Welcome to the second issue of the Monmouth Fighting Scot cross country/track & field newsletter for 1999! We send this letter with our good wishes for a safe and happy spring season and look forward to keeping all of you informed of the latest news on Monmouth track and cross country! If you receive this newsletter and would like to be taken off of our mailing list, please let us know so we can avoid unwanted mailings in the future -- or if you know of someone who would like to receive the newsletter, send us their address and we will add them to the mailing list!!

The 1999 indoor track meet schedule officially ended with last weekend’s NCAA Division III Indoor National Championships. Following the Midwest Conference Championship Meet on March 5-6, our team is done with the indoor season and have turned thoughts towards the upcoming outdoor season. Our track and field athletes are now enjoying two weeks of conditioning and lighter training in preparation for outdoor competition, which begins on March 27.

After a series of five indoor meets, Monmouth traveled to Knox College in Galesburg,IL on March 5-6 with their hopes set on defending their team titles at the 1999 MWC Indoor Track Conference Championships. Monmouth was looking to extend their school-record streak of four straight men’s team titles (1995-98) and three straight women’s championships in a row (1996-98) after sweeping both team titles last year. The Fighting Scots unfortunately fell short on their title chase but did enjoy a very successful weekend, claiming a conference-high 12 individual and relay champions! For the record Monmouth track & field teams have won a combined 21 indoor and outdoor championships in the decade of the ‘90s!!

Sophomore Constance Jackson (Peoria,IL/Woodruff) was the brightest star for Monmouth as she sped to five first-place finishes, three in individual events. Jackson became only the second female in league history (after MC grad Heather Furrow) to win all three sprint races in the same season as she streaked to victory in the 55m, 200m and 400m and her times of 7.38 seconds (55m) and 25.87 (200m) set new MWC records. Jackson led off the winning 4x200 relay on Friday night and then anchored the 4x400 team to victory on Saturday to complete a perfect sweep of her events. For her efforts, she was selected as co-track events MVP for the meet. Julie Larson (Altona,IL/ROWVA) also earned co-MVP honors in the field events as the junior won the long jump with a leap of 18'5½", which missed the MWC mark by only a quarter-inch. The jump broke the Monmouth indoor LJ record by a full three inches and gave Larson, who later placed fifth in the triple jump, her first individual track title.

Freshman Jaime Jones (LaHarpe,IL/HS) and sophomore Cort Mills (Little York,IL/Yorkwood) swept the high jump titles as Jones won with a season-best clearance of 5'3" and Mills cleared 6'6" on his second attempt to win. Sophomore Justin Bryant (Knoxville,IL/HS) and freshman Scott Stanton (Monmouth,IL/HS) claimed individual events on the track. After finishing third at 400 meters and second in the 55-meter dash, Bryant won the 200 meters in a time of 22.62 seconds. Stanton claimed his victory in the 55-meter hurdles, winning the final in a lifetime-best 7.86 seconds after lowering his PR to 7.94 in Friday's heats.

Monmouth also claimed four relays on the track, defending titles in the men's and women's 4x200 and 4x400 events. Jackson, sophomore Maggie Semington (Galesburg,IL/HS), senior Stephanie Owen (Abingdon,IL/HS) and sophomore Elise Estes (Colorado Springs, CO/Sierra) clocked a season-best 1:48.26 in the 4x200 on Friday and then watched as junior Brian Houzenga (Fulton,IL/HS) anchored a thrilling come-from-behind victory in the men's race. Houzenga teamed with Bryant, freshman Vaughn Gray (Chicago,IL/ Lane Tech) and sophomore Matt Beverly (Monmouth,IL/HS) to run 1:30.41. Jackson and Semington joined with seniors Christy Keller (Crystal Lake,IL/CL Central) and Sherri Polk (St. Louis,MO/Pattonville) to claim the 4x400 relay in 4:10.79 while Bryant anchored the men's 4x4 to victory in 3:27.40 with junior Rich Johnson (Galesburg,IL/HS), sophomore Chris Lacy (Knoxville,IL/HS) and freshman Randy Williams (Hillsdale,IL/Lane Tech).

Several other Monmouth performances were worthy of top-three medals. Senior Amanda Colgan (Galva,IL/HS) (38'8") and sophomore Vanessa Armstrong (Peoria,IL/Central) (38'5") turned in season-best performances to place 2-3 in the shot put and Owen ran third in the 55-meter hurdles (:09.48). Sophomores James Amerison (Kansas City,MO/Center) and Tony Miles (Moline,IL/HS) each claimed their first MWC track medal, placing third in the 55 meters (:06.70) and the 800 meters (2:02.12), respectively. Despite missing out on the medals, the Monmouth women posted new school-record performances in both medley relays. Polk and sophomore Krissy Hosey (Burlington,IL/ Central) ran on both teams, joining with Keller and Angie Frick (Monmouth,IL/Yorkwood) in the sprint medley and with Ann Moody (Yates City,IL/Farmington) and Gretchen Vandergriff (Wolcott,IN/Greenwood) on the Scots' distance medley team which placed fourth. The men's sprint and distance medleys each placed fourth as well, as did Colgan (20-pound weight throw), Owen (55 meters) and junior Aaron Walker (Seneca,IL/HS) in the pole vault.

The 1999 indoor season saw the Monmouth track and field program again earn advancement to the NCAA Division III National Championships. Two Fighting Scot athletes gained admission into the national meet as Julie Larson (Altona,IL/ROWVA) and Constance Jackson (Peoria,IL/Woodruff) made the qualifying cut. Larson’s record long jump effort at the MWC Indoor Meet was an automatic qualifier while Jackson’s time in the 400 meters held up as a strong provisional mark. Even though neither woman qualified for the finals round for All-American consideration, this marks the 15th consecutive season that Monmouth has qualified at least one athlete for NCAA national competition . On the men’s side sophomore Eric Holmes (Victoria,IL/ROWVA) was a provisional qualifier in the shot put but his distance did not survive the field cut. Overall the Monmouth track program can claim 43 indoor and 115 outdoor national qualifiers, covering almost every individual and relay event, and has produced 40 NCAA All-American athletes.

Another measure of success for the 1999 indoor season was the number of new school records that were established. Senior Matt Russell (Dunlap,IL/HS) improved the 35-pound weight throw record to 45'7" at the MWC Meet. Larson and junior Aaron Walker (Seneca,IL/HS) also set new field event marks. As mentioned before, Larson’s MWC first-place leap broke the old long jump record and Walker’s best pole vault clearance of 13'8" at UW-Oshkosh on February 27 broke an 11 year-old school indoor mark. Both men’s and women’s records fell in the sprint medley relay and the women also turned in a record time in the distance medley relay. Jackson lowered the 200m indoor record at the conference meet and first-year thrower Trista Neal shattered the freshman record in the 20-pound weight by over four feet.

With a late Spring Break scheduled this year, the Fighting Scots will be taking to the road to begin their outdoor racing season. Monmouth will compete at Millikin University in Decatur,IL on Saturday, March 27 and are planning on staying in the St. Louis area for two days. The team will then travel to Memphis, Tennessee for a few days of warm weather training and will be in action at the Rhodes College Invitational on April 3. The Scots will return to campus and will resume training after the Easter weekend in preparation for a trip to Washington University in St. Louis on April 10.

1999 will be an exciting year for our running programs as Monmouth will act as host for both the MWC Outdoor Track & Field Championships in May (Friday-Saturday, May 7-8) and the MWC Cross Country Championships in November (Saturday, November 6).

We are planning on recognizing former individual and team conference champions in a brief ceremony prior to the Saturday schedule of events at the outdoor meet in May. A reply slip is also enclosed with this newsletter for all alumni – we would appreciate a response if you are planning on attending the MWC Meet in May, especially if you were an individual champion or a member of a championship team. We would especially be interested in inviting members of the 1954 men’s championship team, who celebrate the 45th anniversary of their title this spring. More details will follow, but please send in your reply if you’re coming!!

Our list of recruit visits continues to grow as we entertain prospective teammates in both cross country and track. Recent visitors include:

** Elizabeth Duvall, Hinsdale South HS; Vanessa Zurbuch, Rochelle HS; Kurtis Rogers, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Jill Hinrichs, Geneseo HS; Riley Newton, Montini HS; Ryan Estes, Knoxville HS; Michael Hedbloom, Knoxville HS; David Dare, Olympia HS; Eric Gillhouse, Olympia HS; Jared Nelson, Olympia HS; Jill Hoops, Farmington HS; Julie Sederquist, College of DuPage; Jason Ziems, Manteno HS; Cale Connour, Oneida (Wisconsin); Zach Protzman, Green Bay (Wisconsin)

If your name is not on this list and you haven’t visited campus yet, please contact our office (309-457-2176) or the Admissions Office (309-457-2131 or 1-800-744-2687) to arrange a time and day to see the campus. Weekday visits are always welcome!! Visits include a tour of campus, admissions talk and an opportunity to meet with coaches, professors and present student-athletes.

All prospective recruits need to submit an application for admission (free of charge) and a high school transcript. Students also need to complete the FAFSA federal financial aid form to pursue financial aid and receive an assistance package from Monmouth. Questions can be forwarded to the Admissions Office numbers printed above.

Questions about Monmouth cross country or track & field? Interested in receiving the XC/track newsletter via e-mail? Know any address changes for alumni? Contact Coach Chris Pio in the Athletic Department ...... 309-457-2175 or Send us your e-mail address and we’ll be happy to contact you by e-mail.