The Monmouth College Fighting Scots men’s athletic program finished off its most successful year in Midwest Conference competition with a bang on Saturday, winning conference championships in baseball, golf and outdoor track. For good measure, the women’s track team won its third straight MWC outdoor meet, giving Monmouth an unprecedented 4-for-4 performance in league titles on one day.

“What Monmouth College accomplished this weekend could be the single most impressive performance by one institution in the Midwest Conference during one particular season,” said Chris Graham, the MWC’s assistant commissioner.

By scoring 30 of a possible 30 points in the MWC’s All-Sports standings, the Fighting Scots men finished second to Grinnell. The Pioneers, who picked up 20 of a possible 20 points in swimming and tennis - two sports that Monmouth does not yet field teams - edged the Scots 76 to 70.5. Ten points are awarded to league champions, nine points to the runner-up, etc.

How close were the Scots to winning the All-Sports championship? Had Monmouth won its Feb. 6 basketball game at Grinnell, that would have cut four points off the Pioneers 5.5 point winning margin. Monmouth could have made up the rest of the ground if the college had sponsored one or more swimmers throughout the season and at the MWC Swimming & Diving Championships.

The winning coaches each reacted in different ways to their titles Saturday, with gratitude, relief and excitement all being part of the mix.

“It’s awesome. This has been a great year for Monmouth College sports, and I’m happy we could do our part,” said MC golf coach Dave Ragone. “Going into the weekend, I kept telling the guys, ‘We can do it. We can do it. We can do it.’”

Ragone’s team won the rain-shortened MWC golf meet, edging eight-time defending champion Knox by two strokes.

“We finally slayed the giant, and I think we’ll be right back in the race with Knox again next year,” said Ragone. “The guys that Coach Ole (2000 men’s golf coach Mike Olson) recruited will be juniors and seniors. I called him right when we got back and thanked him for his part in this. Things are looking great for the future.”

“I was pleased by the way we achieved our goal of being good across the board,” said MC track coach Roger Haynes of his teams’ title sweep. “A number of people contributed, and that’s what makes track fun.”

“It’s what we’ve been working all year for,” said MC baseball coach Roger Sander, whose Scots were the only unbeaten team in the rain-shortened MWC playoffs. “Our seniors really feel that they’ve fallen short the last couple of years. But these guys kept working and working and working. It says a lot about their character that they didn’t quit. They came back this year with a vengeance.

“Personally,” continued Sander, “it feels like the weight of the world is off my back. I feel we’ve had at least three teams since I started coaching that were good enough to win it - the team I had my first year (1994), the 1996 team and last year’s team. To finally get it done, I don’t know if it’s sunk in yet. It’s a good feeling.”

What will feel even better for Sander, and Haynes, too, is for their teams to do well in national competition. Sander’s diamondmen will be making their first national tournament appearance since 1983 on Thursday, when they host Aurora University in a 3 p.m. game. Haynes’ track teams will compete at the Last Chance Qualifier Friday at Augustana College and possibly another qualifying meet Saturday at UW-Oshkosh. The national meet begins May 23 in St. Paul, Minn. A year ago, both the men’s and women’s teams placed in the top 20 in the nation.

“It’s tremendous,” Sander said in conclusion about Monmouth’s spring sports. “Not only the four titles, but the other team, softball, took second to Lake Forest, which is now playing in the College World Series. That’s an incredible feat by our kids.”