2008 outlook

Replacing a national champion isn’t a simple task but coach Kevin Sanger still expects good things from the Central College women’s track and field squad.
           

Alicia Whisner captured Central’s 11th individual NCAA Division III women’s track and field crown last year, winning the javelin and helping the Dutch finish 25th overall following a fourth-place Iowa Conference team finish. Three other national qualifiers are missing from this spring’s roster as well.

But among the 20 returning letterwinners is NCAA Division III heptathlon qualifier Kari Hutchinson. A senior, she’s one of four team co-captains for 2008 along with senior Jenny Owens, junior Jessica Clark and junior Rachel Boeke.

Jumps
Hutchinson is the lone returning conference placewinner in the long jump, finishing eighth. She’s joined by Owens, sophomore Carissa Bentz and freshman Jill Ziskovsky.


"We’ve got a nice contingent,” coach Kevin Sanger said. “Kari (Hutchinson) and Jenny (Owens) have each jumped well enough to place and just need to develop more consistency. Carissa (Bentz) was hurt last year, so having her will help and Jill (Ziskovsky) will be a nice addition. She seems very eager to learn.”
 

Central’s not as deep in the other jumps. In the triple jump, sophomore Alicia Dusenbury returns after placing seventh in the league as a freshman. Owens will also compete.

“It’s still sort of a new event for both of them,” Sanger said. “I’m excited about how much they can improve. And hopefully we can develop some other triple jumpers.”

Hutchinson finished sixth in the league high jump and is the lone returnee. After clearing 4 feet, 11.75 inches at the conference meet, she leaped 5-2.25 while competing in the heptathlon at the NCAA Division III championships.

“She finished last season on a high note,” Sanger said. “That was a big personal best for her, particularly with her stature. She’s becoming a pretty good high jumper.”

Senior Justice Weaver was second in the league pole vault last year at 10 feet and Sanger has high hopes for her as well.

“You’d like to see her finish on a high note as a senior,” Sanger said. “We hope she continues to progress. She’s had to battle injuries but she certainly has the ability. She just has to put it all together.”

She’ll be joined by freshman Kim Rarick.

Throws
Boeke is back in the shot put where she was a provisional NCAA meet qualifier. Also throwing are senior Nicole Sojka and freshman Amanda Roggemann.

“Hopefully Rachel (Boeke) can qualify this year and for Nicole (Sojka), as a senior, it’s a time that she can make some nice improvement,” Sanger said.

Those three will also throw the discus, where Boeke finished fifth in the conference last year. Also throwing are junior Danielle Francois and sophomores Ashley Feldman, Sara Mouw and  Bentz.

“It’s one of the deeper events on the team for us,” Sanger said.

Boeke, Feldman, Francois, Roggeman and Sojka will all compete in the hammer throw as well.

Sophomore Ashley Wiederin placed eighth in the league javelin as a rookie. She’s joined by Mouw, Bentz and freshman Kelsey Peterson.

“Ashley was a placewinner and Carissa Bentz at times threw well,” Sanger said. “Sara (Mouw) has a year of experience now. Kelsey (Peterson) is new and we may add some others.”

Sprints
Senior Jenny Owens leads a young group in the 100 and 200 meters. Also competing are sophomores Linsey Current, Angie Latta and Kayla Welter and freshmen Alex Fuller, Kelsey Manecke and Trish Hogrefe.

There’s even a longer list in the 200 and 400 meters. Hutchinson was a provisional NCAA meet qualifier in the 400 meters last year, finishing in 57.29 seconds. Hutchinson placed fourth in both the 200 and 400 at the conference meet. She’s joined by Bentz, Dusenbury, Latta, Owens, Fuller, Hogrefe, sophomore Ashley Lippincott, junior Chantelle MacVey and freshmen Amanda Mosinski, Mollie O’Brien, Emily Teas and Ziskovsky. Sophomore Rachelle Tipton and freshman Eve Reinhold may also run the 400.

"We feel like we have some depth,” Sanger said. “We’re expecting good things from our upperclassmen and we’ve got a good group of freshmen. We liked how they worked during the fall. They want to work and have good attitudes. That’s a good start to have the kind of season they’re looking for.”
           
Hurdles
Hutchinson will also run the 100 meter hurdles, along with MacVey, Mosinksi, Ziskovsky and freshman Trish Hogrefe.

“We feel like we have some good people to work with,” Sanger said. “Some are inexperienced with the hurdles but have had some good workouts.”

MacVey, Mosinski and Ziskovsky run the 400 meter hurdles, where MacVey placed fifth in the league last season.

“Amanda (Mosinski) had a nice high school career,” Sanger said. “That’s a good threesome of hurdlers for us.”
           
Middle distances
Tipton and Clark placed sixth and eighth, respectively, in the conference 800 meters last season while Clark was also eighth in the 1,500 meters. Other contenders include sophomores Hannah Anderson, Mandie Barkley, Connie Eshelman and Amber Mayer and freshmen Sara Crippen, Meghann Burt, Claudia Garcia, Emily Miller and Molly VonHolten. But Central is missing some key performers who are in Europe through the school’s international studies program.

“That’s strained our depth but those that are here realize the opportunity they have,” Sanger said. “Rachelle (Tipton) has looked really strong. She’s having a good start to the season and I think Mandie (Barkley) surprised herself with the season she had last year.

"Jessica (Clark) is a good leader for this group. They all get along well and have good camaraderie. They have shown good attitude and effort. The newcomers have bought into what we’re doing and have meshed well with the others.”

Distance
International study lured some of Central’s top distance runners for a season as well, including 5,000-meter champion Angie Berry, a sophomore. Clark starts the year as the only competitor in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, but one with intriguing potential.

“She’s got a strong cross country background and is a former hurdler,” Sanger said. “We think the steeplechase could be a strong event for her.”

Eshelman, Tompkins and Garcia will tackle the 5,000 and 10,000 meters.

Heptathlon
Hutchinson had a breakthrough year in the heptathlon, capturing second in the league with 4,414 points. She was on target for surpassing that point total and threatening to place in the top eight at the national meet before encountering physical difficulties in the final event. Teas and Ziskovsky will tackle the heptathlon this year as well.

“Obviously Kari (Hutchinson) had a very nice year,” Sanger said. “I think she learned a lot at the national meet and is anxious to go back. Emily (Teas) and Jill (Ziskovsky) will follow in Kari’s footsteps this year and will learn a lot.

“It’s a good group. It’s always nice to have good people to train with and I think those three will really help each other out.”

Post-season
Central was fourth in the Iowa Conference last year and Sanger doesn’t envision much change in the league’s top tier, calling Wartburg a strong favorite followed by Loras, Luther, Central, Simpson and Coe.

Sanger is hopeful the Dutch will again make noise nationally. Hutchinson should be a contender in the heptathlon while Boeke andFeldman are potential qualifiers in the discus. Clark could pull a surprise in the steeplechase.

“We also have some potential in the relays,” he said. “I like their work ethic and attitude.”