Scots Sweep Men's and Women's MWC Indoor Track Titles

Release Date: April 13, 2000

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.

The Scots were expected to receive a stiff challenge in both competitions from defending champion Carroll, but the meet came off almost perfectly for the Scots, who dominated the field events on the men’s side and the sprints in the women’s portion of the meet.

"I was just counting up last night that the women had 25 season- or lifetime-bests and the men had 29," said Haynes. "That’s how you win meets. It just shows how well-prepared they were for this meet."

Jumper David Hodge, thrower Eric Holmes and sprinter Constance Jackson received MVP recognition, and Holmes and Jackson competed at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships at Bloomington, Ill., hosted by Illinois Wesleyan University. Another MC 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).

Other athletes who had a top six finish and earned points for the Scots included Armstrong in the weight throw, Cheris Beaty in the pole vault (7’6) and hurdles, Maggie Semington in the hurdles and the distance medley relay team of Tricia Wasson, Frick, Katie McGee and Moody (13:42.71).

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 as he recorded a pair of firsts.

"Individually, my favorite win was David’s in the long jump," said Haynes. "He showed great confidence and poise to come back and win that event." Hodge’s qualifying jump was just 21’7, ranking him fifth among the seven qualifiers.

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.

"Eric’s effort was most impressive to me," said Haynes. "There’ve been a lot of great throwers in the Midwest Conference, both from our school and from others, and for him to beat all their throws is extremely impressive."

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).

The rest of MC’s point scorers were C.J. Hollingsworth in the triple jump, Miles and Sunderlage in the 1500-meter run, R. Williams in the 55-meter dash, Bittner and Jamie Nelson in the 800, Beverly in the 200 and the 4x400 relay team of Bryant, R. Williams, Calder and Lacy.

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).