28 June 2001
CONTACT: Stew Salowitz, (309) 556-3206 and/or coach Chris Schumacher, (309) 556-3624
Taylor, Manley Earn 2001 IWU Track Honors
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- Freshman Gianina Taylor and senior David Manley have been chosen "Most Valuable Perfomers" for the Illinois Wesleyan University women's and men's track teams, respectively.
Taylor (Decatur, Eisenhower HS) finished third in 400 at the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin meet with a time of 58.77 seconds. She also had the team's best time this spring in the 200 (26.54 seconds) and was on the CCIW first-place and school -record setting 1,600-meter relay team.
Manley (Kingston, Jamaica HS) won the triple jump at the CCIW meet with a leap of 45 feet, 6 inches and had the team's best long jump of the spring at 22 feet, 3 inches. Manley's triple jump of 48 feet in winning the event at the IWU Keck Ecumenical qualified him for the national Division III meet.
Jason Cartwright (Schaumburg, Conant HS) and Tara Yoder (Danvers, Stanford Olympia HS) were selected as IWU's "Most Valuable Freshmen" while sophomore Eric Hughes (Chillicothe, IVCC HS) and junior Laura Tipton (Grayslake HS) earned the "Hardest Worker" honors.
Cartwright had the team's best javelin throw at 164 feet, 1 inches, while Yoder was IWU's best in the 100 meter dash (13.11 seconds) and 100 hurdles (15.93 seconds).
Hughes finished fifth in the CCIW meet in the 400 hurdles with a season-best time of 55.94 seconds and Tipton placed second in the conference meet with a time of 2:18.83 in the 800.
Tipton was also chosen to serve as a co-captain for next year's team along with junior Mike Melick (Danvers, Stanford Olympia HS).and sophomores Michelle Dionne (Pana HS) and Ben Lawson (Charleston HS).
Lawson set a school record in the 100 meter dash with a time of 11.16 seconds and junior Sarah Kort (Evergreen Park, Chicago Maria HS) established a new school standard with her shot put mark of 39 feet, 1 inches.
Senior Amy Gregory (Pekin HS) was the Titans' lone outdoor track All-American as she placed eighth in the javelin at the national NCAA Division III meet with a toss of 130 feet, 11 inches.
Coach Chris Schumacher, whose women's team finished fourth in the CCIW meet while the men's team placed seventh, awarded letters to 12 women and 11 men and will have 15 returning for next season. The letterwinners are, with hometowns and high schools:
WOMEN
SENIORS - Amy Gregory (Pekin HS); Denise Short (Clinton HS).
JUNIORS - Sarah Beyers (Champaign, Centennial HS); Sarah Kort (Evergreen Park, Chicago Maria HS); Laura Tipton (Grayslake HS).
SOPHOMORES - Michelle Dionne (Pana HS); Colleen Kirby (Elmhurst, York HS); Amber Mason (Fort Washington, Md., Fallston HS); Jennifer Schloz (Oconee, Pana HS).
FRESHMEN - Sarah Slevin (Peru, St. Bede HS); Gianina Taylor (Decatur, Eisenhower HS); Tara Yoder (Danvers, Stanford Olympia HS).
MEN
SENIORS - Andy Best (San Antonio, Texas, Southeast Polk HS); Keith Huhn (Oak Forest, Tinley Park HS); Derrick Janssen (Lockport, East HS); David Manley (Kingston, Jamaica HS); Jim Mladic (Orland Park, Sandburg HS); Matt Roberts (Petersburg, Porta HS).
JUNIORS - Mike Melick (Danvers, Stanford Olympia HS).
SOPHOMORES - Eric Hughes (Chillicothe, IVCC HS); Ben Lawson (Charleston HS).
FRESHMEN - Jason Cartwright (Schaumburg, Conant HS); A.J. Vilos (Lockport HS).