For a current Athletic Scedule see
www2.truman.edu/athletics/

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Women Swimming Teacm is NCAA Runnerup

Top row: sophomore Bridget Riley, junior Bryna Busch and freshman Sara Hatcher. Middle row: freshmen Liz Hug and Kelli Dudley and junior Andrea Newton. Bottom row: senior Jen Malone and junior Jess Martin all brought home first-place honors at nationals.

The Truman women's swimming team made its best national showing to date, finishing in second-place at the 2000 NCAA Division II Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Championships in Buffalo, N.Y. Head Coach Seth Huston was named the national women's coach of the year following the meet. The men's team repeated its ninth-place finish of a year ago.

The Bulldogs produced a total of eight national champion swimmers in four events. Freshman Kelli Dudley claimed the national title in the 200-yard backstroke (2:04.68), and sophomore Bridget Riley earned a national championship in the 500-yard freestyle (4:59.57).

The Truman 800-yard freestyle relay team of junior Jess Martin, junior Andrea Newton, Riley and junior Bryna Busch also finished first (7:35.72), along with the 200-yard freestyle relay squad of freshman Liz Hug, freshman Sara Hatcher, senior Jen Malone and Busch.

Busch is now a three-time national champion after claiming the first title in Truman women's swimming in the 100-yard freestyle a year ago. The Truman women also had a number of second-place finishes with Martin the runner-up in the 500-yard freestyle (5:00.38); Hug, Hatcher, Malone and Busch in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:29.77); Busch in the 200-yard freestyle (1:52.38); and Dudley who placed second in the 400-yard individual medley (4:27.18).

Senior Mike Hoskovec, who was sixth in the 400-yard individual medley (4:04.34), and freshman Matt Pray, who was sixth in the 100-yard butterfly (49.96), were the top finishers on the men's side.

All-America honors are earned by individuals who finish in the top eight in an event. A total of 13 women and five men garnered all-America status for Truman. Besides, those who were national champions and runners-up, senior Sonya Burgers, freshman Jenny Dobratz, sophomore Bethany Jost, senior Jill Myers, junior Christie Williamsen, junior Andrea Newton, Hoskovec, Pray, senior Steve De La Piedra, senior Peter Koenig and senior Chris Kohl all came away with all-America recognition.

Truman records were broken in 17 events at the NCAA championships, including the 200- and 400-yard individual medleys, the 200- and 400-yard medley relays, the 50-, 500- and 1,650-yard freestyles, the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays and the 100-yard butterfly for the women, while the men set new marks in the 200- and 400-yard medley relays, the 200- and 400-yard individual medleys and the 100- and 200-yard butterflys. The record in the women's 200-yard backstroke and the men's 500-freestyle were also broken during the season.

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Women's Indoor Track & Field Wins MIAA

The 1999-2000 Truman Women's Track & Field Team (back row, left to right): Becky Kudrna, Alison Sparks, Brandy Leffler, Suzanne Schmidt, Natasha Carter, Tracy Fuller, Lauren Dorsey, Megan Williams and Amy Johnson. Row two: Brittan Hallar, Melissa Linden, Kasye Hahn, Sa-Tonya Carter, Kristi Morton, Heidi Shearer, Beth Luebbering, Emily Komiskey and Jill Lowry. Sitting in chairs: Nicole Gandy, Dafros Mudyirwa, Angie Haddock, Molly Kandlbinder and Jamille Curry. Sitting on floor: Cammie Ewing, Jody Shanks, Leah Zidon, Karena Singleton and Jennifer Tesmer.

Ten years had passed since the women's track team won a conference championship. But the 1999-2000 squad broke the streak with its best showing ever at the MIAA indoor championships. In fact, the Truman corps scored more points (173) than any previous league squad since the inception of the conference championships for women in 1982.

Senior Molly Kandlbinder became Truman's first-ever high point individual in indoor track by winning the 55-, 200- and 400-meter dashes and as a member of the Bulldogs' second-place mile relay squad.

Junior Kristi Morton set a new league record (11'-4.25") in the pole vault, as did sophomore Beth Luebbering in the 5,000-meter run (17:32.18) and junior Natasha Carter in the weight throw (56'-9.25") as they all claimed MIAA titles in their respective events.

New school records were also set with first-place finishes in the triple jump (38'-3.50") by sophomore Karena Singleton and in the 55-meter hurdles (8.22) by sophomore Megan Williams.

Head coach John Cochrane was named MIAA coach of the year after winning Truman's third conference title.

Carter, Morton, Williams and Luebbering qualified for the NCAA Division II Indoor Track And Field Championships, the largest Bulldog contingent since 1989-90 when five women went. Six other Bulldogs provisionally qualified, but did not make the final cuts.

Natasha Carter earned her first all-America honors with a fourth-place finish at the national meet with a distance of 56'-2.5" in the 20-pound weight throw.

Morton finished eighth in the finals of the women's pole vault with a height of 11'-3.75², while Luebbering was 10th in the 5,000-meter run in 17.55.66. Williams did not make the finals at the NCAA championships.

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Parker Claims Bulldog Scoring Title

Athletics Director Jerry Wollmering presents Cory Parker with the ball with which he broke the Truman all-time scoring record at Missouri-Rolla on Feb. 23.

In the Feb. 26 regular season finale, the men's basketball team said farewell to six seniors who comprised what could arguably be called one of the best graduating classes in program history.

Seniors Andy Guethle, Cory Parker, Jason Ramthun, Jason Reinberg and Jason Ward were all keys to Bulldog basketball in their own right. And in 1999-2000, the group helped the Truman men to their third-straight winning season, and fifth in the last seven years.

The 'Dogs finished with a 16-11 overall record, and were 9-9 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The team also posted an 11-3 record at home this season, including a 7-2 home mark in MIAA games. The Bulldogs got out to their second straight 7-0 start, and although the league schedule presented its usual rigorous challenge, the team kept itself in contention for a berth in the MIAA postseason tournament. By winning four of its last five games, including three consecutive to close the season, Truman earned the No. 6 seed for the postseason tournament. Unfortunatley, that was where the season ended with a 72-61 loss at Northwest Missouri in the first round.

Parker became the school's career scoring leader on Feb. 23 when he scored 15 points in a 69-62 win at Missouri-Rolla. By ending his career with 1,835 career points, Parker surpassed the old record of 1,796 points held by Steve Schieppe (1987-91). An honorable mention all-America last season and a three-time, first-team all-MIAA choice, Parker is only the second player to currently rank in the MIAA career top 10 in both scoring (tied for eighth) and rebounding (eighth, 955). He also ended his career as the Bulldog's all-time free-throws leader and as the second all-time leading rebounder.

Including Parker, three players from this year's squad became members of the 'Dogs' 1,000-point club, as Reinberg and Ramthun ended their careers with 1,429 and 1,151 points, respectively. Reinberg, an honorable mention all-conference pick this year, is the only player in Truman history to rank in the program's career top five in scoring, rebounding, assists and free throws.

Ramthun also finished his career ranked fifth in three-point field goals. Guethle finished with 909 career points and is fourth in all-time three-pointers and sixth in career assists. Parker was also chosen to the first all-region team and moved to the national all-America ballot this season. Reinberg, who carries a perfect 4.0 GPA in biology/pre-medicine, netted first-team GTE Academic All-America honors for the second season in a row. He also finished as the MIAA's leader in rebounding (8.9 rpg).

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Bulldog Briefs

Women's Basketball
The women's basketball team posted the third-best record in the history of the program when the Bulldogs ended the 1999-2000 season with a 17-9 mark. The 'Dogs earned the No. 4 seed and their first-ever home game in the MIAA postseason tournament with a 12-6 league mark. Unfortunately, the season came to an abrupt end when Southwest Baptist defeated Truman, 71-62 in the first round. However, it was another stellar season for several women, including junior forward Kelli Kreuser who earned first-team all-MIAA honors, for the second consecutive year. Kreuser led the team in scoring with 17.9 points a game and ended the campaign in the sixth spot on the Truman career scoring list with 1,177 points.

Junior guard Wendi Sobaski was an honorable mention all-MIAA pick and set new school records for career three point buckets (197) and three point attempts (514). She also became a member of the Bulldog 1,000-point club, finishing the year with 1,051 points for ninth all-time at Truman. Four seniors, Jennifer Happel, Megan and Mollie Kahn and Stacey Roth, ended their careers for the 'Dogs. Megan Kahn, who never missed a game during her tenure, set a new school record for consecutive games played with 110 since 1996, and finished second in career games played.

The Bulldogs went five games into the season before suffering their first loss, and were 5-3 through the non-conference season. They opened the MIAA schedule with a 63-60 win over Washburn and Truman's first-ever win in 23 tries at Central Missouri, 72-70. The 'Dogs then beat Missouri Southern 81-66 before tallying their first league loss at home to Missouri Western, 62-59. But the Truman women followed up by handing top-ranked Southwest Baptist its first defeat in the conference, 77-70.

The Bulldogs continued the first half of the MIAA round-robin schedule with a win at Northwest Missouri 78-65, a loss at Emporia 108-72, a victory against Missouri-Rolla 86-53 and a loss at Pittsburg, 77-64. Truman swept the two-games series with Missouri Southern, Northwest Missouri and Missouri-Rolla, and split with the rest of the MIAA teams. The women would win six of their last eight games, including perhaps the sweetest triumph of the season, a 75-72 downing of eventual MIAA champion Emporia State.

Wrestling
Senior Brad Kieffer was the bright spot on the Truman wrestling team this season. The 141-pounder completed 1999-2000 with a 35-6 record and was 102-36 during his four years as a Bulldog. Kieffer earned his second consecutive trip to the national tournament where he came in fifth, claiming his first all-America honors after going 4-2. He was also named a first-team academic all-America for the fourth time as the team finished ninth on the National Wrestling Coaches Association all-academic team list. Kieffer is the seventh Truman wrestler to earn all-America status and to register 30-plus wins in a season. The team posted an overall dual record of 2-10-1, while four Bulldogs charted 20-plus win seasons. Besides Kieffer, senior Chris Brown (21-16) and juniors Chris Benner (25-9) and Erik Simms (21-14) also went over the 20-win mark.

Men's Indoor Track & Field
The men's indoor track and field squad improved one place at the MIAA championships, finishing fourth at the meet. Senior Chad Froelker won the 600-yard run (1:11.75), while freshman Matt Helbig finished first in the 800-meter run (1:55.31). Froelker provisionally qualified for the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships in the 400-meter dash (49.25), mile relay (3:18.24) and the high jump (6'-10.25"). He made the final cut in the high jump and finished seventh at the DII championships with a height of 6'-8". Helbig, senior Aaron Aversman, in the 800-meter run (1:54.72), sophomore Dave Mayhew, in the 55-meter hurdles (7.2) and mile relay, sophomore Danny McDonald in the 400-meter dash (48.93) and mile relay, and Vasean Nixon in the mile relay, also posted provisional qualifying times for the DII meet but were not selected.

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Truman Football

This will be the 101st year since the sport of football was first played on the campus of what is now called Truman State University.

Below is the Bulldogs' 2000 schedule and a tentative list of events kicking off the second century of football at Truman. Check the Truman web page and this summer's issue of the Truman Review for an updated schedule of events for the season.

Place your vote for members of the Truman All-Century Football Team on the web at: www2.truman.edu/athletics/football/ballot.html

2000 Football Schedule & Tentative Schedule of Events
Sept. 2 Northern Michigan, 12 p.m. Tailgate & Kickoff Ceremony
Sept. 9 @ South Dakota (Vermillion), 7 pm
Sept. 16 Southwest Baptist *, 1:30 pm Community Appreciation Day
Sept. 23 @ Missouri-Rolla *, 1 pm
Sept. 30 Northwest Missouri *, 1:30 pm
    Friday Night Alumni Reception
    Pre-Game Tailgate & Half-Time Announcement of All-Century Team
Oct. 7 Central Missouri (Family Day) *, 2 pm
Oct. 14 @ Missouri Western * , 2 pm
Oct. 21 Mo. Southern (Homecoming) *, 2 pm
    Retire Jersey No. 3-Jarrett Anderson
Oct. 28 @ Emporia State (Kan.) *, 2 p.m.
Nov. 4 Washburn (Hall of Fame) *, 1 p.m. Hall of Fame Presentation
Nov. 11 @ Pittsburg State (Kan.) *, 2 pm

We Need Help From Old 'Dogs
We're looking for Bulldogs from the 1910s and 1920s to help us celebrate a new century of football at Truman. If you, or anyone you know, played football at Truman during this era, please contact Melissa Ware, Sports Information Director, by phone (660-785-4276) or email (mware@truman.edu). We know it might be hard to make it back to Kirksville, but we're still interested in knowing who the oldest Bulldog Gridder might be, we also want to hear any stories or see any pictures from that time.

Spring Football Game
The Bulldogs annual spring intra-squad football game is scheduled for the afternoon of April 29.

 

 

 

 

 

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