Monmouth Track Dominance Continues

By Dan Nolan
College Sports Information

MONMOUTH, Ill. – The Monmouth College men and women chalked up their 12th and 10th Midwest Conference indoor track championships, respectively, in dominating fashion at the meet held in Grinnell, Iowa.

The Fighting Scots had a combined 17 first place finishes for the men and women and set four school records. The women outdistanced the field by more than 120 points while the men were 89 points ahead of the pack. Roger Haynes was named the MWC’s men’s and women’s Coach of the Year and six Monmouth athletes were named the meet’s Outstanding Performers. Seniors Saidu Sesay (track), Peyton Lumzy (field) and Michael Blodgett (field) were the men’s winners while Mary Kate Beyer (track), Jae Moore (track) and Allison Devor (field) were the women’s representatives.

Beyer claimed two individual titles and a relay crown in her final indoor conference meet. The senior broke her own school record to win the 5,000-meters in 17:44.07. She led a Scots’ 1-2 finish in the 3,000, running a 10:19.17 to finish 13 seconds ahead of Rachel Bowden. Beyer also ran a leg on the winning distance medley relay. Marlee Lane, Kenzie Payton and Brittney Frazier joined Beyer to break the tape in 12:51.15.

Bowden was the bridesmaid three times in the championships. In addition to a second in the 3K, the sophomore took second in the 800 run with a school record time of 2:18.70. She clocked a personal-best in the mile, but was two-tenths off the pace to place second. Aron Jackson and Alyssa Edwards helped Bowden with points in the 800, finishing sixth and eighth. Edwards also picked up a seventh-place finish in the mile.

The Scots women dominated the throws where Devor led the charge. Monmouth filled the podium in the weight throw when Devor threw a school record and improved her provisional throw with a winning mark of 56’4-1/2”. Raven Robinson unleashed a personal best to take second, just ahead of Amanda Streeter. The trio nearly duplicated the feat in the shot put. Devor won with a throw of 43’7-1/4”, two feet ahead of runner up Streeter. Robinson took fourth.

Moore picked up two wins. The senior sprinted to a win in the 55-meter dash with a time of 7.50. Kimarri Campbell placed third and Alexa Allen was fifth in the 55 dash. Moore ran the leadoff leg of the winning 4x400 relay on the final day. Moore, Morgan Leffel, Whitney Didier and Kaci Lierman clocked a 4:05.48 for the win.

Didier and Morgan Ryan were 1-2 in the pole vault where Leffel placed sixth. Didier cleared 11’7-3/4” for the title. Mackinsey Marquith, Bailey Jackson and Leffel took solid points in the long jump, finishing 2-3-4. Marquith improved her provisional mark with a jump of 18’0-1/4”.

Jackson turned in a personal-best to place second in the triple jump, just ahead of Marquith. Leffel finished fifth. Four high jumpers including Chelsea Widdop and Emily Tysma tied for second after clearing 4’11-1/2”. Widdop was awarded second and Tysma was fifth.

The women took advantage of their depth to bunch points in the running events. Moore and Allen were 2-3 in the 200 dash and Payton scored in sixth. In the 55-meter hurdles, Allen ran an improved provisional and personal-best time of 8.35 to take second and Ryan was fifth. Lierman and Didier each ran career-bests in the 400 meters. Lierman finished second, less than three seconds out of first. Didier took fourth and Leffel was sixth.

The sprint medley relay team turned in a school record. Payton, Leffel, Lierman and Didier clocked a 4:18.47 and finished third.

Sesay was the big winner for the men, claiming one relay and two individual titles. The senior’s career-best 6.51 in the 55 dash made him the champion by more 12-hundredths. Kainte Green sprinted to a third-place finish in the race.

Monmouth’s men nearly claimed the entire podium in the 200 where Sesay ran a 22.43 to earn his second crown. Green was just nine-hundredths back to place second and Logan Hohl was fourth.