30 March 2000
CONTACT: Stew Salowitz, (309) 556-3206
and/or head coach Chris Schumacher, (309) 556-3624
 
 

Kirby, Medendorp Share MVP Honors for IWU Cross Country

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- Colleen Kirby and Andrew Medendorp were chosen as the "Most Valuable Performers" for the Illinois Wesleyan University women's and men's cross country teams, respectively.

Kirby, a freshman from Elmhurst (York HS), was the top IWU finisher in three meets this season and had an eighth-place finish with a time of 20 minutes, 17 seconds in the IWU Invitational.

Medendorp, a junior from Urbana (University High), was IWU's top finisher in all seven meets in 1999, including a first-place finish in the school's own four-team invitational with a time of 26 minutes, 16 seconds. He had a ninth-place finish in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin meet (26 minutes, 25 seconds) and was 44^th in the NCAA regional (26 minutes, 33 seconds).

Senior Bill Schneider (Orland Park, A.A. Stagg HS) was chosen as the team's "Hardest Worker" and freshman Allison Friedrich (Newark, Sandwich HS) was chosen as the women's team's "Top Freshman."

Friedrich was Illinois Wesleyan's best runner in two of seven meets last fall and had a 25^th place finish at the CCIW meet with a time of 20 minutes, 24 seconds. Her season-best time of 20 minutes, 13 seconds came in the season-ending NCAA regional, where she placed 87^th.

Juniors Katy McCain (Bloomington, Normal West HS) and Casey Twanow (Spring Valley, St. Bede Academy) were elected to serve as women's team captains next fall while Medendorp and junior Matt Roberts (Petersburg, Porta HS) will be the men's team captains.

The IWU women’s team was fifth in the CCIW meet last fall, an improvement from eighth a season earlier, while the men’s team placed seventh. Head coach Chris Schumacher awarded letters to nine women and seven men. They are, with hometowns and high schools:

MEN

SENIORS - Bill Macaulay (Palatine HS), Bill Schneider (Orland Park, Stagg HS).
JUNIORS - Josh Herzog (Palatine HS), Andrew Medendorp (Urbana, University High), Jim Mladic (Orland Park, Sandburg HS), Matt Roberts (Petersburg, Porta HS).
SOPHOMORE - Michael Melick (Danvers, Stanford Olympia HS).

WOMEN

JUNIORS - Katy McCain (Bloomington, Normal West HS), Casey Twanow (Spring Valley, St. Bede Academy).
SOPHOMORES - Becky Wetzel (Tuscola HS).
FRESHMEN - Michelle Dionne (Pana HS), Allison Friedrich (Newark, Sandwich HS), Anne Herrmann (Freeport HS), Sara Ingram (St. Joseph, St. Joseph-Ogden HS), Colleen Kirby (Elmhurst, York HS), Betsy Yoder (Goshen, Ind., Fairfield HS).