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SCOTS SCOOP – Jan. 23, 2007 – Vol. 7, No. 24
EDITOR’S NOTE
Scots Scoop will be published in two parts this week. Today’s edition
includes a detailed look at the indoor track teams, plus a swim team
article. Tomorrow’s Scoop will chronicle Monmouth’s three-game road trip
in men’s and women’s basketball.
FIGHTING SCOTS TRACK PREVIEW
Forget for a moment the considerable relay race accomplishments in
recent years by Monmouth College’s track teams. Looking at only individual
events, there’s a great way to judge if the Fighting Scots can be expected
to have a strong 2007 season.
Coach Roger Haynes’ men’s roster includes athletes who have won 45 Midwest
Conference titles, competed in 15 events at nationals and won three
All-American honors, including one national championship. On the women’s
side, returning athletes have accumulated 13 conference titles and three
national meet appearances, with one earning All-American honors.
Put it all together, and Monmouth’s track teams figure to once again rule
the roost at the conference level. The Scots have finished first at every
league meet since the 2004 women’s outdoor competition, sweeping all four
meets in both 2005 and 2006. The longest active winning streak belongs to
the men, who have won seven straight MWC indoor titles, dating back to
2000.
“We have good people at the top, and we’re just looking to fill in some of
the gaps behind them,” said Haynes, who is entering his 24th year as head
track coach at Monmouth. “We should be solid in every event.”
For the indoor season, Haynes said he is having his team take a two-half
approach. In Monmouth’s first three meets, the Scots will be in a
“training phase” before focusing on their “competitive phase” at February
meets at DePauw, Northern Iowa and Anderson. That will lead them into what
could very well be a “championship phase” at the Midwest Conference meet
at Knox on March 2-3. Several Scots are hoping that their indoor season
continues the following weekend at the national meet in Terre Haute, Ind.
Whether it’s in distance events, sprints, hurdles, jumps or throws, Haynes
is welcoming back marquee talent. The distance group is a good place to
start, as Haynes got a sneak preview of what they can do during the cross
country season.
“The men were conference champions, and we had seven all-conference
runners, so we expect to be solid,” said Haynes.
After missing the last track season, 2005 national steeplechase champion
Zach Barr (Roseville, Ill./Roseville) is back for his senior year. Barr,
who owns 11 individual conference track titles, will be joined by another
national qualifier, three-time MWC champ Kel Bond (Dixon, Ill./Dixon).
That would be enough to have any coach optimistic about his chances, but
the distance talent pool runs deep and also includes senior Darin
VanNattan (Green Valley, Ill./Midwest Central), juniors Aaron Etienne
(Elburn, Ill./Kaneland), Scott Heiar (Milan, Ill./Sherrard) and Kyle
Schierer (Metamora, Ill./Metamora) and freshmen Brad Begyn (Rock Island,
Ill./Rock Island) and Clay Staley (Hanna City, Ill./Illini Bluffs), “who
is training really well right now,” according to Haynes.
Bond is likely to focus on the 800-meter run and Heiar should opt for the
longest distance (10,000 meters). The question mark for the group is where
the rest of the runners will choose to focus their considerable talents.
The same can be said for the women’s distance group, which is also solid
and includes seniors Sara Ingersoll (Monmouth, Ill./Monmouth), Joni Nelson
(Little York, Ill./Yorkwood) and Carissa Young (Smithshire,
Ill./Roseville), junior Val Daves (Sherrard, Ill./Sherrard) and freshmen
Amy Aghababian (St. Charles, Ill./Central), Brianna Flynn (Bettendorf,
Iowa/Pleasant Valley) and Katie Staab (Batavia, Ill./Batavia).
“The most improved runner from that group is Brianna Flynn,” said Haynes.
“She’s really maintained her fitness well from the cross country season.
Her potential has changed the most from the end of the cross country to
now. She’s gone from middle of the pack to very much among the front of
the distance group.”
When it comes to sprints, the Scots are also used to being in front,
especially seniors Dante Daniels (Waukegan, Ill./Gurnee-Warren) and Tyler
Rundle (Monmouth, Ill./Warren). The pair has combined for eight individual
track titles and five individual races at nationals, although they are
still looking for their first All-American honors. Filling that void has
been a major focus of their training, according to Haynes.
“They’ve both taken a pretty solid approach to practice,” he said. “The
indoor season will still be important to them both, but they’ve both
tailored their training to really peak at the end of the outdoor season.”
Daniels and Rundle will surely allow the Scots to continue their
aforementioned relay success, as will junior Brad Gross (Galesburg,
Ill./Galesburg). Other strong sprinters are sophomores Aaron Daverin (Herscher,
Ill./Herscher) and Jake Stott (Morris, Ill./Coal City) and freshmen Tony
Bradford (Peoria, Ill./Manual) and Ryan Hardman (Broadview, Ill./St.
Joseph’s). Bradford was second in the 100-meter dash at the Peoria
Journal-Star honor roll meet, while Stott has come on strong since his
rookie season.
“Jake’s an up-and-comer,” said Haynes. “He’s done a tremendous amount of
work in the weight room. He ran 50.2 in the 400 last year, which is good,
but he doesn’t look or run like the same athlete from a year ago.”
When the basketball season ends, brothers Josh Reschke (Geneseo, Ill./Geneseo)
and Luke Reschke should have a major impact on the sprints, both
individually and on relays.
On the women’s side, Haynes welcomes back junior Brenda Herrera (Kewanee,
Ill./Wethersfield) after a one-year absence, and she hopes to regain the
form that saw her win four MWC sprint titles in her first two seasons.
Senior Kila Cox (Granger, Ind./Hononegah) also owns a conference crown,
and Shannon Turczyn (Peru, Ill./LaSalle-Peru) won two before capping her
freshman season with a fifth-place All-American finish in the 100-meter
hurdles. She heads a strong hurdle group that also includes senior Lindsay
Ditzler (Freeport, Ill./Freeport) and sophomores Katey Vaccarello (Des
Plaines, Ill./Maine West) and Ashley Widdop (Reynolds, Ill./Rockridge).
Senior Jacquie Ouart (Kewanee, Ill./Kewanee) can be counted on to
strengthen the Scots’ relay teams.
The men’s hurdle group includes conference champion Brandon Hurckes (East
Peoria, Ill./East Peoria), as well as Gross, junior Tim Meredith (Joy,
Ill./Westmer), sophomore Nick Long (Lisbon, Iowa/Mt. Vernon) and freshman
DeMarkco Butler (Rantoul, Ill./Rantoul).
So the Fighting Scots have the whole “track” thing covered. But what about
“field?” Quite simply, the beat goes on.
Leading the way among the jumpers is All-American Alex Stuart (Kirkwood,
Ill./Yorkwood). Despite breaking Monmouth’s 75-year-old triple jump record
last spring, Stuart was overshadowed in the event by Albert Greene, who
broke the mark first on his way to a third-place national finish. Stuart,
who settled for a seventh-place finish at nationals, also excels in the
long jump and, during the outdoor season, the javelin.
Stuart owns six individual MWC titles, and that is the number of combined
crowns for senior high jumper Tim Frank (Farmington, Ill./Farmington) and
junior pole vaulter Peter Sprecher (Canton, Ill./Canton), who both have
national meets on their resume. Despite not winning at the league level,
junior Jonny Henkins (Kewanee, Ill./Kewanee) is the lone All-American of
the trio after placing fifth in the nation in the outdoor pole vault.
Other strong jumpers are junior Chuck Lief (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way) and
freshman Sean Wells (Heyworth, Ill./Heyworth).
“It’s a very solid group,” said Haynes. “They have high expectations for
the conference and national meets.”
Women’s jumpers include senior Andrea Emery (Knoxville, Ill./Knoxville),
juniors Megan Clennon (Aurora, Ill./West Aurora), Megan McKenna (Chicago,
Ill./Resurrection) and Jessica White (Galesburg, Ill./Galesburg),
sophomore Erin Degelman (Sherrard, Ill./Sherrard) and freshman April
Campen (Hanna City, Ill./Farmington). The pole vault could be an event to
watch, as Haynes called it the best event for the multi-talented McKenna
“if she puts everything together.” White holds the conference record in
the event, and Haynes said it could take 11 feet to score at the MWC meet.
In past years, that mark was always enough to win.
The elite men’s throwers make up a short list, but senior Jeff Rebholz
(Henry, Ill./Henry) and junior Zach Wilson (Lacon, Ill./Midland) have
combined to win nine MWC events.
“Jeff had the best fall of strength training that he’s ever had,” said
Haynes, who noted practice performances by both throwers have him excited
about what might lay ahead.
Two-time conference champ Jen Babos (Leland, Ill./Somonauk) headlines the
women’s throwers, which will also include sophomore Tanesha Hughes
(Peoria, Ill./Woodruff) when the basketball season ends and Clennon when
she is able to throw the javelin. The newcomer to the group is former
Knoxville High School state qualifier Gloria Lehr.
Rounding out the track teams are seniors Ashley Gaul (Swansea,
Ill./Belleville East), Dane Justice (Marseilles, Ill./Seneca) and Adam
Rodriguez (Amboy, Ill./Sterling); juniors Seth Leitner (Edelstein,
Ill./Dunlap), Emmanuel Minter (Park Forest, Ill./Rich East) and Wes Wrage
(Yates City, Ill./Farmington); sophomores Damon Bautista (Silvis,
Ill./East Moline), Lauren Firchau (Elburn, Ill./Kaneland), Andrew Kuebrich
(Plano, Ill./Plano), Ashly Lowdermilk (Princeton, Ill./Princeton) and
Chris Welty (Dixon, Ill./Newman); and freshmen Lynsey Barnard (Pekin,
Ill./Pekin), Mario Howard (Wadsworth, Ill./Warren), Heather Jahnke (Fox
Lake, Ill./Grant), Whitney Maher (Bartonville, Ill./Limestone), Patrick
Mundschenk (Deer Park, Ill./Lake Zurich), Rodney Payne (St. Louis, Mo.),
Matt Peharda (Peoria, Ill./Peoria), Zach Phelps (DeKalb, Ill./DeKalb),
Maikenzie Stawicki (East Moline, Ill./Riverdale) and Elise Waldorf (Glasford,
Ill./Canton).
TWO RECORDS FALL AT FIRST MEET
Track coach Roger Haynes views the Fighting Scots’ first three indoor
meets of 2007 as glorified practices, but that didn’t stop two of his
athletes from breaking school records at the season-opening Prairie Fire
Quad, which was hosted by Knox College on Saturday.
By the slimmest of margins, Jeff Rebholz bested the weight throw record
set by his teammate, Zach Wilson. Rebholz’s first-place,
provisional-qualifying mark of 57’2-1/4 was just a quarter-inch longer
than Wilson’s record from 2006.
In the pole vault, Jessica White shattered her previous best by nearly a
foot, clearing 11’5-3/4 to win the event over three teammates. Her
provisional-qualifying mark broke Christina Reiner’s 2005 record by nearly
eight inches.
“We talked after the meet about how the two records represented two sides
of a coin,” said Roger Haynes. “Jeff really put in a lot of offseason work
and really earned his accomplishment. Jess is pretty solid technically,
which is what allowed her to do so well.”
The records were part of a dominant meet for both teams. The women placed
first in the four-team field with 185 points, while the men won with 194,
more than doubling the score of runner-up Cornell. Monmouth’s men won
every event except the 55-meter hurdles and shot put.
“Overall, I felt there were a number of solid performances,” said Haynes.
“At this point, we are still concentrating on training rather than weekend
performances.”
Two Fighting Scots had a pair of sprint victories and a relay win. Ashley
Widdop won the 55-meter dash (7.78) and the 55-meter hurdles (9.31) in
addition to running a leg of the first-place 4x200 squad (1:52.22) with
Kila Cox, Katey Vaccarello and Shannon Turczyn. On the men’s side, Dante
Daniels won the 55- and 200-meter dashes (6.62 and 22.68) and joined Tyler
Rundle, Brad Gross and Aaron Daverin on the winning 4x200 squad (1:31.63).
Cox, who won the 200-meter dash (27.85), and Vaccarello also shared a
first-place finish in the 4x400 (4:21.23), where they were joined by Sara
Ingersoll and Jacquie Ouart. Gross teamed with Tim Meredith, Kel Bond and
Jacob Stott to win the 4x400 (3:37.13), while Stott won the individual 400
in 53.70.
Other multiple winners for Monmouth were Megan McKenna in the long jump
(16’10-3/4) and triple jump (34’3-1/2), Aaron Etienne in the 800-meter run
(1:59.84) and the mile (4:32.19) and Alex Stuart in the long jump
(21’8-1/4) and triple jump (45’10-1/2).
Jenny Babos won the weight throw with a personal-best effort of 48’4, and
other single-event winners were Megan Clennon in the high jump (5’1),
Gloria Lehr in the shot put (38’11-1/2), Clay Staley in the 3000-meter run
(9:01.14), Tim Frank in the high jump (6’0-3/4) and Peter Sprecher in the
pole vault (14’9).
Haynes said he was impressed by McKenna’s solid performance in all three
of her events, which also included a second-place finish in the pole vault
(10’6). Erin Degelman (10’0) also did well in that event. Among the men,
Haynes noted Staley’s solid time in the 3000-meter run, and he was
impressed by Ryan Hardman, who ran a solid leg for Monmouth’s “B” team in
the 4x200 and placed second to Daniels in the 200-meter dash (23.48).
Monmouth’s first-meet success led to a sweep of the Midwest Conference’s
Performer of the Week honors. White and Widdop were honored on the women’s
side, while Rebholz and Daniels were the men’s winners.
Up next for Monmouth is its lone home track meet of the indoor or outdoor
season. This Saturday, the Scots will play host to a “very competitive
field” that includes Wartburg, Loras, Augustana, Central, Illinois
Wesleyan and Knox.
SWIMMERS COMPETE WITH HEAVY HEARTS
The Fighting Scots athletic family suffered its second loss in as many
weeks when the father of swimmer Joe Schwinger (Woodridge, Ill./Downers
Grove South) was killed in an accident driving home from a meet at
Grinnell on Jan. 13. The accident seriously injured Schwinger’s mother,
who is currently recovering in Iowa City.
The weekend before, the brother of women’s basketball player Lisa Miller
(Oneida, Ill./ROWVA) was killed in action in Iraq.
In addition to swimming for Monmouth, Schwinger also plays soccer, and
both sets of his teammates took a trip to Iowa City last Saturday to visit
his mother and to bring Schwinger back to campus. The trip came one day
after Monmouth had put together a solid showing at a dual meet in Pepper
Natatorium against Augustana. The men won 141-115, while the women lost
164-81.
“I was pretty happy with our performance and effort on both sides
considering that it was a tough week for us with what we’ve been through,”
said coach Keith Crawford. “Even though the women lost by a substantial
margin, I was very happy with their effort and with many of their times.
We had quite a few very good swims. I’ve looked at the Midwest Conference
rankings, and the women have a good chance to move up two or three spots
from their finish last year, and maybe more.”
Sophomore Sarah Christensen (Galesburg, Ill./Galesburg) showed that she is
rounding into form at a key part of the season, nearly breaking school
records in both breaststroke events. She won the 100-yard version
(1:12.37) and placed second at 200 yards (2:43.30). Christensen was also
part of the 200-yard medley group that impressed Crawford with a time of
2:02.72. Her teammates were Laura Miller (Indianapolis, Ind./Pike), Megan
Wentzlaff (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) and Heather Plum (Freeport,
Ill./Freeport). That same group also made up the first-place 200-yard
freestyle relay team, which touched first in 1:50.79.
The lone school record of the meet went to Lane in the 200-yard freestyle
(2:03.38). She missed another mark by a hundredth of a second as she also
took first in the 50-yard freestyle (26.33).
Crawford also praised the performances of Plum in the 1000-yard freestyle
(11:44.54), Miller in the 100-yard backstroke and Wentzlaff, who dropped
six seconds off her best 500-yard freestyle time.
On the men’s side, junior Dan Campione (Blue Island, Ill./St. Rita) was
the leader with two individual firsts and two relay wins. He won the
100-yard backstroke (58.46) and the 200-yard IM (2:08.69) and swam on both
200-yard relay squads. He was joined on both by John Kaiser (Hanover Park,
Ill./Glenbard North) and junior Kurt Niemeier (Orland Park,
Ill./Sandburg).
Other winners included freshmen Jonathan Peterson (Burlington,
Iowa/Burlington) in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:04.38) and the 200-yard
breaststroke (a season-best 2:27.61), Niemeier in the 50-yard freestyle
(23.17) and freshman Josh Van Swol (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) in
the 200-yard backstroke (2:06.60). Crawford also noted freshman Jack
Clifford’s time drop in the 1000-yard freestyle.
With Schwinger back in the fold, Crawford said that on Monday he had his
full squad together in the pool for the first time in weeks. The Scots
will practice for a Friday night home meet against Coe before preparing
for the Feb. 9-11 conference meet.
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