By Randy Sharer
BLOOMINGTON — The NCAA Division III national championship women’s track and field trophy sat regally in a reception area at Shirk Center on Thursday.
That fact did little to help those involved in its procurement absorb the thrilling reality of its presence.
“It’s going to take a while to sink in,” said 12th-year Coach Chris Schumacher, whose team scored 54 points to edge Wisconsin-Oshkosh by one on Saturday at Berea, Ohio.
The triumph was IWU’s first outright national outdoor crown to go with a shared outdoor title in 2008 and the 2008 indoor championship.
Three senior captains involved in all three wins and eight national appearances were Mackenzie Clemens, Amanda LaRocca and Ali McCoy, who combined for 36 All-American finishes.
“This one was even more special for me than the ones we won two years ago just because it’s our senior year,” said Clemens, a Bloomington native. “To go out on this is unreal.”
LaRocca did her part, scoring 24.5 points as IWU exceeded its No. 4 ranking. She clocked school records of 11.77 seconds and 24.02 while placing second in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes. Her 400 relay won in a school record 46.07. She also ran third in the 100 hurdles (14.10), just missing her school record of 14.08.
“I think we knew going into this one that it was possible, but it was still unreal when we finally ended up winning,” said LaRocca of the team title.
Analysis of the results reveals how narrow the margin of victory was time wise. The Titans’ top finisher in the 100, 200, 100 hurdles and 400 relay was a combined .22 ahead of the next finisher.
“If one of those races goes one hundredth another way, or two hundredths another way, we don’t win,” Schumacher said. “It all had to happen.”
The end of the meet could not have happened more dramatically as IWU scored 15 points in the 200, the third to last event, to draw within five of Oshkosh. In the final event, the 1,600 relay, IWU needed to place at least third.
Not only did the Titans get third, but they cut a second from their season best to clock 3:46.23 thanks to McCoy (55.5), Lauren Alpert (56.1), Clemens (56.7) and her sister, Tara Clemens (57.0).
“I think we all run even better under pressure,” said Mackenzie Clemens, who didn’t advance to the 800 final even though she was seventh fastest in the prelims at 2:11.70, just missing her 2009 school record of 2:11.10.
No Titan ran farther at nationals than McCoy, who sprinted 2,200 meters in the heats and finals while placing seventh in the 200 (24.40) and eighth in the 400 (56.45).
McCoy was part of the 400 relay along with Alpert and Shavantay Thomas. That win was IWU’s 12th ever national event victory under Schumacher. Thomas also placed third in the 100 (11.83) and fourth in the 200 (24.19) while Alpert was seventh in the long jump (18-4.25).
Schumacher thought his 400 relay, unbeaten against D-III foes in 2010, could finish in the top three in 2009, but a dropped baton nixed that and may have cost IWU a team trophy (it finished seventh).
This year Thomas overcame a 4-meter deficit on the anchor leg to nip Wartburg by .03.
The Titans’ times are more often seen at the Division I level, which begs the question, how did such talent end up at IWU?
“One of my philosophies is that to be able to compete for a national championship you have to have athletes who could be potential Division I athletes,” Schumacher said.
IWU’s academic reputation and its history for helping high school stars improve lured a powerhouse roster.
“Every girl that he has recruited has bettered the program,” said LaRocca, who followed in the footsteps of former IWU greats Gena Rawlins and Rachel Anderson.
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