18 July 2002

Lawson, Rawlins Earn 2002 IWU Track Honors

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- Freshman Gena Rawlins and senior Ben Lawson have been chosen "Most Valuable Perfomers" for the Illinois Wesleyan University women's and men's track teams, respectively.

Rawlins (Atlanta, Stanford Olympia HS) was a Division III All-American in both the indoor and outdoor championships, placing fifth in the 400 in the national indoor meet with a time of 57.7 seconds and seventh in the 400 outdoors with a time of 56.33.

Rawlins, who set outdoor school records in the 200 and 400, also anchored the Titans' 4x400 relay team, which placed seventh in the national indoor meet with a time of 3:57.8. Other members of the relay team, which also qualified for the outdoor national meet, were sophomore Gianina Taylor (Decatur, Eisenhower HS), junior Michelle Dionne (Pana HS), and freshman Katie O'Rourke (Bloomington, Central Catholic HS).
"Rawlins and Taylor, last year's MVP, are the best track athletes IWU has ever had," said Titan head coach Chris Schumacher. "Together they put us on the national map and we are building and recruiting a solid team around them."

Lawson (Charleston HS) was part of the outdoor school record 4x200 relay team and was praised as a solid team leader by Schumacher. "Ben's (MVP) honor came at the vote of a team that didn't produce any stars in 2002. He was voted our most valuable performer because of his attitude and leadership qualities."

Josh Evans (Sycamore HS) and Jori Jacobeit (Richton Park, Marian Catholic HS) were selected as IWU's "Most Valuable Freshmen" while senior Michael Melick (Danvers, Stanford Olympia HS) and junior Colleen Kirby (Elmhurst, York HS) earned the "Team Player" award.

Evans recorded the team's top time in the 800 with a mark of 1:55.66 at the Augustana Invitational and he earned an eighth place finish in the event at the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin meet.
"Evans is a neddle is a haystack," said Schumacher. "He has tremendous work ethic and he was our top scorer in 2002."

Jacobeit set a school record with her fifth-place finish of 12:07.51 in the 3,000 steeplechase at the CCIW meet. She was also part of the school record 4x800 relay team.
"Jori came in expected to do big things and she did exactly that," Schumacher said. "Earning most valuable honors in cross country last fall and all-CCIW honors and setting a school record this spring shows she is on her way."

Chosen as captains for the 2003 women's team were Dionne, Taylor and junior Jennifer Schloz (Oconee, Pana HS), while the men'a captains will be juniors Tom Tague (LaPorte, Ind., HS), Eric Hughes (Chillicothe, IVCC HS) and Matt Melick (Danvers, Stanford Olympia HS).

Schumacher, whose women's team finished fourth in the CCIW meet while the men's team placed eighth, awarded letters to 14 women and 11 men and will have 21 returning for next season. The letterwinners are, with hometowns and high schools:

WOMEN

SENIORS - Sarah Kort (Evergreen Park, Chicago Maria HS); Laura Tipton (Grayslake HS).
JUNIORS - Michelle Dionne (Pana HS); Colleen Kirby (Elmhurst, York HS); Jennifer Schloz (Oconee, Pana HS).
SOPHOMORES - Sarah Slevin (Peru, St. Bede HS); Gianina Taylor (Decatur, Eisenhower HS); Laine Twanow (Spring Valley, Peru St. Bede HS), Tara Yoder (Danvers, Stanford Olympia HS).
FRESHMEN - Jori Jacobeit (Richton Park, Marian Catholic HS), Valerie Lambrecht (Wheaton, North HS), Katie O’Rourke (Bloomington, Central Catholic HS), Gena Rawlins (Atlanta, Stanford Olympia HS), Allison Redden (Edwardsville, Metro East Lutheran HS).

MEN

SENIORS - Ben Lawson (Charleston HS), Mike Melick (Danvers, Stanford Olympia HS).
JUNIORS - Eric Hughes (Chillicothe, IVCC HS); Matt Melick (Danvers, Stanford Olympia HS).
SOPHOMORE - Marcus Motley (Decatur, Eisenhower HS).
FRESHMEN - Jake Clough (Carbondale HS), Chip Corwin (Cadillac, Mich., HS), Josh Evans (Sycamore HS), Zach Gorsage (Washington, Peoria Notre Dame HS), Tim Hachmeister (Elmhurst, IMSA), Clint Warren (Ottawa, Serena HS).
 
 

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