2012 Holds Promise for Women’s Track & Field
Published: April 13, 2021
GREENVILLE, Ill. The Greenville women look to build upon a successful 2011 Indoor/Outdoor campaign with the return of several standout student athletes and the hunger to remain at the top of the national ranks.
In 2011 the Lady Panthers continued to excel on the track and in the field building on the successes of their predecessors. The women powered their way to a top four finish at the NCCAA Outdoor Championships, breaking nine school records and qualifying eight individual events and one relay to the NCAA DIII National Championships.
2012 returnee Penny Grant (Beardstown, IL/Beardstown) will lead a talented group in the Indoor/Outdoor journey. Grant continued her rewrite of the record books in 2011, showcasing a host of impressive performances. After finishing ninth at the NCAA DIII Indoor Championships in the Long Jump (186), Grant tried her hand at the Triple Jump. By seasons end Grant added three feet to the school record with a personal best of 393. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships Grant claimed All-American honors by way of her fourth place finish, while also posting a thirteenth place mark in the Long Jump.
As the ladies look to what lies ahead in 2012, they will have two major holes to fill with the departures of Rochaunda Harris (East St. Louis, Ill./East St. Louis) and Michelle Sutton (Springport, Mich./Jackson). Both women concluded their future Hall of Fame careers last season, and their absence will be a difficult replacement in leadership and in competition. Harris, a four-time NCAA National Qualifier and All-American, proved to be a NCAA mainstay in womens field in both the hammer and shot. Sutton, the owner of five school records, leaves GC with the unofficial title of best female distance runner in school history, and will be missed in virtually every event on the track.
Joining Grant in a 2012 leadership role will be redshirt senior Philita Johnson. Johnson, a speedster from East St. Louis, Ill., saw her 2011 season cut short by injuries after smashing both the indoor and outdoor school records in the 400 and qualifying for the NCAA Championships in the 400 and the 4x100. The East St. Louis product will attempt to better her national caliber time of 56.30 while spearheading a dangerous team sprinting attack.
NCCAA National Champ Imari Mason is back, adding depth to the squad in many roles. Dubbed as last years most talented all-around athlete on the womens side, the senior from Virden, Ill. will attempt to improve on her school record and top NCCAA mark of 3931 points in the heptathlon.
Talent in the Field still remains strong despite the loss of Harris. GC returns senior Kristen Schutte (Stewardson, Ill./Stewardson-Strasburg), a NCAA qualifier and 14th place national finisher in the womens javelin. Schutte finished her DIII season with a toss of 13611, and notched an eight-foot improvement on her personal best. Competing with Schutte in the field events in 2012 will be a highly touted combination of sophomores Haley Fahnstrom (Canton, Ill./Canton) and Maggie McMurtrey (Morton, Ill./Morton). Both will step in where Harris left off and cover the throws.
Sophomore Aubree Schreder will look to improve on her school record in the indoor 3000M (10:26), while fellow classmate Taylor Brunner (Oreana, Ill./Argenta-Oreana) will provide Grant and Mason company in the jumps and multi-events. The freshman trio of hurdler Maggie Tarr (New Berlin, Ill./New Berlin) and sprinters Ariel Wright and Iyeesha Deberry (Decatur, Ill./Macarther) will make immediate contribution to the Panthers.
At the helm is 18th year head coach Brian Patton. Patton, a decorated Greenville mainstay, will have the women poised for another top finish in the national standings.
We are excited for what 2012 brings, comments Patton. There are high expectations for our indoor and outdoor seasons on the womens side, but I have little doubt this group is up to the call.
Greenville College womens track and field will kick off the indoor season on Saturday, January 21 as they travel to Eastern Illinois University for the John Craft Invite. The squad will have their early season sights set on March 9ths NCAA DIII Indoor Championships on the campus of Grinnell, before switching gears to the outdoor season on March 23rd at the Washington University Twighlight meet.
