CLIMBING UP THE LADDER

After finishing sixth indoors and third outdoors last season, the men’s indoor track team kicked it up a notch and took second-place team honors at last weekend’s NCAA Division III national indoor track & field meet held at Ada, Ohio.

The Fighting Scots proved they are one of the elite teams in the nation and led after the first day of competition but UW-La Crosse passed the Scots on Day 2 to win the meet 43-33. Monmouth finished 12 points ahead of Wisconsin schools Platteville and Oshkosh, who tied for third.

"The kids having a great experience at the meet was a large part of our confidence going in," said coach Roger Haynes. "With the exception of Logan (Hohl) everyone had been there before and understood what it was going to take. We talk all the time about a scale of 10 and having performances in the sevens and eights will put us in good position. We did well because we had lots of eights."

Those "eights" included six All-American honors in five events and the one performance which could be considered a "10" came in the pole vault. The Scots produced their fourth national champion in four years when three-time pole vault All-American Jonny Henkins (Kewanee, Ill./Kewanee) won the national title by tying his personal-best height of 16’9-1/2.

Peter Sprecher, last year’s outdoor pole vault champion, took fifth just 4" behind Henkins’ winning height to also achieve his third All-American honor. Zach Wilson added to Friday’s All-American parade for the Scots, taking third in the weight throw with a toss of 61’0-3/4.

Ironically, Sprecher won the outdoor title a year ago when Henkins, who had a higher rank, was injured in the warmups. This year it was Sprecher who was seeded higher going into the event.

"This tells us that we have a couple of very good vaulters on our team," said Haynes of his two national champions. "It also tells us that we’re doing some good things in practice and preparation."

Wilson’s performance wasn’t lost on Haynes who said his senior thrower was very consistent. "If you awarded a national title base on consistency, Zach would have won," he said. "His six throws were all in the 18-meter plus range. He did a very good job."

The success of the Scots in the field events begs the question – What caused the Scots to turn into a powerhouse in the field events? "There are a couple of reasons for that," said Haynes. "We have a number of exceptional athletes in the field events, and coach (Brian) Woodard is doing a tremendous job of preparing our throwers for the national meet."

The Scots didn’t disappoint on the track, either. Luke Reschke picked up his fourth and fifth All-American honors Saturday. Reschke clocked a second-place finish of 49.51 in the 400 meters to gain All-American status. The junior sprinter had a different strategy for the prelims and the finals. "Luke and I don’t always agree on how to run the 400," said Haynes. "He actually ran two different types of races and finished second in the finals when it counted. Friday, he ran a get-out-fast-and-take-the-lead race. Saturday he ran the exact opposite type of race, he held back and had to pass two runners in the final 200 meters. He ran two different strategies and ran two perfect races."

Reschke teamed with Hohl, Brad Gross and Jacob Stott in the 4x400 relay. The team earned All-American honors with a fourth place in the 4x4 with a time of 3:21.22, less than three seconds out of the lead.

Reschke’s second in the 400 took the suspense out of the 4x400 relay. The points he picked up virtually assured the Scots they would not need any last race heroics to take the second place hardware. "It was a great way to finish the meet," said Haynes of locking up a team trophy with one event to go. "It was certainly better to be able to take it all in during the relay. Last year we had to have some things fall our way and it was like making a last-second shot to win the game. It was fun to watch since we got out ahead. I think everyone was able sit back and take it all in a little better this year."

Haynes had praise for his relay team’s focus on the final event, despite locking up team hardware. "Jake ran tremendously well on the leadoff, Brad was solid and kept us in the race, then Logan and Luke ran well on the last half," he said. "We’ve got a talented group along with Aaron Daverin who was our alternate on the 4x4. I’m looking forward to what they can accomplish outdoors."

Women’s pole vautler Jessica White cleared 12’4 to finish third in the event, making her a three-time All-American. "She had a great meet and did exactly what we wanted her to do," praised Haynes. "She was the only jumper to be clear all the way through 12’4 and had some good attempts at 12’8. She was just four inches away from where she wanted to be. I’m sure that will motivate her even more for the outdoor season."

Senior thrower, Zach Wilson’s 51’4-1/2 mark in the shot put failed to advance him to the finals. Freshman Logan Hohl just missed the 55 hurdle finals with a time of 7.78. Women’s hurdler, Shannon Turczyn, missed Saturday’s finals with a time of 8.39.

Now that the Scots have two national team trophies, could a third consecutive be coming in May? Without saying "Yes," Haynes is optimistic. "The mental aspect has changed for the kids," he reported. "They have very high expectations of what they should be able to do. We felt that way at the conference level and now that is transferring to the national meet."

Now just where did we put that trophy case?

For the second consecutive year, track coach Roger Haynes has been named the Division III Midwest Region Men’s Indoor Track Coach of the Year by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

The USTFCCA annually honors coaches and athletes who have achieved a high level of success in track & field and cross country. The Scots men have captured 15 Midwest Conference titles since Haynes took over the program in 1984 and this season claimed their ninth-straight league crown. Monmouth also qualified seven men in six events for last weekend’s NCAA Indoor Championships in Ada, Ohio, and had one national champion.

Haynes’ teams have produced six individual national champions and his men’s indoor team placed second in the nation after a sixth place last winter. The outdoor team placed third last spring.

GOLFERS IMPRESSIVE IN OPENER

If the men’s golf team’s performance at last weekend’s Millikin Open is any indication, back-to-back conference titles is a real possibility.

After a weeklong trip to the Ozarks, the Fighting Scots returned to Illinois and finished second at the season’s first meet held at Oak Terrace Golf Course in Pana. Monmouth’s 613 was just seven strokes back of event winner, Southern Indiana, a Division II team. The Scots’ "B" team finished eighth in the field of 14.

"The team had great weather and great practices in the Ozarks," said coach Dave Ragone, who was unable to travel with the team due to the expected birth of his first child. Former Scots golfer Doug Middendorf escorted the team in Ragone’s absence. "I was very pleased that we were able to score so well on a tough course at Millikin with such a young team, and we finished ahead of a couple of our conference opponents and teams ranked above us in the national rankings."

The Scots "A" Team provided consistent scoring at the 36-hole meet. Aaron Thiel tied for second individually. The senior carded a 74-74–148, one stroke behind Open winner Tyler Wolberg of Carthage College. Freshman Jason Pinns’ 74-77–151 tied for fifth. A last-minute addition to the spring trip, Kyle Tuor, carded a 36-hole total of 156 to place 12th. Ryan Harvey’s 160 tied for 20th and Greg Jones carded a 163 to tie for 26th.

The Scots field a squad with just one senior and Ragone is noticeably excited about his team after the first weekend. "We knew Pinns was going to be solid," said Ragone. "Thiel, our senior was just one shot off the lead and very consistent. Tuor would have to be considered somewhat of a surprise. We added him to the trip at the last minute and he shot in the 70s every day of practice. His 78-78 at the tournament was a big, big help."

Freshman Rodney Clayton came back from an opening day 82 to tie for 18th with a 159 to lead the "B" team. Zach Coles was right behind at 160. The rest of the Scots’ scoring saw Joe Hoffman at 167, Nate Harroun card a 172 and Ryan Tapscott with a 173.

"Overall, I was very pleased with the guys’ practice habits and work ethic during the break," praised Ragone. "We’re a little ahead of where we normally are. Our short game – chipping and putting – was very, very good. Our overall ball striking was also very good. In years past our ball striking takes a while to develop, but we’ve made excellent progress and we’re ahead of schedule."

After a light workout week this week, the Scots will take this weekend off before heading to Galesburg for the Knox Prairie Fire Classic held at Soangetaha Country Club March 28-29.

To most people, leaving sunshine and 75 degrees to return to light snow and 30 degrees wouldn’t be their idea of things looking up. To the Scots baseball team, it’s exactly that.

The Scots left Arizona’s spring break games with one win and a lot of optimism. "Obviously, we were all disappointed in the overall outcome in Arizona," said coach Roger Sander. "We always start off slow on spring break, but we would usually rally and get some late week wins. This year was a bit different in that we used to play 10-12 games that week and this year we cut it down to six. Some of the really good teams we’ve had have struggled out of the gate."

Sander can point to his conference championship team in 2002 as proof. That team finished 26-13, won the MWC title and was a game away from the Division III World Series, but they were just 2-5 the first half of their spring trip before putting together a four-game win streak.

"We were inconsistent," said Sander of this year’s trip to the Grand Canyon State. "The one game we won, we could have lost and four of our losses, we could have won. I’ve really got to credit our outfield, they were tremendous. They hadn’t seen any fly balls until we got to Arizona and did a great job. We go about six deep in the outfield, so there’s some competition there."

One of those outfielders, Willy Mason, is one of five players hitting .400 or better through eight games. Mason’s .500 average is tied for second on the team to "surprising" sophomore Tom Shaver.

"He really stepped up," said Sander of his second baseman who leads the team with a .538 average and has no fielding errors in 21 chances.

Errors did plague the Scots, who have two All-Region infielders on the squad. "The infield play was a bit disappointing," lamented Sander. "The upside is we’ve got a sophomore (Shaver) who shined and played himself into the starting job and leadoff hitter."

"Better than the scores indicated" is how Sander described his pitching staff. One third of the runs allowed in Phoenix were unearned. In the Scots first game, a 9-5 loss, Simpson scored just one earned run against losing pitcher Drew Johnson. Johnson is the Scots’ poster child for hard luck losses. He allowed just four earned runs, but picked up two losses in Arizona. "Drew is 0-3 on the year, but he really hasn’t pitched a bad game," said Sander. "I’ve talked with him at length about it and he doesn’t deserve to be 3-0."

Sander also points to Matt Tye and Brian Chandler as a couple of other bright spots on the mound. After a shaky start, Tye settled in for the last game against Concordia and Chandler picked up the team’s first win, an 11-8 win over Webster. A couple of freshman pitchers, Michael Reed and Corey Gruber also drew praise. "They did a nice job of stepping in to their first college games and pitching well," said Sander.

Saying his team is not that far off, Sander has had to turn from baseball to psychology. "We’re working on the mental aspect," he said. "We need to be a little mentally tougher. We haven’t stayed in the games from start to finish. I’ve got a great bunch of guys who just need to compete a little harder. We’ll get it together and go on a roll."

That roll may be put on hold a few days. Wet field conditions could push the Scots home opener scheduled for today or tomorrow back to Monday. Cold, wet conditions have held on so long, the only "outside time" the Scots have had this spring was their opening weekend in Kentucky and last week’s trip to Arizona.

Maybe today’s first day of spring will bring better weather and a few wins.

An 0-7 trip to Arizona might discourage some coaches, but not Scots’ softball coach John Goddard.

"We saw a lot of good things," said the first-year coach. "We got a good look at a lot of players and now we have a better idea of how to put the pieces together. The main thing is, we finally got some outside time and now we’re getting ready for our conference schedule. The Arizona trip’s purpose is to sort things out and be ready when we come back north."

Through the first four games, the Scots opponents either scored late inning runs, or held off a Monmouth rally to keep the Scots winless. In the season opener vs. Patten, Monmouth led 4-3 but surrendered four runs in the seventh. In the next game vs. Webster, the game was tied 6-6 through four. In Game 3, the Scots held Kenyon in check after surrendering 3 runs in the first inning of a 5-0 loss. Monmouth failed to hold a 6-4 lead going into the bottom of the seventh against Calvin and fell 7-6.

The bottom line – in Arizona, the Scots were one hit or one play away from heading home at least 4-3.

The Scots did find success, and in some unlikely places. Pitcher/designated player/first baseman Val Mitchell hit a whopping .471 during the trip and freshman Haley Lyons hit .357 with a pair of doubles.

"Haley hitting that well as a freshman came as a bit of a surprise," claimed Goddard. "Erin Fitzpatrick made a nice transition to second base and played very well there after being a shortstop/third baseman in high school. She, like Haley, hit very well as a freshman. We knew Val could hit, but nearly .500 is a bonus."

Monmouth entered the season with an entirely new right side of the infield, but Goddard has been pleased with their play. "We have a lot of inexperience on that side of the diamond, but they’re progressing nicely," he praised. "Overall, our defense really improved as the week progressed and we adjusted to being outside and taking balls off dirt instead of a gym floor."

The Scots were plagued in Tucson by the absence of timely hitting and some timely misplays. Monmouth averaged over seven hits per game, but was unable to stack them together for any extended period. Goddard forsees a slight batting order change, moving senior Emily Willems to the leadoff spot with classmate Anna Coutts hitting second. Willems, who hit leadoff in high school, hit .348 with four doubles in Arizona and will add a base stealing threat at the top of the order.

Coutts has to like the new batting order. The senior outfielder, who had been batting in front of the pull-hitting Willems, took a vicious liner to the ribs from her shortstop in the third game at Tucson. Two good things came out of the incident – 1) Coutts was not seriously injured and was able to stay in the game, and 2) she was not out because she led off third base in foul territory. Let that be a lesson kids – always wear a helmet and always lead off third in foul territory. Oh yeah, when "E-Dub" is batting, be on your toes.

Coutts wasn’t the only Scot to require the trainer. First baseman/designated player Maggie Dort, who had just been cleared to play after a fractured hip, pulled a hamstring and is expected to be out two to three weeks. Dort was also injured in Game 3.

Defensively, the Scots fielding percentage is nearly even with their opponents. Goddard was confident following the team’s last game on Friday, saying "All our mistakes are fixable." He believes that and is impressed with the players’ desire and attitude. "The women never gave up and continued to hustle," he praised. "They ran out every play, hustled after every ball…they gave 100 percent effort."

Tuesday’s cancellation of the Eureka game means the Scots will have over 11 days off before their next game, the home opener Wednesday against MacMurray.

LOST IN LOVE

The Fighting Scots women’s tennis team came out on the short end of the stick in a 9-0 loss to Quincy University Sunday.

Monmouth saw their first action since the Midwest Conference Championships in mid-October. The Scots were blanked by the Lady Hawks, who picked up their third straight win.

Brittany Donnelly provided a bright spot for Monmouth, taking her No. 2 doubles match to three sets. The junior from Metamora won the first set easily, 6-0. Quincy’s Jackie Ostermiller tied the match with a 6-2 second set win and downed Donnelly in the third set 10-5.

The Scots, playing a shortened schedule in the non-traditional spring season, has one more match April 6 at Augustana.

Thurs., Mar. 20

Baseball – hosts Augustana (1) – 3:00 pm