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Release Date:  February 24, 2009

MONMOUTH, Ill. — In Monmouth College’s final tune-up before this weekend’s Midwest Conference Championships, the Fighting Scots picked up seven firsts and had improved performances at the non-scored Wartburg Invitational last Saturday.

Shannon Turczyn’s winning time in the 55-meter hurdles (8.37) was just .02 seconds off her own school record and improved her provisional qualifying time. She also improved her conference rank and clocked a personal-best in the 200- (27.15) where she was eighth behind teammate Jae Moore. Moore’s seventh-place time (26.90) was just .07 off her own personal-best. Moore also took fifth in the 55- (7.54) where Turczyn was seventh (7.75).

Megan McKenna, Didier and Erin Degelman completed a 1-2-3 finish in the pole vault. McKenna and Didier each cleared identical heights (10’6) and Degelman was just six inches back in her first competition of the year. Sarah Stinson and Heather Hull were 3-4 in the high jump. Each cleared personal-bests with identical jumps (5’1-1/4) and moved up in the league rankings.       
In the throws, Gloria Lehr won the shot put with a provisional qualifying mark (42’11-1/2) and Amanda Streeter placed fifth (38’5-1/2). Streeter threw a personal-best by two feet to finish second in the weight throw (48’11-3/4) and Lehr was fifth (46’2-1/2).

Luke Reschke, Logan Hohl and Jacob Stott led the men with a 1-2-3 finish in the 400-meter dash. Reschke improved his conference-best and provisional qualifying time (49.31). Hohl and Stott also moved up the conference standings (49.83 and 49.87, respectively). Tyler Hannam and Matt Hassler completed a 1-2 punch in the high jump. Each cleared the same height (6’3-1/2) and John Gambrel placed fourth (5’9-3/4).

Jeremy Henkins and Sam Cokinos rounded out the Scots’ winners. Henkins took first in the pole vault (11’11-3/4) and Cokinos won the shot put (48’4-3/4). Peyton Lumzy placed second in the shot (46’11), Paul Terpening was fourth (44’0) and Nick Hitterman was eighth (33’2-1/2).

The Scots also faired well when they didn’t place first. Katie Staab and Amy Aghababian moved up the conference standings in the 800-. Staab’s fifth-place finish included a personal-best (2:25.16) and Aghababian shaved two seconds off her previous season-best (2:29.78). Morgan Leffel improved her MWC rank in the 400- (1:03.55) where she placed eighth. Mary Kate Beyer placed second in the 3000- (10:30.33). Whitney Didier and Kanisha Lampkin teamed with Staab and Aghababian on the 4x400 relay to finish seventh (4:17.97).

McKenna, Leffel and Didier were all top eight finishers in the long jump. McKenna took third (16’9-1/2), Leffel was fifth (15’8-1/4) and Didier seventh (14’9-3/4). McKenna and Didier improved their conference marks. Moore and Leffel placed fifth and sixth in the triple jump (32’10-1/2 and 32’2-1/4, respectively).

On the men’s side, Saidu Sesay took third in the 55-meter dash (6.74) and Kyle Prout was seventh (6.87). Reschke, Sesay, Hohl and Ryan Hardman were in the top eight in the 200-. Reschke was second by .03 seconds (22.82), Sesay improved his conference time to finish fourth (23.04), Hohl was fifth (23.09) and Hardman eighth (23.28).

Michael Blodgett picked up a second in the triple jump (40’8-3/4) and a third in the long jump (20’9-1/4). Nick Wright was an inch back of Blodgett to place fourth in the triple jump. Wright was seventh in the triple jump (20’1-3/4).

In the mile run, Damon Bautista and Geoff Bird placed second and seventh while improving their conference times. Bautista’s time (4:32.75) was just one second off the winning pace and Bird shaved three seconds off his season-best (4:37.75).  Tim Bentz ran to a seventh-place finish in the 800- (2:00.96). Hardman, Bentz, Logan Weir and Patrick Munschenk combined on the 4x400 relay to place third (3:26.98).

The Scots’ took five of the top seven spots in the men’s weight throw. Lumzy placed second (47’0-1/4), Cokinos was third (45’1-1/2), Terpening fifth (42’7), Josh Williams sixth (42’0) and Hitterman seventh (39’7).

The Scots host the Midwest Conference Championships Friday and Saturday at the Huff Athletic Center. Friday’s competition begins at 3:00 p.m., Saturday’s round begins at 10:30 a.m.