Miriam Wise

With most every top performer back from a group that placed fifth in the North Coast Athletic Conference last spring, The College of Wooster's expectations are once again high for its women's track & field team.

"We have a really good core group of returning letterwinners from last season," confirmed Dennis Rice, the veteran coach of a program that has finished top-five 22 out of 26 times at the NCAC meet in early May, including each of the last five seasons. "I feel strongly that by the time we get to the outdoor championships, we'll have a very competitive group of women. Everything we do is preparing for (that meet)."

While the Fighting Scots are well-rounded overall, they should get a boost from their jump specialists. Abena Boamah-Acheampong was one of the leading high jumpers nationally in her first year, recording a provisional mark (5 feet, 5 inches) for the NCAA Div. III Championships, and with a second season of development, she looks to improve on her tie for third in the NCAC indoors (5 feet, 2.25 inches) and second-place outdoors (5 feet, 5 inches).

Senior captain Miriam Wise has been a consistent scorer at the league level throughout her career in the long and triple jumps. Last year, she was all-NCAC via a third-place in the indoor triple (33 feet, 3.75 inches), and added a fourth in the outdoor long jump (15 feet, 11 inches).

Also in the field, Wooster is expecting continued improvements from sophomore throwing specialist Veronique Jones. She went from being shutout at the 2010 NCAC indoor meet to producing points in three different events at the outdoor championships, including sixth in the shot put (35 feet, 7.25 inches). Additionally, junior Katharina Kroll returns to the team after a semester abroad last spring. As a freshman, she was the conference's runner-up in the javelin (115 feet, 4 inches), and she also will add the weight and hammer throws to her repertoire this season.

On the track, senior captain Whitney Rappole is one of several key veterans. She was runner-up in the NCAC in the 400 hurdles (1:08.52), while the entire all-conference distance medley relay team consisting of sophomore Erin Plews-Ogan, sophomore Taylor Morgan, junior Kelsie Herring, and junior Meredith Shaul also returns intact. Last winter, their third-place time of 12:55.82 was just 5.71 seconds shy of the championship.

Individually, Plews-Ogan, following a fourth-place showing in the 3000-meter steeplechase (12:01.74), will be one of the squad's distance leaders, as will junior Sarah Appleton, sophomore Colleen O'Neil, and Shaul. Appleton and O'Neil were both just outside the NCAC scorers in the 3000 and 5000 meters (indoor), and the former nearly notched all-conference status in the 10,000 meters, settling for fourth-place (41:08.60). Shaul is coming off a breakthrough cross country season which saw her develop into all-NCAC in that sport.

After taking sixth in the 800 meters (2:22.28) at the 2010 NCAC outdoor meet, Herring headlines the middle distance runners, and sophomore Stephanie McShane is the Scots' top sprinter. McShane showed promise in her first year, claiming fifth in the indoor 55 meters (7.71) and seventh in the outdoor 100 (13.22), and they'll both be leaders of Wooster's various relay teams.

Add in a number of first-years who have impact potential, according to Rice, and the Scots appear on track to another finish among the conference leaders once they peak this spring.

"We've got a well-rounded program with potential in all areas," summarized Rice. "Right now, we just need to get in track & field shape."