2009 CCIW Outdoor Track & Field Championships Preview

NAPERVILLE, Ill. – Carthage College will play host to the 2009 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Outdoor Track & Field Championships to be held this Friday and Saturday in Kenosha, Wis.

The Augustana men come into the weekend as the No. 1-ranked team in the nation according to the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division III Team Power Rankings. North Central is fourth in the country while Carthage is 22 nd. Defending national champion Illinois Wesleyan is ranked eighth on the women’s side, followed by North Central (9 th) and Augustana (12 th).

This weekend’s championships will feature several CCIW student-athletes who are amongst the nation’s best in many events. North Central’s Greg Jackson (Minooka, Ill./H.S.) currently has the fifth-fastest national time in the 400-meter dash (48.18) while Elmhurst’s Brian McConnell (Delavan, Ill./H.S.) has the seventh-fastest national time in the 1,500-meter run. Jackson’s North Central teammate Kyle Brady (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton-Warrenville South) is ranked eighth in the 5,000-meter run (14:30.69) while teammate Mike Spain (Schaumburg, Ill./H.S.) is seventh in the 10,000-meter run (30:19.96). Spain’s time was an automatic qualifier for the national meet. Augustana’s Ted McMillan (Cordova, Ill./ Erie) has the fourth-fastest time in the 400-meter hurdles (52.84) while teammate Andy Kubiak (Bloomington, Ill./H.S.) is ninth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (9:19.50).

In the men’s field events, Carthage’s Jon Kochmit (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South) has the 10 th-best mark in the hammer throw (177-2) while North Park’s Lars Tenglin (Norton, Mass./H.S.) is 11 th nationally in the javelin (199-7). North Central’s Jake Winder (Joliet, Ill./ Plainfield South) has automatically qualified for the national meet in the pole vault with a height of 16-6 ½.

On the women’s side, Illinois Wesleyan has two student-athletes in the national top 10 in the 200-meter dash as Ali McCoy (Irving, Texas/Episcopal School of Dallas) is sixth (24.90) and Shavantay Thomas (Peoria, Ill./Richwoods) is eighth (25.00). Teammate Amanda LaRocca (Palatine, Ill./H.S.) is ninth in the 100-meter hurdles (14.51) while LaRocca, Thomas and McCoy, along with Lauren Alpert (Park Ridge, Ill./ Maine South) have the second-best time nationally in the 4x100-meter relay (47.51). Alpert, Mackenzie Clemens (Bloomington, Ill./H.S.), LaRocca and McCoy have the fifth-fastest time in the 4x400-meter relay (3:54.55).

In the women’s field events, Augustana’s Marissa Banks (Ames, Iowa/H.S.) is 10 th nationally in the shot put (43-5) and third in the discus (150-2). Wheaton’s Brandi McNeil (Villa Park, Ill./Timothy Christian) currently has the nation’s best throw in the javelin (165-4) and has automatically qualified for the national meet. North Central’s Rachel Secrest (Wheaton, Ill./North) automatically qualified for nationals with the third-best height in the pole vault (12-6 ¼).

Augustana comes in as the defending champion on both the men’s and women’s side. The men’s team ended North Central’s 23-year winning streak at this event last season. Augustana’s Phil Christensen (Maple Park, Ill./Kaneland) recently hit the provisional mark in the discus (158-4) at the Loras Open last Saturday. Additionally, the 4x400 relay team of Matt Somers (Naperville, Ill./Central), James Wood (St. Charles, Ill./North), Greg Davis (Carlinville, Ill./H.S.) and Kyle Ekberg (Rockford, Ill./Christian) placed ninth at the Drake Relays with a time of 3:16.56, which was a provisional qualifying time. The Augustana women also had memorable performances last weekend as Kelsey Duhai (Woodstock, Ill./H.S.) won the long jump (16-7) and triple jump (35-2) at the Loras Open last Saturday. Banks finished 18 th in the discus at the Drake Relays with a toss of 136-5.

The North Central women’s 4x100-meter relay team of Secrest, Melissa Savino (Naperville, Ill./North), Lauren Brightmore (Oak Lawn, Ill./H.S.) and Brandye Jackson (Villa Park, Ill./Willowbrook) recently placed 13 th at the Drake Relays with a time of 49.64. In addition, Secrest was a 13 th-place finisher in the pole vault at the Drake Relays with a mark of 12-1 ½.

Both the Wheaton men’s and women’s team competed at the North Central Red & White Invitational on April 22 as the women finished second of seven teams and the men were third of seven teams. On the men’s side, Jordan Schirman (Frisco, Texas/Presterwood Christian) won the 400-meter hurdles (56.18) while Kyle Kunz (Wheaton, Ill./North) was second in the 1,500-meter run (4:05.17). David Larson (Austin, Minn./H.S.) took home first place in the pole vault (15-5). On the women’s side, the Thunder took the top four spots in the 3,000 steeplechase and the 400-meter dash. Jennifer Parisi (Pitman, N.J./H.S.) was first in the steeplechase (11:28.90) while Michelle Cameron (Scottsdale, Ariz./Christian) was first in the 400 (58.61).

The Carthage men took sixth at the Augustana College Meet of Champions on April 18 as the Red Men gave a strong showing in several field events. Nate Hughes (Antioch, Ill./H.S.) won the javelin (194-3), Buzzy Brown (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) won the long jump (22-3 ¾), Prentis Wilbourne (Racine, Wis./Case) finished third in the triple jump (46-3 ½), and Josh Brennan (Geneva, Ill./H.S.) was third in the hammer (170-2).

The Carthage women traveled to the Wheaton Twilight on April 18 as the Lady Reds finished seventh. Ashley Johnson (Romeoville, Ill./H.S.) finished third in the 800-meter run (2:17.67) while Stephanie Moy (Des Plaines, Ill./ Maine West) was third in the high jump (5-1). Shacuána Gaines (Gurnee, Ill./Warren) placed third in the triple jump (37-1).

Elmhurst recently ran at the Benedictine University Invitational as Mark D’Angelo (McHenry, Ill./H.S.) finished third in the 400-meter dash (50.26) while Pat Austin (Yorkville, Ill./H.S.) was fourth in the 1,500-meter run (4:04.82). Ken Ptack (Oak Park, Ill./ Oak Park-River Forest) was seventh in the steeplechase (10:31.51). Tracy Brtis (Wheaton, Ill./ Wheaton Warrenville South) was fourth in the 400-meter hurdles (1:09.34) and sixth in the 100-meter hurdles (16.57) for the Bluejay women. Michelle Smith (Berkley, Mich./H.S.) was second in the steeplechase (11:48.42).

The Illinois Wesleyan men recently finished sixth at the Wheaton Twilight on April 18 as Darien West (Chicago, Ill./De La Salle) placed third in the hammer throw (159-1) while Aaron Massey (East St. Louis, Ill./Bellville) was third in the triple jump (43-5).

Millikin had its final tune-up at the SIUE Twilight on April 25. Tommy Eddleman (Champaign, Ill./Centennial) was seventh in the javelin with a throw of 151-11. Peter Trofimuk (Wheaton, Ill./North) had a new personal best in the hammer with a throw of 144-10. On the women’s side, Emilie Altenberger (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) was eighth in the hammer (149-3). Kirsten Daykin (Taylorville, Ill./H.S.) had a season-best distance in the long jump, going 17-3 ½.

For North Park, while Tenglin improved his provisional mark in the javelin, winning the event with a toss of 199-7, Matt Walker (Ottawa, Ill./Township) won the high jump (5-11). Lucas De Jong (West Swanzey, N.H./Monadnock Regional) was second in the javelin (183-0), third in the hammer (157-6) and third in the discus (143-3). On the women’s side, Amber Walker (Juneau, Alaska/ Juneau Douglas) finished third in the long jump (16-5), javelin (89-0), and high jump (4-11). Lauren Williams (Keene, N.H./H.S.) took second in the javelin (102-5).

For information on the host Carthage, visit www.carthage.edu/athletics. For national rankings, visit www.ustfccca.org and www.raceberryjam.com.