MONMOUTH, Ill. — It’s rare that a class of student-athletes attend Monmouth College and leave with four straight Midwest Conference championships, and it’s rarer still when a class does it twice.

But that was the scene Saturday at Ripon, Wis., as three Fighting Scots seniors ended their careers with a fourth straight MWC outdoor track championship to go with the four consecutive league indoor titles they accumulated. Members of the exclusive club include Nathan Gaskill, Ryan Moll and Ted Ross.

“Other people have come and gone during this championship run, but those three are the benchmark for consistency,” said MC coach Roger Haynes. “It’s rare to win all eight opportunities, that’s for certain.”

Monmouth’s men have not been defeated at a conference championship meet since placing second outdoors in 2000. The Scots picked up their latest victory in convincing fashion, scoring 241 points, well ahead of runner-up St. Norbert’s 149.

Meanwhile, the women’s team had its streak of four straight MWC titles snapped, as the Scots placed third with 134 points. Carroll won the meet with 170 points and Beloit took second at 157.

Five men’s team members emerged with individual conference championships, including two who earned Most Oustanding Performer honors at the meet. One of them, Zach Barr, shattered his own school record in the 1500-meter run on Friday with a national provisional time of 3:54.83. Barr also won the steeplechase with a personal-best time of 9:30.40.

“Zach was very dominant in the 1500-meter run,” said Haynes, who was named the MWC Men’s Coach of the Year. “He led from the gun and didn’t give anybody an opportunity to win, including St. Norbert’s Colin McKean, a national champion in the 800. What was most impressive for me in that race was that we had three guys under four minutes (Bryan Bittner in 3:57.23 and Kel Bond in 3:59.86). In the steeplechase, it was the same thing. He got off strong and won it easily (by 16 seconds).”

Boma, the men's other MOP, had what Haynes called a “fairly expected” weekend, winning the 100-meter dash (11.08) and the 400-meter hurdles (a provisional time of 53.63). Where Boma really excelled – or accelerated – Haynes felt, was in the final leg of the 4x100 relay, when “he dominated the anchors from the other teams” to lift Monmouth to win in 42.54. He was joined by Brad Franks, Moll and Tyler Rundle.

In two events, the Scots finished 1-2-3. Ortez Davis won the 110-meter hurdles in 15.25, trailed by Ross (15.61) and Brandon Hurckes (15.70). Ross was also a part of a podium sweep in the triple jump, winning with an effort of (45’4-1/2). Albert Greene was second (44’3-1/4) and Alex Stuart took third (44’0-1/2). James Blair added a win in the discus (a personal-best 151’10).

Haynes said Ross’ win in the triple jump was keyed by Gaskill replacing him in the 400-meter hurdles, where he ran a personal-best by two seconds. A fresh Ross then moved up from behind after the preliminary round to top his teammates.

Three women posted first-place finishes, including Most Outstanding Performer Katy Healy, who won three events. After failing to get a discus throw in bounds in poor weather conditions on Friday, she rebounded by winning the hammer throw (an MWC-record 136’5), the javelin (a lifetime-best 116’10) and the shot put (40’11-3/4).

“That’s a great way for her to finish her career,” praised Haynes.

Monmouth won two other field events, with Andrea Emery taking the high jump (5’0) and Amy Horneck placing first in the triple jump (34’9-3/4).

Monmouth’s other second-place finishers included Moll in the 400-meter dash (a personal-best 48.61), Davis in the 400-meter hurdles (a provisional and personal-best 53.67), Bryan Bittner in the 800-meter run (1:55.23), Kory Klemmer in the discus (140’3), Brenda Herrera in the 100-meter dash (12.60) and the 200-meter dash (25.79), the women’s 4x100 relay squad of Christina Reiner, Herrera, Shalyn Shirey and Megan Hamilton (a provisional time of 48.83) and the men’s 4x400 relay (3:21.07).

Also placing third were Bittner in the 1500-meter run, Jason Killion in the long jump (21’3-1/4), Tim Frank in the high jump (6’2), Hamilton in the 100-meter dash (12.94), Bond in the 800-meter run (1:56.21) and the women’s 4x400 relay (4:04.25).

Also scoring at the meet for the men were Greene and Josh Reschke in the long jump; Blair (a school-record 141’8-3/4), Tobias Dickerson and Jeff Rebholz in the hammer throw; Gaskill in the 400-meter hurdles, the high jump and the javelin; Darrin Van Nattan in the steeplechase; Rundle in the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash; Bond in the 1500-meter run; James VanDyke in the high jump; Dickerson in the discus; Evan Harrison in the pole vault; and Sean Fitzgerald in the 5000-meter run.

Women’s scorers included Abby Horneck in the steeplechase, the 1500-meter run and the 400-meter hurdles; Amy Horneck, Shirey and Hamilton in the long jump; Hamilton in the 200-meter dash; Meaghan Tobias in the discus, hammer throw and shot put; Lisa Curry in the discus; Reiner in the pole vault; and Erin Mann in the 10,000-meter run.

“Megan Hamilton had an extremely good day,” praised Haynes. “She anchored both relays, and the 4x400 group took about 10 seconds off their previous best.”

That relay showed a glimpse of things to come for the women, as all four runners were freshmen – Herrera, Kila Cox, Jacquie Ouart and Hamilton.

Haynes is well aware that there will now be a changing of the guard, and he’s just as concerned with new individuals stepping up to lead as he is to compete.

“Sometimes you’re prepared to let go at this time of year, but it really is a difficult thing this year,” he said. “This was a very quality group in terms of how they approached the season. I definitely appreciated the leadership they gave us.”