2006 Track and Field - Track Cougars Aim for Higher Levels of Success

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January 10, 2006

Track Cougars Aim for Higher Levels of Success
        (EDWARDSVILLE, ILL.) Expectations are getting bigger for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville women’s track and field.
        The 2006 SIUE Cougars will be following recent teams that have reached unparalleled levels of success. A vast majority of the school records have been broken in the last two seasons, and conference championships and national qualifying marks have now become expected. The 2005 season saw the team crowned as repeat champions in the indoor Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships and earn its first ever outdoor conference title as well.
        In addition, the 2005 season produced eight All-Americans. The 2006 team will be looking to build on that success with many of the key contributors returning with eyes set even higher.
        The sprinters, hurdlers, and jumpers will be led by the two GLVC Athletes of the Meet from 2005. Tairisha Sawyer (Chicago), the team’s Most Valuable Player last season, was named the Indoor GLVC Athlete of the Meet last year after earning the Outdoor GLVC Conference Athlete of the Meet award during the 2004 season. Sawyer was named an All-American last year in both the 200-meter dash and the 1,600-meter relay indoors. During her first two seasons, Sawyer has won a remarkable nine conference championships and set nine school records.
        The other returning GLVC Athlete of the Year is Valerie Simmons (St. Louis, Mo./Normandy H.S.). A junior, Simmons was named the Outdoor GLVC Athlete of the Year last season. She earned All-American honors last season as a member of the 1,600-meter relay indoors. Simmons has won seven conference titles and has set six school records during her career.
        “Val and Tai have been tremendous assets to our program,” said women’s track and field coach Ben Beyers. For the second year in a row, Beyers is joined on the staff by assistant women’s Coach and head men’s coach Dave Astrauskas and assistant coach Eileen McAllister. “These two ladies were two of my first recruits and I’ve been so happy to watch their continuing development both on and off the track,” said Beyers. “I’m very proud of them and I continue to look for more out of them.”
        Joining Sawyer and Simmons is two-time All-American Christine Butler (Matteson). Butler returns for her sophomore season after earning All-American honors last season in both the indoor and outdoor triple jump. In addition, Butler won the conference title in the triple jump both indoors and outdoors. “Christine certainly surprised everyone last year with her triple jumping success since she had always been more of a long jumper,” said Beyers. “She was battling a few nagging injuries and, in addition to her continued success in the triple jump, I’d look for her long jumping to continue to improve as she stays healthy this season.”
        Another returning All-American is sophomore Jessica Levy (Des Plaines). Levy earned All-American honors in the 1,600-meter relay indoors last season and was also named the GLVC Indoor Freshman Athlete of the Meet prior to red-shirting during the outdoor season due to a stress fracture in her leg. Levy set three school records and won three conference championships during the indoor season.
        “Jessica came in last season and just did everything I asked of her,” said Beyers. “She motivated the other girls to be aggressive in their races with the way she ran, and we really missed her during the outdoor season last year. I’m ecstatic to get her back out there competing.”
        Asaki Carr (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway West H.S.) was a national qualifier and conference champion last year in the 100-meter hurdles. Carr returns for her sophomore year looking to crack the ranks of the nation’s elite. Julia Scherer (Sumner), a junior, also returns and looks to push her success even further after earning two conference championships and setting four school records during her first two years.
        Joining these returnees will be an extremely talented set of freshmen. Deserea Brown (Flossmoor) in the sprints, hurdles and jumps; Angel Royston (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood East H.S.) in the sprints; and Ashley Pallante (Chatham) in the jumps and hurdles were all very successful high school athletes and will be looked at to contribute immediately. Brown earned All-State honors last season as a senior finishing first in the 1,600-meter relay and second in both the 400-meter dash and the 400-meter relay. In addition, Brown won indoor state titles in both at 400-meters and as a member of the 1,600-meter relay team. Royston also earned All-State honors finishing second in the 400-meter dash and third in the 1,600-meter relay in Missouri.
        The women’s distance area looks to continue to be strong after losing three valuable seniors last year to graduation.
        “We lost three conference champions,” said Beyers. “Replacing girls like that is a very difficult task. We are really looking at the young girls we have now to step up and make contributions to the team right away.”
        One returnee that this area will rely on heavily is Kimetha Williams (Bellevue, Neb.). Williams comes into her senior year after transferring last season from the University of Illinois. Williams began to get her feet wet last season in the 800-meter run and experienced success there. In addition, Williams earned All-American honors in the 1,600-meter relay indoors and was a national qualifier in the outdoor 400 meter dash last season. Williams also won three conference championships while setting two school records.
        “Kimetha will do more 800s this season,” noted Beyers. “We feel that she has a big upside in that event. That certainly does not mean that she’s done with the 400, but she will be looking to help in both events this season.”
        Joining this area as returnees will be Heather Zipparro (Mt. Prospect), Amanda White (O’Fallon), Jennifer Wilson (Springfield), Elizabeth Hall (Charleston), Kelly Flounders (Homer Glen), and Samantha Christie (Eureka, Ill.).
        Joining the returnees in this group are Lindsey Mulvey (Rochester), Elizabeth Williams (Mt. Vernon), Michelle Meador (Bower), Chelsey Patterson (Sherman), Katelyn Davis (Williamsville), Stacey Briggs (Argenta), and Alicia Riggs (Hanover Park).
        The throwing area will again be a major strength for the 2006 team.
        “I’m looking forward to the season and I’m excited about the depth of our throwing crew,” said Astrauskas. “All of our women have posted big marks in their career, and hopefully this year they will continue to improve and become more consistent in each meet.”
        Callie Glover (Bartlett) returns for her junior season after earning All-American honors in the hammer throw outdoors last year. Glover was also the GLVC champion in both the hammer throw outdoors and the weight throw indoors last season. “I’m expecting another big year from Callie, and hopefully she is able to build on the success that she has had early in her career,” Astrauskas said.
        Joining Glover in the throwing area is Holly Noller (Pawnee), who returns for her senior campaign after being crowned conference champion in the javelin the last two seasons. Lindsey Defevers (Virden) earned All-GLVC honors in the shot put both indoors and outdoors last season. Rachel Nelson (Okawville) will return for her sophomore year after suffering an injury that ended her season last year during the indoor conference meet.
        These four returnees will be helped immediately with the addition of a very highly decorated athlete. Breanna Branson (Nilwood) will contribute right away to this area. Branson is a two-time state champion in the shot put and also won the indoor shot put state title as a senior as well.
        “Our overall experience is something I’m very excited to see this year,” said Beyers. “We have not had many nationally-experienced athletes in the past since we were not qualifying many people for the national meet. Now, really for the first time, we have a solid nucleus of returnees that know what it takes to get there and be successful there. It should really help solidify the program and help us climb into the ranks of the nation’s elite track and field teams.”
        The Cougars open their 2006 season Friday at the Missouri Invitational in Columbia, Mo.
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