The Scots, whose men placed third at last year’s outdoor national meet and second at the indoor meet this year, will have 10 men and women competing in 13 events at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. This year marks the Scots’ 25th straight year of qualifying athletes for the national meet.

"I think our tradition of quality athletes and competing at the national meet carries over from year to year," said coach Roger Haynes, also in his 25th year. "Our men were a little disappointed we didn’t qualify the 4x4 relay. We’ll be missing the team atmosphere a relay provides, but I think we can build on what we’ve accomplished the last couple of years and everyone will be ready to go."

The Scots are loaded with experience at the outdoor meet. Senior pole vaulters Peter Sprecher (Canton, Ill./Canton), Jonny Henkins (Kewanee, Ill./Kewanee) and Jessica White (Galesburg, Ill./Galesburg), senior throwers Zach Wilson (Lacon, Ill./Midland) and Jenny Babos (Leland, Ill./Somonauk); and the junior duo of 400-meter specialist Luke Reschke (Geneseo, Ill./Geneseo) and 100-meter hurdler Shannon Turczyn (Peru, Ill./LaSalle-Peru) are all making their third trip to the outdoor nationals.

"Jenny is a talented thrower," praised Haynes. "She’s very strong when she puts technical things together and that’s what happened last week in the hammer."

Babos threw her first provisional-qualifying mark in the hammer with a school-record toss of 152’5 at last Wednesday’s meet at Central College in Pella, Iowa. Two days later, she broke the record again and improved her national standing with a throw of 164’4 in the final meet of the regular season at Augustana College. She is ranked 16th nationally in the hammer throw, 12th in the discus and 19th in the shot put.

Joining Babos in the discus will be the "very consistent" Tanesha Hughes (Peoria, Ill./Woodruff), a junior. Her automatic-qualifying mark of 156’0 ranks her fourth nationally, just under five feet behind the leader.

"I feel good about her chances," said Haynes of the two-time national qualifier. "She’s thrown well for a number of weeks. It will come down to getting a good, solid throw early and then working out from there."

White enters the meet with the nation’s fourth-best height in the women’s pole vault of 12’6-1/4, which she has cleared twice this season. Haynes reports the senior has had some "good attempts" at 13’0 which would put her within one inch of the leader entering the meet.

Perhaps the Scots’ best chance for hardware comes in the men’s pole vault, where Sprecher is the defending outdoor national champion and Henkins claimed the 2007 indoor crown. Sprecher cleared the nation’s top height of 17’4-1/2 at the Lee Calhoun Meet in mid-April and hopes to return to that form this week. Henkins is ranked third with a height of 17’0-3/4. According to Haynes, Henkins is peaking at the right time.

"Jonny is well prepared and I think it’s possible for pole vaulters to get on a roll," said Haynes. "He’s really hot right now and we hope that will carry into the national meet."

The "consistent" Reschke is ranked sixth in the 400-meter dash. His national meet experience includes running on the 4x400 relay team, whose second-place finish last year clinched the Scots’ first team NCAA hardware.

Wilson will make his final trip in the discus and hammer throw, where he is ranked ninth and 13th, respectively.

"He’s really gotten into a groove technically in the hammer," said Haynes of Wilson. "The discus has been an emerging event for Zach, but he has been very consistent. He has a good chance at putting himself into position to become an All-American. Zach has always been a solid national performer, so I know he’ll be ready."

The school record-holder in the women’s 100-meter hurdles, Turczyn, is ranked fifth.

"Shannon tends to run well later in the season," said Haynes. "She’s a little ahead of where she’s been in the past, so we could expect to see a very fast time from her -- maybe even challenge her own school record. Her tendency is to run better against the better competition and that’s the case this week."

Megan Clennon’s (Aurora, Ill./West) best high jump mark is less than three inches behind the leader and puts her fourth in the field entering the Friday competition. This will be the senior’s second trip to the national meet and her coach believes that will help her on the national stage.

"She prepares herself very well for competition," said Haynes. "She’s been jumping very well lately and tends to get up for the big meets. That will only help."

A long-term goal for sophomore Clay Staley (Hanna City, Ill./Illini Bluffs) will be realized this week when he makes his first outdoor national appearance in the steeplechase. His time, which is 30 seconds back of the top qualifier, placed him 12th.

"Clay was one of the last guys dropped from last year’s provisional qualifiers," reported Haynes. "I think that may have motivated him to make this year’s field. Although this is his first national meet, he is always so well prepared and has such a long vision of what needs to happen, I don’t think his lack of experience on this large stage will have a negative impact."

If the Scots’ men continue their steady improvement from third outdoor last season to second indoor this season, a national title could be just days away.