2010 Women's Track and Field Preview
Published: April 13, 2021
GREENVILLE, Ill. - The Greenville College Lady Panthers had another quality season as they earned top-5 team finishes in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) national championships both indoors and out. Individually, the women posted four school records and four NCAA Division III national qualifiers with one All-American performance.
After knee surgery in December, freshman Penny Grant (Beardstown, IL / Beardstown) got a late jump on the indoor season but made up for the early absence by powering her way to a 3rd place finish at the NCAA DIII Indoor National Championships. After winning the NCCAA Indoor national crown with a jump of 17'11" Grant came back jump a personal indoor best of 18'6" at the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, IN.
Junior Destiny Coleman (East St. Louis, IL / East St. Louis) gave the ladies their second NCCAA individual champion in the 55m hurdles. She won the event by running the top time in prelims of 8.63 and beating the field by .13 in finals with an 8.60.
Leading the way in the throws were sophomore Rochaunda Harris (East St. Louis, IL / East St. Louis) who provided the ladies with an national qualifier in the weight throw and junior Jaclyn-Johnson Cross who qualified in the outdoor hammer throw. Harris threw a personal best 51'11." to eclipse the national indoor standard while Cross threw a 152'7".
On the distance side, it was Michelle Sutton (Springport, MI / Jackson) who grabbed the ladies' school record in both the indoor 5,000m and mile. Her personal best of 18:40.28 in the 5K was enough to put her atop the indoor all-time list in the event although still short of her best effort outdoors (18:23). After setting the mile record (5:16) earlier in the season, she took advantage of a very fast field at the Iowa State Last Chance Meet to lower her mark to 5:12.2.
The outdoor season saw much of the same as, again, it was Penny Grant leading the list of Lady Panthers. As with her indoor season, Grant came up with an outstanding effort of 19'1" to earn her spot in the National Championship field and a new school record.
Shanna Ambuehl (Kinmundy, IL / South Central), a late addition to last years squad, provided great excitement in the very first outdoor track meet of her career. The junior stepped on the track for the 10,000m race and walked off with a school record of 39:50.48.
The 2009 team showed a great deal of promise that they will hope to capitalize on in the 2010 season. With the return of two NCAA All-Americans, Grant and senior Abigail Owens (Orion, IL / Orion), a 4th place finisher in the high jump at the 2008 NCAA Championships, they will look to once again take her place among the nations top performers.
In addition to Rochaunda Harris, the throws will be anchored by senior Jaclyn Johnson-Cross (Belleveille, IL / Belleville East), who is looking for a breakthrough year in the Hammer Throw after hitting the national qualifying standard last season with a toss of 152'7". Also entering the mix is sophomore Kristen Schutte (Stewardson, IL / Stewardson-Strasberg). Schutte, a Discus specialist, came within 2 feet of setting a school record in the Javelin in her first season attempting the event.
The women's 4x100m relay should see a great season ahead. Led by senior Ashly Masten (Petersburg, IL / PORTA) the team could see a national qualifying mark in their future. Sophomore Rose Sanders (Virden, IL / Virden) and Penny Grant return with Masten from last year's team as well.
Sutton and Ambuehl will take the reigns of the distance crew yet again. Both are coming off cross country seasons that put their names among the top 10 times in school history for the 6,000m distance. Another pair of seniors, Talen Gerber (Fairbury, IL / Prairie Central) and Jennifer Sutton (Springport, MI / Jackson) will lead the way in the middle distance events. The two carry 800m PR's of 2:16.1 and 2:18.83, respectively.
The Lady Panthers should see a great 2010 season as draw upon the experience of past seasons' successes and the potential of their young team to move up in the NCCAA standings and see several new school records and NCAA national qualifiers.
