April 5
Track
Alexa Allen - Monmouth College
Freshman - Port Byron, Ill.
Running at the 24-team Washington Invitational where the Scots took second in the team competition, Allen ran an automatic qualifying time in the 100-meter hurdles. Her time of 14.54 placed her second and assured her a spot at the national championships. She also ran a leg on the Scots’ 4x100 relay which placed sixth in 49.39. Her leadoff leg split of :59.00 helped Monmouth’s 4x4 relay team to a fifth-place finish.
Field
Allison Devor - Monmouth College
Sophomore - Dixon, Ill.
Devor opened the outdoor season in fine fashion at the 24-team Washington Invitational where the Scots took second in the team competition. Devor won the shot put by nearly 2’ with a provisional throw of 42’8-3/4”. She also improved her personal-best hammer throw by more than 10’ with a mark of 150’7” to take second. Devor completed her throws with a second in the discus with a mark of 122’2”.
April 12
Track
Kelsey Timm - St. Norbert College
Junior - Oconomowoc, Wis.
Timm won her first collegiate track & field victory as she won the 3000m Steeplechase. Timm ran a personal best time by nearly 20 seconds and won the race by a similar margin. Timm is one of only two athletes in the MWC to break the 12 minute barrier at this point of the season.
Field
Melissa Norville - Illinois College
Sophomore - Batavia, Ill.
Norville had another banner weekend at the Asics/Central Methodist University Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Awareness Invitational as she won one event and finished third in two others. Norville posted a mark of 19 feet, 9.75 inches in the long jump to take first place. She finished third in the triple jump (39 feet, 6 inches) and 100-hurdles (14.36 seconds).
April 19
Track
Lydia Sondalle - Ripon College
Freshman - Princeton, Wis.
Sondalle placed first in both the 100 and 200 at the Wisconsin Lutheran Relays with times of 12.84 and 26.37, respectively, which were career best times in both events. Lydia is currently ranked second in the 200 and fourth in the 100 in the MWC. Lydia also ran a leg on both the 4x200 and 4x400, which each placed second in the meet with times that placed second in the meet with times of 50.75 and 4:19.45.
Field
Whitney Didier - Monmouth College
Senior - Dixon, Ill.
Didier automatically qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships after her performance at last week’s Augustana Women’s Invitational. The senior pole vaulter cleared a school record and automatic qualifying height of 12’8” to win the event by more than 2’. The mark is the third-best in the nation.
April 26
Track
Christine Ajinjeru - Grinnell College
Freshman - Kampala, Uganda
Ajinjeru had a big performance at Grinnell College’s Dick Young Classic Saturday, winning the 400-meter dash in 60.13 seconds, a time that ranks second in the Midwest Conference and is fourth on Grinnell’s all-time chart. She also helped the Pioneers’ 4x400 team run a school-record time of 4:03.82 and guided the 4x100 team to a runner-up finish.
Field
Bailey Jackson - Monmouth College
Freshman - Galesburg, Ill.
Jackson had arguably her best meet of the season despite the weather at last Thursday’s Central Open. The freshman won both of her field events and recorded a personal-best. Jackson soared a career-best 17’8-1/4” to win the long jump with the conference’s third-best mark. She also won the triple jump with a mark of 36’4”.
May 3
Track
Morgan Leffel - Monmouth College
Senior - Viola, Ill.
Leffel had her best weekend of her career, competing at two meets last weekend. At the Drake Relays on Friday, the senior ran a 58.6 on her leg of the distance medley relay. The team clocked a 12:29.87 to set the new Fighting Scots’ record in the event. She also posted a 59.0 on her leg of the 4x400 which ran a conference-best time of 4:00.03. On Saturday, Leffel won the 400-meter dash at the Loras Open, clocking a 59.84 – third-best in the MWC.
Field
No Nominations
May 10
Track
Melissa Norville - Illinois College
Sophomore - Batavia, Ill.
Norville got one last tune-up before the Midwest Conference Championships as she took first place in the 100-meter hurdles, in a time of 14.30 seconds, at the Monmouth Track Invite on Saturday. The time was Norville’s best this year. The Illinois College sophomore, who won the NCAA title in the 55-meter hurdles during the indoor season, also claimed the top spot in the long jump (18 feet, 11.25 inches) and triple jump (39 feet, 4.5 inches) on Saturday. Norville has already qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in all three of her events.
Field
Ali Schmidt - St. Norbert College
Freshman - Cedarburg, Wis.
Schmidt placed third in the discus at 127 feet 9 inches, which is a new St. Norbert school record and was the top Division III distance at the meet.