IWU Women Tie for National Division III Championship

May 24, 2008

NCAA Division III Track Championship Web Page, Results

Photo courtesy Mark Adkins (Wartburg)

Photo courtesy Brandon Halcott

Led by senior All-American Rachel Anderson winning two events, the Illinois Wesleyan women’s team tied for the national Division III outdoor track championship, held May 22-24 in Oshkosh, Wis. The Titans amassed 35 points to finish tied for first with Wisconsin-River Falls, ahead of third place Wartburg with 34 points.

It is IWU’s second national women’s track championship, on the heels of the indoor title won in March, and the school's third NCAA Division III national title, along with men's basketball in 1997.

Anderson (Clinton, Ill. HS) placed first in both the 200 and 400 events. In the 200, she was first with a time of 24.76 seconds and sophomore Ali McCoy (Irving, Texas, Episcopal School of Dallas) was third with her run of 24.88. Anderson ran a Division III season best (and track record) time of 54.35 seconds to win the 400 meter dash.

McCoy and Anderson teamed with Amanda LaRocca (Palatine, Ill., HS) and Alex Sawyer (Chicago, DeLaSalle HS) for a third place finish in the 4x100 relay at 46.62 seconds. The 4x400 relay team placed sixth with a time of 3:47.81 and included Anderson, McCoy, Mackenzie Clemens (Bloomington, Ill., HS) and Brooke Halcott (Streator, Ill., Ottawa Marquette HS).

The IWU men’s team tied for 25th nationally. In the 200 meter dash, Matthew Harden (O'Fallon, Ill., Township HS) got fifth (21.50 seconds) and Segun Olopo (Chicago, Brooks School) finished seventh (21.80).
The 4x100 relay team of Olopo, Harden, Azizuddin Rose (Chicago, DeLaSalle HS) and Mike Conti (Itasca, Ill., Driscoll Catholic HS) finished fourth with a time of 41.09 seconds.
The 4x400 relay team of Harden, Olopo, Conti and Noah Dunham (Pontiac, Ill. HS) placed ninth with a time of 3:18.93.