Release Date: April 5, 2005

MONMOUTH, Ill. — The Washington University Track and Field Invitational was a big meet, with at least 20 teams competing on both the men’s and women’s sides, but it was not a “big meet” on the Scots’ schedule.

“Our top people weren’t really outstanding, but we had many of them running in secondary events,” said MC coach Roger Haynes, who noted those athletes would be back in their specialties at this weekend’s major meet at Wartburg College. Four of the six teams who were ranked ahead of Monmouth's men in the latest Division III poll will be at Wartburg, including UW-LaCrosse, Nebraska Wesleyan, UW-Whitewater and UW-Platteville.

“We had a pretty decent day,” continued Haynes. “Our younger kids came through with some good performances, including Megan Clennon in the high jump (a fifth-place height of 5’1-3/4) and Peter Sprecher in the pole vault (a second-place height of 15’0) and javelin (144’10).”

Haynes was also impressed with several of his women’s sprinters. The 4x400 team of Brenda Herrera, Tiffanie York, Jacquie Ouart and Kila Cox placed second in 4:06.24, with Cox running a fine 59-second anchor leg. Freshman Erica Barnett ran a strong leg for Monmouth’s “B” squad in that event.

Monmouth won one event on the day, as 400-meter hurdler Blake Boma captured his specialty event in 54.17. Three records also fell, as pole vaulter Christina Reiner cleared 11’0 to place fourth and Tiffanie York blew the doors off her one-week-old 1500-meter record. Her seventh-place time of 4:52.68 chopped five seconds off her previous mark. Jeff Rebholz didn’t score at the meet but set the new hammer throw record of 143’9.

Also scoring points for the women were Megan McKenna (16’2-1/4) and Reiner (15’10-1/4) in the long jump, Andrea Emery in the high jump (4’9-3/4), Jen Babos in the discus (119’1), York in the 800 (2:25.79) and Herrera in the 200-meter dash (26.32). Monmouth placed ninth out of 20 teams.

On the men’s side, 26 teams competed, and the Scots claimed fourth place. Individual scorers for the Scots included Tim Frank in the high jump (6’4-3/4), Johnny Henkins in the pole vault (14’6), Albert Greene in the triple jump (45’2-1/4), James Blair in the discus (141’0), Nick DeFrancisco (156’2) ad Alex Stuart (152’7) in the javelin, Kel Bond (4:01.04) and Anthony Welty (4:04.01) in the 1500-meter run, Bond in the 800-meter run (1:59.20) and Scott Heiar in the 10,000-meter run (35:07.25).

Although the meet was held on the same day that the University of Illinois men’s basketball team played a national semifinal in St. Louis, Haynes said his team had an “easy in and an easy out” in terms of travel.

His athletes didn’t have any brushes with famous Fighting Illini, but many of them did get to spend time with one of Monmouth’s all-time track greats, former national champion Charles Burton, who lives in St. Louis and attended a good portion of the meet.

Men's Outdoor Track  |  Women's Outdoor Track