goal match. Sophomore Jill Heneghan (Godfrey,IL) led the team with 8 assists from her midfield position.

AURORA -- Tisha Kimoto, a 1995 graduate of Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora, was named to the All-Conference team in women's soccer for the third consecutive season. A versatile midfielder/forward, Kimoto set a new team single-season record with 11 goals this fall and shared team scoring honors with 23 points. Her total of 20 goals stands as the team=s all-time career record. She is the daughter of Walter and Joi Kimoto of Aurora and is a junior Environmental Science major at Monmouth.  

DES PLAINES -- Josh Didier, a junior defensive back, made his first appearance on the All-Conference list for football. Didier is a 1994 graduate of Maine West High School and was one of the team=s defensive standouts in divisional games this fall. His 61total tackles led the team and he recorded one interception and two pass knockdowns. He is the son of Michael and Cheryl Didier of Des Plaines and is a history major.

DUNLAP -- Mitch Russell, a 1994 graduate of Dunlap High School, earned his first All-Conference honor as an defensive lineman. Russell started every game for the Scots and anchored the defensive frontline. He led the team with 33 solo tackles, 10 tackles for losses and three quarterback sacks and his 59 total tackles ranked third on the squad. Russell is a senior Physical Education major and is the son of David and Camilla Russell of Dunlap.

GODFREY -- Sophomore midfielder/forward Jill Heneghan, the daughter of David and Phyllis Heneghan of Godfrey, earned her second All-MWC selection in women's soccer. Heneghan scored four goals and established a team single-season record with eight assists. She is a 1996 graduate of Alton High School and is a Physical Education/History double major at Monmouth.

HARTSBURG -- Cathie Osborn, a 1997 graduate of Hartsburg-Emden High School, earned her first All-Conference selection in women=s volleyball. Osborn was one of the team=s main hitters and posted 258 kills in 31 matches, the second-highest individual total. She led the Scots with 27 service aces this fall. She is the daughter of Glenn and Diane Osborn of Hartsburg.

HARVARD -- Jessica Adams, a 1997 graduate of Harvard High School, was an immediate force for the Scots= women=s soccer team this fall and earned her first All-MWC honor. Adams was second in goals with 10 and became only the second player to score in double figures in a season. Adams established a new single-match scoring record with three goals in an early-season contest against Greenville and her 23 total points shared scoring honors with fellow All-MWC forward Tisha Kimoto. Adams is the daughter of Richard and Joan Adams of Harvard.

LEWISTOWN -- Junior Jeff Timmons, the son of William and Kathy Timmons of Lewistown, was a First-Team football selection at punter after being named to the Second Team as a sophomore. Despite missing the final two games of the season due to a broken leg, Timmons led the team with 32 punts for 1194 yards, an average of 37.3 yards per kick this fall. He also was the team=s top receiver with 19 catches for 309 yards (16.3 yds/catch) and caught two touchdown passes. Timmons is a 1995 graduate of Lewistown Community High School.

MATTOON -- Josh Oakley, a senior forward, earned his second All-MWC First Team honor in men's soccer. Oakley, a 1994 graduate of Mattoon High School, spearheaded the Scots= offensive attack this fall and scored a team-high 14 goals. He had six multiple-goal games and tied his personal-best with three goals in a September match against Cornell.

MONTICELLO -- Michelle Kommer, a junior outside hitter, earned her first All-Conference honor in women's volleyball by being named to the South Division Second Team squad. She is the daughter of Paul and Pamela Kommer of Monticello and graduated from Monticello High School in 1995. Kommer provided solid offense for the Scots and was oneof their defensive mainstays, leading the team with 275 digs and also recorded 133 blocks.

MONMOUTH -- Jamie Nelson, a 1996 graduate of Monmouth High School, earned his second All-Conference cross country medal with a 6th-place finish at the MWC Championship Meet. The son of James and Ellen Nelson of Monmouth, he improved from a 9th-place effort his freshman year. Nelson completed the 8000-meter course in 28:02 and was Monmouth=s first finisher as the Scots placed third as a team.

Senior Lynn Utter earned her first All-Conference award in volleyball as First-Team selection at middle hitter. She is the daughter of Gary and Lorna Utter of Monmouth and graduated from Monmouth High School in 1994. An Elementary Education major, Utter led the team with 325 kills and ended her career with 689, the fifth-highest total in team history. Her 316 blocks established a new team single-season record and she played in all 116 games this season, another Monmouth record.

Nathan Johnson, a 1994 Monmouth High graduate, was the leading rusher for the Fighting Scots football team in 1997, amassing 701 yards on 149 carries (4.7 per rush). Johnson was named to the First Team MWC South Division Offense for the first time in his career. The son of Roy and Kathie Johnson of Monmouth, he is a senior Business Administration major.

OAK LAWN -- Freshman Jon Baikie, a 1997 graduate of Oak Lawn High School, was selected as Second Team kick return specialist in football. Baikie led the Scots with 15 kickoff returns (325 yards, 21.7/kick), including a season-long 64-yard return against Grinnell. He also saw time in the backfield (9 rushes, 12 yards), caught 2 passes and finished the season as the team=s punter (16 punts, 33.6 yard average). The son of Donald and Kimberly Baikie of Oak Lawn, he is a Physical Education major.

ROLLING MEADOWS -- Senior Frank Schweda, a 1994 graduate of Rolling Meadows High School, earned his third individual All-Conference medal in men's cross country with a 9th-place finish at the MWC Conference Meet. His time of 28:15 on the 8000-meter course netted him his third consecutive top-ten finish after two second-place efforts in 1995 and 1996. He was Monmouth=s second runner at the conference meet and helped the Fighting Scots to a third-place finish in the team standings. Schweda is an Elementary Education/History major and is the son of Frank and Pam Schweda of Rolling Meadows.

STRAWN -- Carrie Knauer, the daughter of Dennis and Judy Knauer of Strawn and a 1994 graduate of Prairie Central High School, finished 6th at the 1997 MWC Conference Meet in her first top-ten performance at the league championships. The senior tied a team record with her third All-Conference medal in women's cross country. A former MWC track 5000-meter champion and the present school record-holder at both 3000 and 5000 meters, Knauer also established a cross country record for three miles (18:42) this fall at the Division III Illinois State Meet. A Communications major at Monmouth, Knauer was the first finisher for the Monmouth women's team, which placed 4th of 10 teams.

WENTZVILLE,MO. -- Senior Sean Dwyer earned his first All-MWC honor in football as a Second Team defensive selection at linebacker. He graduated from Francis Howell High School in 1994 and is a Sociology major. Dwyer started all nine games at middle linebacker for the Scots and recorded 28 solo and 59 total tackles, including four for losses. He also had one fumble recovery and one quarterback sack during the season. Dwyer is the son of Bruce and Donna Dwyer of Wentzville.

WOODHULL -- Dan Taylor, a 1996 graduate of AlWood High School, was named as Second Team defensive specialist in football. Taylor was a versatile defensive lineman/linebacker for the Scots and posted 48 tackles this season. He also had one fumble recovery, one sack and five pass knockdowns. He is the son of Gary and Rhonda Taylor of Woodhull.

WOLCOTT,IN. -- Junior Gretchen Vandergriff, a 1995 graduate of Greenwood Community High School in Greenwood, raced to her first All-Conference finish in women=s cross country at the 1997 MWC Championships. A two-time conference champion on the track last year, Vandergriff placed 12th with a time of 20:40 on the 5000-meter course and was the Scots= second position runner as the women placed fourth overall. The daughter of Gary and Judith Vandergriff of Wolcott, she is a Biology major.

• Athletic All-Conference
• Athletic All-American
• Academic All-Conference
• Academic All-American