UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

No, this isn’t the preview of the men’s basketball team who will have a new head coach for the first time in over three decades - that is coming next week. We’ll begin this week’s Scots Scoop with a "Thank you" and a look ahead.

Many thanks to former Sports Information Co-Director Barry McNamara for his diligent work putting together Scots Scoop each week for the past seven years. Barry has accepted a position as the chief writer for the college’s development office and will be missed in the sports information office. Scots Scoop was Barry’s brainchild and has become a popular medium for fans to get their weekly dose of Fighting Scots news.

Barry’s "other half" of the Sports Information Office, Dan Nolan, has moved from Sports Information Co-Director to the full-time Sports Information Director and will take over as editor of the Scoop.

Scots Scoop will continue the weekly updates, but beginning next week, will arrive in your e-mail Thursday so you may make your sports plans for the coming week.

TURKEY STAYS PUT, SCOTS’ FUTURE IS HERE

Monmouth College football coach Steve Bell has seen the future and it is now. Saturday’s 42-14 win over Knox College in the 159th Bronze Turkey Bowl could be a glimpse of what is to come.

Freshman quarterback Alex Tanney (Lexington, Ill.) completed 24-of-29 passes with no interceptions, threw for 309 yards, five touchdowns and gave the ball to 10 different receivers. Only one member of that group, fullback Jess Miller (Monmouth, Ill.), will be lost to graduation.

"I feel very good about next year," said Bell. "We gained a lot of maturity, but we need to get into the weight room and get bigger and stronger."

After Saturday’s eighth straight win over the Prairie Fire, Bell’s optimism isn’t confined to the offensive unit. The defensive squad, led by Sean Wells’ (Heyworth, Ill.) and Danny Weiden’s (Oglesby, Ill.) 14 tackles each was applauded by the head coach for playing an "exceptional" game. Marc Artozqui (Peoria, Ill.) added to his team-leading season total of 108 tackles and added a sack for good measure. Bell praised his defense for playing a very "assignment-sound" game.

"I thought our defense Saturday was exceptional," he praised. "We played a fully complete game (on both sides of the ball) and had quite a few kids make plays at critical times.

"Nick Wright had a terrific catch on the first drive."

Wright (Canton, Ill.) had a team-high 88 yards receiving and two touchdowns. He also had the day’s longest reception of 37 yards. Mike Blodgett (Appleton, Wis.), the only other Scot to pull in more than three passes on the day, matched Wright’s five catches.

"Not one person is going to get a tremendous amount of touches," noted Bell. "We try to spread it around amongst a lot of different people…to get some balance.

"Our seniors did a nice job for us," continued Bell. "They did a nice job of ending their careers playing some of their better football…it’s nice to end it with a win over Knox for those guys."

After a tough loss to Wartburg to start the season, the Scots rebounded and finished at 7-3, a feat that is not lost on the head coach.

"My perception may change a little bit as we go along, but I think with the amount of things we’ve had to deal with as a team, I think our kids handled it well," said Bell. "We grew up a whole lot….we’ll carry a lot of experience into next year."

Bell was pleased the way his team responded after the season-opening loss to stay competitive and finish second in the conference, but he was still looking for improvement.

"Obviously, our goal is not to be 7-3, (but), I feel very good about going into next year because of what we saw this year," he concluded.

SCOTS MISS CHAMPIONSHIP, COACH MISSES TOURNAMENT

The coaches knew it would be close and they were right. The plan was to stay overnight in Beloit before traveling the rest of the way to Carroll College in Waukesha. "We stayed in Beloit about three hours," noted Hank. That’s when Plan "B" kicked in.

"Hank and I drove back to Galesburg," said Kari Shimmin. "(First year assistant coach) Lynn Ewing and (Shimmin’s softball assistant coach) John Goddard drove the team to the tournament. Family comes first, but that doesn’t make it any easier because the team is like family to us, too." Ironically, Sara Isabel was born back in Galesburg just 35 minutes prior to the Scots opening match with Lake Forest, a 3-0 win for the Scots.

While in the hospital, the coaches relied on phone updates from the tournament, an excruciating experience during the Scots 3-2 win over St. Norbert in the finals.

"Endurance and determination to make it to the championship match played a big part in that win," Shimmin noted in referring to the St. Norbert match. Indeed, the Scots lost the first set 32-34, won the next two and lost the fourth 19-30 before taking the fifth set 15-12.

At least the pair would be able to watch the Saturday championship against Carroll via the internet on the conference’s MWCTV pay-per-view, right? Wrong. "We couldn’t log on to the feed from Kari’s room," Hank reported.

The championship pattern nearly followed the semis from the night before, Monmouth dropped the first set, but won the next two by identical 30-28 scores. The Pioneers closed the match and the championship out with a 30-19 win in the fourth set.

While Shimmin was relatively happy with the last part of the season, she does have one regret.

"To not coach the last three matches of Kendra (James), Colleen (Wilkin), Ashley (Yeast) and Jessica’s (Travis) volleyball career was very tough," Shimmin said. "I’m very proud of team’s effort and hard work. We played our best volleyball the last two weeks of the season." The four seniors finished their careers with a record of 81-53, the third-best four year stretch in the history of the program.

Lost to graduation will be players with some impressive statistics. Wilkin ends her career as the Scots’ all-time set assist leader. Her 3,659 assists is more than 500 over the previous mark set by Megan Harris from 1999-2002. James’ 1,347 career kills was third on the college’s all-time list and her 457 blocks and block assists ranks her second all-time in that category. Yeast’s 731 attack attempts this season led the team and Travis, despite missing the early season with an ankle injury, was third on the team in digs (252).

Shimmin isn’t ready to throw the towel in just yet. She’ll have some talented underclassmen returning in 2008. Eleven underclassmen will return next season, including sophomore Alexis Keller, who split time with Wilkin at setter. Junior Samantha Robinson’s 2.38 kills-per-game average was third on the team and her 267 kills ranked her second. She’ll be joined in the front row by regulars Amanda Boonstra, Alison Schroeter, Tanesha Hughes, Anna Damos and Rachel Leffelman. The five combined for 476 kills and 127 blocks. Also returning is junior libero Crystal Myers, whose 1,825 digs is just 44 shy of the school record.

"Since I had to miss the conference tournament, it doesn’t seem like the season is over," Shimmin lamented. "I have not really had any closure to this season, so it’s difficult to think about next season, but we are thankful to have another beautiful and healthy baby daughter."

FLAT COURSE COULD BE A BREESE FOR MC HARRIERS

Monmouth College cross country coach Roger Haynes hopes his teams’ preparation, combined with a favorable course layout, will help his men’s and women’s squads continue to move up the ladder on the national scene during this Saturday’s NCAA regional meet in Wisconsin.

The Scots harriers have exhibited good foot speed, something Haynes says could play into their performance on the course at Lake Breese Golf Course, located just north of Oshkosh, Wis.

"This should be good for us," reports Haynes. "We tend to have reasonably fast foot speed, so it should be advantageous for our frontrunners."

"We hope to be in the upper half of the field," said Haynes. "I think we can do that."

Due to a combination of late injuries and illness, the women will only be able to field a partial team of six runners. Paced by the all-conference tandem of freshman Mary Kate Beyer and sophomore Katie Staab, Haynes is hopeful sophomores Amy Aghababian, Jayme Ayers and Briana Flynn and freshman Whitney Didier will be able to run well at the meet he describes as the culmination of all their efforts.

"We want to represent ourselves (well) in a culminating meet and learn from that experience," reports Haynes, whose women’s squad finished 25th a year ago.

Haynes is confident the team’s light meet schedule will be an advantage for his squad. He says a training glitch prior to the conference meet may have had a negative effect then, but he is confident all the pieces are in place for the regional meet.

Monmouth has not had a runner advance from the regional meet to the national event since Zach Barr’s All-American 26th place finish in 2004.

PANTHERS CLAW SCOTS IN EXHIBITION LOSS

"I really liked the way we competed," said Vershaw. "Joe (Terwelp), really battled well against the taller players and held his own."

Usually coaches don’t care for turnovers, but Vershaw was willing to accept his team’s 14 turnovers against a DI opponent.

"Realize, we forced them into 14 turnovers, too," said the Scots skipper. "So we played even on that."

The Scots were simply outsized on the glass as Eastern held a 48-22 rebounding edge.

"They had four or five strong kids at least 6’9," commented Vershaw. "Their shorter players were very athletic, so we had our work cut out for us."

Junior Corey Turner (12 points) and sophomore Scott Ubbenga (11 points off the bench) earned the coach’s praise as did freshman Eric Grant.

"Eric handled the ball extremely well for a freshman point guard," praised Vershaw.

The Scots will open the regular season on Nov. 17 at Central Missouri State.

Next week, an in-depth look at the Scots.

SWIMMERS GO TO THE WELL FOR POINTS

When the Monmouth College men’s and women’s swim teams finished second and fourth, respectively, at last season’s Midwest Conference meet it was the best combined showing for the teams in the history of the program. This year they plan to improve even more and have added some key components to that equation.

"We’ve addressed our need for divers at the conference level," says swim coach Keith Crawford whose squad featured no divers last season. "Jack Clifford (Rantoul, Ill.), Nina Hart (Des Plaines, Ill.) and Kayce DeRoo (Elgin, Ill.) will be diving for us, which will help, but we’re still a couple short of where we need to be.

"It’s tough at the conference level to make up the 100 points we’re losing in the diving well."

With the addition of diving, the Scots hope to close the gap on perennial power Grinnell.

With the absence of a diving well in the Pepper Natatorium, the Scots have been using the pools at the Warren County YMCA and at nearby Western Illinois University.

"We’re fortunate that the Y and Western have allowed us to use their facilities for our dive training," says Crawford. "I can’t say enough good things about the job Al McGuire and Dave Yez are doing with our divers."

The Scots should also be improved in every event, returning 15 swimmers on the men’s side and six women, plus four high-caliber women who took a year off but return to the pool for 2007-08.

The men feature a strong nucleus of seniors Dan Campione (Blue Island, Ill.) and Kurt Niemeier (Orland Park, Ill.), junior Jim Travnik (New Lenox, Ill.) and sophomores Josh Van Swol (Frankfort, Ill.), John Kaiser (Hanover Park, Ill.), Harrison Heilman (Downers Grove, Ill.) and Jon Peterson (Burlington, Iowa). Crawford is high on newcomers Kevin Raske (Algonquin, Ill.), Brant Furr (Crawfordsville, Ind.), Tom Pederson (Chicago, Ill.), Chad Rowland (Olathe, Kan.) and Kevin Satler (Marseilles, Ill.), a Flight A finalist at last season’s JUCO national meet.

"Raske will be a big boost for us," says Crawford. "Rowland will have a huge impact in the distance events and Pederson has the potential to really help us in the sprint freestyle and fly."

Senior Ryan Bouwman (Lansing, Ill.) and sophomores Joe Moran (Naperville, Ill.), Ed Novak (Schaumburg, Ill.), Matt O’Rourke (Evergreen Park, Ill.), Joe Schwinger (Woodridge, Ill.) and Stephen Whittle (Galesburg, Ill.) will be counted on to add depth and much-needed scoring in the team’s chase for a conference title.

Crawford’s stable doesn’t weaken when it comes to the women’s team which returns sophomore captain Anne Lane (St. Louis, Mo.), who placed in the top three in multiple events at last spring’s MWC meet. Lane is joined by captains, seniors Jessica DeMink (Silvis, Ill.), Heather Plum (Freeport, Ill.) and Megan Wentzlaff (Mokena, Ill).

When you add sophomore Lauren Nelson (Mundelein, Ill.) and freshman Lauren Kelley (Pekin, Ill.) into the mix, Crawford thinks his women will be "awfully good" at some events.

"We’re seeing some really good things from Lauren (Nelson)," notes Crawford. "She has great potential and we’ll see that surface later in the season."

Crawford notes his freestyle relay team could be a force with Lane, Kelley, Plum, Wentzlaff, Nelson, DeMink and sophomore Meaghan Gritzenbach (Evergreen Park, Ill.) all battling for a spot on the relay.

"We want to move up from fourth at the conference meet," says the fourth year coach. "I think we have the potential for some individual champions at conference."

Some of those expected to gain points are junior Andrea Dorscheid (Janesville, Wis.) and freshmen Sally Thomas (New Lenox, Ill.) and Danielle Shaller (Quincy, Ill.).

Senior Inna Lonchyna (Hinsdale, Ill.), sophomore Jessica Houser (Naperville, Ill.) and freshmen Lindsay Duvick (Northbrook, Ill.), Jessica Holbrook (Elburn,Ill.) and Maggie Julcher (Northbrook, Ill.) round out the women’s squad.

With the largest contingent of swimmers and divers in recent history (19 men, 17 women), the stage is set for the Scots men’s and women’s teams to continue their improved showings at the conference meet and perhaps leave a few teams in their wake.

SCOTS’ TEAM EFFORT SINKS FORESTERS

Monmouth College swim coach Keith Crawford expected a close finish when his men’s and women’s teams hosted Lake Forest College at the Pepper Natatorium last Saturday. What he got was the women’s first dual meet victory over the Foresters in the history of the program and perhaps a peek at this spring’s Midwest Conference meet.

Buoyed by Anne Lane’s four first-place finishes, which included a leg on the winning 200-yard medley relay, the Scots women sunk the Foresters 160-89. The sophomore’s time in the 200-yard butterfly (2:24.49) is the top time in the conference this season.

The Scots got a "total team effort" and Crawford was especially pleased with what he called a "gutsy" performance from freshman Sally Thomas competing in her first collegiate 200-yard butterfly (2:53.26).

Crawford points to the opening two events, the 200- medley relay (2:07.08) and Heather Plum’s second place in the 1000-yard freestyle (12:09.01), as setting the tone for the meet. Lane was joined in the medley by Jessica Houser, Lauren Kelley and Megan Wentzlaff. Besides Lane and the 200- medley team, the Scots picked up first place finishes from Houser in the 100- backstroke (1:13.60), Jessica DeMink in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke (1:21.78/2:54.12) and Wentzlaff in the 200- individual medley (2:26.82).

"Heather (Plum) had been sick," credited Crawford. "For her to go out and swim to a second place finish at that distance is truly incredible."

Crawford reports Houser, Lauren Nelson and Danielle Schaller had good swims, bettering their times from the first two weeks. The Scots coach was so impressed with Schaller’s performance on the "B" Team relay that he expects her to be a serious candidate for the "A" Team. He also liked what he saw from Maggie Julcher’s second place time (3:08.23) in the 200- breaststroke.

Crawford was also pleasantly surprised by his men’s 153-105 win over Lake Forest. Six of his distance and butterfly swimmers were in St. Louis competing at the Water Polo Nationals where they finished 7th.

"Overall, I was very happy with the men’s performance," said Crawford. "Kurt Niemeier and Kevin Raske again had an outstanding meet for us as did our 1-2-3 finish in the breaststroke.

Raske set his third Monmouth record in as many weeks, setting the new standard in the 200- butterfly at 2:00.50 for a school and pool record.

Not to be outdone, Niemeier logged three wins against six-time MWC champion Michael Ojdana in the 50- , 100- and 200-yard freestyles (23.22/49.85/1:49.16). His time in the 200- is the time top in the league.

Raske, Peterson, Satler and Niemeier teamed to win the 200-yard medley relay (1:44.82).

Other firsts included Raske in the 500- and 1000- freestyle (4:57.25/10:18.48) and Satler in the 200- IM (2:12.47).

The Scots host the Monmouth Invitational this Saturday at the Pepper Natatorium. The meet begins at 11:30.

SCOTS WOMEN GET DEFENSIVE

There’s an old saying that "Offense wins games, defense wins championships." That’s exactly what the Monmouth College women’s basketball team hopes to do during the 2007-08 campaign.

"We’ll put points on the board," said third-year coach Melissa Jones. "We know we’ll get offense from our returners, but we’ve got to stop people."

Stop people, they must. Monmouth proved last season they could score. Their 71.8 average was second in the league, but they were eighth in scoring defense.

Jones is hoping her freshman class can provide some needed defensive pressure to compliment last year’s scoring machines.

The Scots return most of the points from last year’s 12-11 team with national rebounding champion, senior Ashley Yeast (13.7 rpg/12.5 ppg), junior Melissa Gorski (14.1 ppg) and sophomore Elise Waldorf (10.6 ppg) leading the pack. Lost to graduation are four-year starters Mallory Mulvihill and leading scorer Laura Jahn (14.7 ppg.)

"We should be able to offset Laura’s lost points with increased scoring off the bench," predicts Jones.

Junior Katie Sheets, who Jones calls "the strongest shooter I’ve ever seen," could be called on to add some points from long range.

"She has amazing range," noted Jones. "That should really help our inside-outside game."

Inside, things begin with Yeast and her lofty rebounding totals from a year ago. The nation’s best was regarded as more of a rebounder that a scoring threat despite her Midwest Conference-leading 15 double-doubles last season.

Yeast has taken that slight to heart, working on post moves and footwork over the off season.

"A lot of Ashley’s points came off of putbacks," said Jones, herself a post player at Monmouth.

Waldorf, who Jones notes has grown a bit over the summer, will move to playing more at the power forward spot. While sacrificing some of Waldorf’s outside game, Jones believes the move will make for a more potent offensive attack.

"Elise’s move was a natural since we’re guard-heavy and she’s such a powerful player," said Jones.

Gorksi will stay at the two position where she hit seven treys last year and pulled down 85 rebounds. The junior from Arlington Heights will also provide "a ton of leadership" both on and off the court.

Sophomore Lynsey Barnard, fresh off an all-conference golf season, will likely split time at the point guard position with newcomer Justine Boone.

"Justine is a very strong, coachable player," praises Jones. "She needs to improve on some freshman mistakes, but that is typical for a player making the transition to college ball."

Also impressing Jones in the early season is freshman Alison Andrews from Algonquin. Andrews will likely play in the two or three spot and Jones calls her a strong all-around player.

"We’re stronger than ever one through eight," claims Jones.

Speaking of strong, you can’t leave junior Tanesha Hughes out of the mix. The Peoria product brings in a powerful game averaging a point or a rebound every two minutes.

"Tanesha’s success in volleyball and track and field will definitely transfer over to the basketball court," predicts Jones. "She may be the most physical player in our conference."

Jones also noted junior Apryl Wishecoby and 5-10 freshman Erica Puig will add to the team’s strength. Wishecoby will "bring the team up a notch" with her positive approach and practice habits. Puig is predicted to round into shape once she fully adjusts to the increased speed and physical play of college ball.

"We want to win," stated Jones. "We’re ready to pick our game up to compete at a championship level, and we believe we’ve got the players to compete at a high level every day."

MWC DISCOVERS TANNEY

It took a full nine weeks, but Monmouth College freshman Alex Tanney (Lexington, Ill./Lexington) has picked up his first Midwest Conference Offensive Performer of the Week honor.

Tanney spread the ball around, throwing to 10 different receivers and compiling 309 yards passing as the Fighting Scots downed Knox College 42-14 last Saturday. The quarterback was 24-of-29 with no interceptions as he posted a pass efficiency rating of 229.16. He also threw for five touchdowns ranking second on the Monmouth all-time single-game list.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Sat., Nov. 10

SCOTSIVATIONAL