Football Goes 6-0 in MIAA Before Dropping Last ThreeJunior defensive back Tommy Hernandez earned first-team all-MIAA honors and was a Football Gazette honorable mention all-American.
Truman football began the 1997 season with a tough non-conference test in No. 2-ranked Western Illinois, an NCAA Division 1-AA team, losing 45-18. The opener would prove, however, that the elements were there for a successful season as Karega Scott showed he was an able replacement at tailback for the 1996 Harlon Hill winner, Jarrett Anderson. At 5-4, 140 pounds, Scott rushed for 1,015 yards as a senior in '97.
Truman also had two talented quarterbacks at its disposal in seniors, Nate Minnis and Mike Vaughn. Minnis, the starter, finished his career fifth among all-time total offensive leaders at Truman with 5,011 yards during his four years.
The Bulldogs began the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association portion of their schedule at home with a, 31-17, win over Missouri Western, the first of six consecutive conference victories. Junior right cornerback Tommy Hernandez was named MIAA Player of the Week after picking off two interceptions.
In just the second overtime game in MIAA history, the Bulldogs came back from a 15-point halftime deficit to beat Central Missouri, 37-35. Minnis catapulted the 'Dogs into overtime on a 4-yard run with 14 seconds left. He would also score a 1-yard TD run in the first overtime and the game-winning 14-yard run in the second extra period.
The Bulldogs' next test was the NCAA's No. 1 offense of Emporia State (Kan.) led by running back Brian Shay, one of three finalists for the 1997 Harlon Hill Trophy. Truman swatted the Hornets, 44-28, holding ESU to more than 100 yards below its 520 yards a game of offense.
Senior Bulldog split end James Ross, a preseason all-America candidate, was MIAA player of the week for his three-touchdown performance, posting a total of 163 yards on 5 catches.
The Bulldog defense took advantage of the ESU quarterback, sacking him four times, while Hernandez, senior preseason all-America linebacker Zac Allison and sophomore linebacker Tony Marek picked off passes.
The Bulldogs decapitated the Washburn Ichabods next, 37-7. A stingy Truman defense limited WU to just 174 yards of total offense, 37 on the ground, as the 'Dogs blew by a defense that had been allowing just 14.4 points a game.
Senior flanker Erik Nelson produced his best game with 7 receptions for 143 yards and scored the first touchdown of his career to put the 'Dogs up 14-0, while also snagging a 64-yard bomb from Vaughn.
Truman needed to keep its perfect record in the conference and gain more national respect as it faced the Miners with a 14-game winning streak going against UMR.
Scott scored a career-high three TDs consecutively and racked up 101 yards before sitting out the second half of the, 57-7, Bulldog win. Marek closed first-half scoring when he scooped up a UMR fumble, caused by Bulldog freshman defensive end Leo Smith, and returned it 83 yards, putting the 'Dogs up 28-0 at intermission.
It would take one more victory over Southwest Baptist, 28-0, Truman's first shut-out since 1993, for the Bulldogs to earn an appearance in a tie for 14th in the Division II rankings. After an hour rain delay, Minnis found senior fullback Chris Amick for a 1-yard touchdown to begin the downpour on the Bearcats.
With Truman, 6-0, ahead of Pittsburg, 5-1, in the MIAA standings a showdown between the Bulldogs and Gorillas took place in Kirksville. Truman had an 11-game MIAA win streak on the line, while PSU was coming off its first-ever home conference loss to Northwest.
The 'Dogs had their chances but could not take advantage of the opportunities, opening the game by driving 70 yards on 10 plays, but failing to convert on first and goal from the 3-yard line. The Gorillas got on the scoreboard first when they recovered a blocked punt in the end zone on Truman's second drive. Pittsburg took a 21-3 lead at break and controlled the clock in the second half, making the final score 28-18 in favor of Pitt.
Truman, dropping to 18th in the DII poll, attempted to rebound as it took on No. 4 Northwest Missouri which came into the game with a perfect 9-0 record.
When the two schools battled for the oldest trophy in DII football, The Old Hickory Stick, the Bulldogs were thwarted early, while the Bearcats scored on their first two series. Junior tight end Tyce Stebbins snagged the first TD of his career and Jeff Klee kicked a 44-yard field goal to score Truman's only points of the game and put the halftime score at 14-10.
The Bearcats rolled by the Bulldogs with a field goal and a touchdown pass in both the third and fourth quarters to make the final score 34-10 on the side of the conference champions.
Missouri Southern tied Truman for third-place in the MIAA with a, 40-32, win over the Bulldogs to complete the 1997 season.
Eleven Bulldogs were named to the all-conference teams, including first-team all-MIAA selections Hernandez and junior center Spencer Stevens. Hernandez finished second in MIAA interceptions (.40 ipg), while Stevens graded out the highest of any offensive lineman at 93 percent. Hernandez was also first-team all-Midwest and a Football Gazette honorable mention all-American, as well as a first-team GTE/CoSida Academic All-District pick.
Ross earned second-team all-Midwest honors and all-conference honors, finishing the season with 26 catches for 570 yards. He was fourth in MIAA receiving yards and 10th in receptions in 1997. Ross completed the season in the eighth spot on the Truman career receiving yardage list with 1,551 yards on 86 catches.
Scott was third in league rushing (101.5 ypg) and all-purpose yards (106.8 ypg) and was seventh in scoring (6.6 ppg). He earned second-team all-MIAA honors and was a member of the American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team.
Senior right tackle Chad Murray was the third second-team choice on offense for the 'Dogs. At 6-8, 323 pounds, Murray also earned a spot on the West team in the Snow Bowl, the Division II all-star football game.
On defense, Allison and senior tackle Nelson Evans garnered second-team all-MIAA recognition. Allison led the team in tackles for the third consecutive year, charting 125.
Honorable mention all-conference accolades went to Minnis, Ludwig, and a pair of senior offensive linemen, left guard Mark Irby and left tackle Craig Hudson. Hudson was also a GTE/CoSida Academic All-District Third-Team selection along with junior fullback Bret Yoder.
Bernthal is Truman's Second Consecutive NCAA Woman of the Year
For the second year in a row, a Truman athlete has been named NCAA Woman of the Year for the state of Missouri. Kirsten Bernthal, a four-year letterwinner on the Bulldog volleyball team, was chosen one of 51 state winners.
Bernthal was honored at the Woman of the Year banquet in Kansas City this past October for her achievements. Last year, Ginny Hoefer, a women's cross-country runner at Truman, was named NCAA Woman of the Year for Missouri.
Bernthal became the third Truman player to be named to the All-South Central Region volleyball team in 1996 as a senior. She was also named MVP of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association and MIAA setter of the week four times, and broke her Truman single-season assists record with 1,662. Bernthal led the team in assists and digs and finished fifth in the league in assists average (10.8). She was also named to the GTE/CoSIDA All-America District VII first and third teams and the MIAA all-academic team three times.
As Truman's career assists record-holder with 6,077, Bernthal was third all-time in NCAA Division II. She is also fourth on the Bulldog career list with 1,410 digs and tied for sixth with 127 service aces.
She was MIAA freshman of the year in '93 and all-MIAA second-team in '94 and honorable mention in '95. Bernthal was MIAA setter of the week eight times during her career and helped lead the Bulldogs to their first NCAA postseason tournament appearance in 1994.
Volleyball Produces Eighth 20-Win Season In A Row Under Eggering
The Truman volleyball team, led by first-year head coach Becky Eggering, finished the 1997 season with a 21-15 overall record, the eighth consecutive year Truman has won 20 or more games. The Bulldogs posted an 8-8 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Associ-ation record to finish in the fifth spot.
The 'Dogs began the season by going 3-1 in their opening weekend at the Texas Woman's University tournament. After losing a match to NAIA powerhouse Columbia College, the women traveled to the Missouri Southern tournament where they split four matches.
Truman opened its MIAA season with a thrilling, 3-2, victory over Northwest Missouri, and two nights later, defeated MIAA opponent Pittsburg State (Kan.), 3-0.
The Bulldogs then went on a small slide, losing five of their next six. The streak included two league losses to Missouri Southern and Missouri Western, and going 1-3 at the Central Oklahoma tournament.
The 'Dogs got back on track with a five-set victory over Quincy (Ill.) and proceeded to win nine of the next 10 matches, including three MIAA contests, and went 4-0 at the Drury Tournament. The only loss during that streak was a five-set match to the eventual MIAA champion Central Missouri.
On Oct. 15, the Bulldogs dropped a crucial five-set match to Missouri Western, eliminating their chances of qualifying for the national tournament. Truman split its remaining eight games and ended the season with a º3-0 victory over Southwest Baptist.
Two Bulldog seniors, Jennifer Sigman and Gretchen Bouton, played their final seasons. Sigman led the squad in hitting percentage (.249), tied for the lead in service aces (43), and was second in kills (428), solo blocks (18) and total blocks (114). She finished third at Truman for career kills (1674), attempts (4612) and service aces (159). Sigman also had 1,041 career digs, the sixth-best mark.
Bouton completed 1997 as the team's blocking leader with 22 solo blocks and 105 block assists. She is fourth in Truman career attempts (2,913) and service aces (133).
Junior Kelly Mangels took over the setter position in 1997 and led the team with 1,344 assists, the fifth-best single-season mark at Truman. She finished fourth in the MIAA in assist average (9.81) and is third all-time at Truman with 1,498 career assists. Mangels tied for the team-lead with 43 service aces and was MIAA setter of the week twice.
Two freshman, Janelle Zehr and Stacie Mannis, broke into the starting lineup. Zehr led the team in kills (494), attempts (1352) and digs (369). She finished seventh in the MIAA with a 3.54 kill average. Mannis was second on the team with 349 digs and third with 52 assists and 42 service aces.
Men's Soccer Team Finds Way To NCAA Final Four
Dec. 5, 1997, marked an historic day for the Truman men's soccer program. In sunny Boca Raton, Fla., the Bulldogs took the field versus Cal State-Bakersfield in a semifinal match of the NCAA Division II Soccer Championships. After finishing the regular-season with a 14-5 record, it was the farthest any Truman men's soccer team had gone in national competition in three previous trys.
The 'Dogs travelled to Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville for a first-round game. The Cougars found the back of the net in just three minutes, but Truman evened the score 11 minutes later when senior forward Jimmy Duran deflected a shot off the post after being set up by sophomore forward Adrian Marrero. The game was tied until the 83-minute mark when Marrero was able to whistle a shot past the Cougars' keeper.
East Stroudsburg (Pa.) was the Bulldogs' next hurdle, but the Warriors would have to play Truman on its home pitch in the quarterfinal contest. Senior forward Matt Barry sent a corner kick at the 14-minute mark into the middle of the box where freshman forward Chris Rahe headed it to Marrero who in turn headed past the Warrior keeper for what proved to be the game-winner. ESU had two goals waved-off.
With the win, Truman headed to Boca Raton where the Roadrunners scored off a corner kick late in the first half, giving Bakersfield a 1-0 edge heading into intermission. Truman countered early in the second half with Duran scoring a goal only to have it waved off because of a foul. CSB scored the game's second and final goal with just under 20 minutes remaining.
The '97 campaign commenced with wins over perennial powerhouses Mercyhurst (Pa.) and Gannon (Pa.). Truman tallied its third regional victory in the home opener versus Quincy. Ex-MIAA member, Missouri-St. Louis halted the Bulldogs' win streak in the Truman Classic followed by Denver which stopped the 'Dogs with a, 2-1, overtime win, the only two home stumbles of the season.
In Truman's second invitational, No. 23 Wisconsin-Parkside fell, followed by Lewis (Ill.), giving the Bulldogs five regional victories and the No. 1 spot in the Central region for awhile. A 3-2 overtime road triumph against Rockhurst was followed by a shutout at the hands of No. 13 West Texas A&M, 4-0, in the Midwestern Classic. Quickly rebounding, Truman downed host Midwestern State and added a victory over Lindenwood.
Lincoln opened league action and the flood gates on scoring, including Marrero with a hat trick and two assists, Jackson with two goals and Wilhusen with a pair of scores and an assist.
Truman's unbeaten streak of 16-straight MIAA contests, dating back to 1988, was ended when Missouri Southern tallied a 1-0 win.
The Bulldogs then journeyed to the Alderson-Broaddus Classic where West Virginia Wesleyan charted a 3-0 win. The men regrouped to down the host, 2-1, marking the beginning of their longest winning streak in '97 (7).
Truman rattled off victories against Columbia and MIAA foes Missouri-Rolla and Southwest Baptist to earn a share of their sixth league title, fourth straight.
The 1997 squad recorded the most victories of any Bulldog soccer team and finished third in number of goals scored with 56.
Marrero paced the team and the league in goals (15) and assists (9). Of his 15 goals, six were game-winners, including both of Truman's postseason victories. His 15 goals and 39 total points rank second among all-time single-season leaders at Truman, while his nine assists is the third-best single-season mark. Lee Letourneau finished second in points (21) and tied for second in goals with Heine Anderson (8). A first-team all-MIAA selection, four of Letourneau's goals were game-winners. Anderson, who was also an all-MIAA first-team member, started 21 games as a freshman, finishing fourth in points with 16. Wilhusen was the only player to start every game in 1997, tallying two game-winning goals, seven total, and five assists for 19 points.
The 1997 squad finished fourth in the final poll, their highest final ranking ever. Head Coach Dennis Sweeney was awarded MIAA Coach of the Year honors for the third-straight season, while sophomore midfielder Steve Wilhusen was voted co-MVP of the league.
Sweeney's team accounted for six of the 11 first-team all-MIAA selections, including Marrero as a unanimous choice. National accolades were bestowed on Anderson, an NSCAA/Umbro all-Midwest first-team pick along with Marrero, and senior back Mike Quante named to the second-team.
Women Register First Postseason Soccer Victory for Truman
No other team in Truman history won more games or went farther than the 1997 Truman women's soccer.
The Bulldogs finished 15-6-1 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship, qualifying for the tournament for the first time. Making the postseason, after falling a game short in 1995 and 1996, capped off the best three-season span in in the team's history which has seen the Bulldogs win 39 games to 13 losses and seven ties.
The started with the Truman Classic when the Bulldogs played two matches against ranked regional opponents. Truman defeated Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, 4-3 in overtime, and the Missouri-St. Louis, 2-0. The 'Dogs ran into trouble the next weekend, however, dropping two to St. Joseph's (Ind.) College and the University of Indianapolis, 1-2 and 0-2, respectively. It would mark the only time in '97 the team would lose two matches in a row. The Bulldogs then went on a tear, winning eight of their next 10 games.
Truman took an 11-5-1 mark into the final week of action where it would face Missouri-Rolla and Lewis (Ill.). Both teams were ranked higher than Truman at the time and a loss to either could have kept the 'Dogs from postseason action again. But the women came through with a 1-0 overtime win against UMR and a 2-1 victory against Lewis. The regular season ended and the waiting for the brackets began after a 2-0 victory over Bellarmine (Ky.).
The Bulldogs were matched up with St. Joseph's College, the No. 1 team in the region, for the first game of the NCAA championship. The two teams fought each other through snow and cold for nearly the entire match before senior forward Carie Toczylowski found her sister, sophomore forward Stephanie Toczylowski, who found the back of the net with five minutes remaining. The goal took the fight from St. Joseph's, and the Bulldogs exacted revenge for their earlier defeat and registered the first postseason victory for Truman men's or women's soccer.
The Division II quarterfinals matched Truman with West Virginia Wesleyan in Buckhannon, W.Va., for the first time in history. The two teams fought a bitter battle on a muddy, wet field before Wesleyan scored at 79:10. The 'Dogs turned up the pressure but could not send an equalizing goal home, ending their season and hopes for the final four with a 1-0 loss.
Senior tri-captains, midfielder Jill Benson, defender Kim Mannion and Carie Toczylowski were all expected to play big roles in the leadership of the team and did just that. Toczylowski helped younger players up front, Mannion anchored an impressive defense and Benson took to her new role in the midfield with ease after primarily being used as a forward.
Mannion scored the game-winner in the overtime match against UMR that got Truman rolling toward the postseason. She was an NSCAA/Umbro all-Central Region first-team pick and was the defensive MVP at the Truman Classic.
Benson started 76 games, the most-ever by a Bulldog, and had arecord 13 assists in '96 when she was named all-region.Toczylowski is second only to Benson all-time in games played at 75. She exploded for her first career hat trick on Nov. 21 against North Dakota State and had eight multi-goal games during her career.
Junior Jenny Miller, continued to campaign for the title of the greatest Truman keeper off all time. She faced a team-record 122 shots and yielded only 18 goals, the second-fewest of all-time. Miller is No. 1 in career games in goal and has twice the number of shutouts as No. 2 Janet Larson (1989-92) with 30. She came up big in the playoffs, saving 18 shots and allowing only one goal.
The new sudden-death overtime rules provided a great deal of excitement as Truman won four of six games that went past regulation. All four game-winning goals came from defenders, with two coming from sophomore back Beckey Sparks. Sophomore Jill Harlan defeated Central Missouri State after the sun had set in Kirksville, while the fourth game-winner was Mannion's only goal of the season against UMR.
Men's Cross Country Misses Nationals For First Time In Four Seasons
The Truman men's cross country team ended its 1997 season with an eighth-place finish at the Great Lakes Regionals. While the team ran better than they had at the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association meet where they finished fifth two weeks earlier, the Bulldogs fell short of returning to the NCAA championships.
Truman ran one of its best meets of the year at the Missouri/Border States Invitational, finishing second with two runners in the top 10.
Other meet results for Truman included a ninth-place finish at the Jayhawk Invitational, third-place at the Nebraska Invitational and 18th at the Notre Dame Invitational.
Senior all-America Christian Blackburn was the lead runner in three meets and finished second in the other three races. His best finishes included 10th at the Missouri/ Border States Invitational and 14th-place at the MIAA championships.
Freshman Scott Henderson led the squad at three events and had two second-place finishes and a third-place. He was the only runner to receive all-conference honors with a 10th-place finish at the league meet, and he also finished eighth at the Missouri/Border States meet.
Other top runners for Truman included seniors Mike Johnson and Scott Poston. Johnson finished in the top three on the team in four meets. Poston finished third at the Great Lakes Regional and MIAA championships and was in the top five at the other four meets.
Cross Country Women Struggle With Youth And Injuries
The women's cross country team fought through injuries and inexperience to finish a strong 10th at the NCAA Cross Country Regionals.
The women could have gotten out harder at the outset of the meet, but raced well in the middle of the meet. Due to the youthfulness of the team and injuries to key returners, the Bulldogs lacked a front runner, someone to go out and place high.
Junior Angie Meyer, plagued by injury and illness the entire season, was the top Bulldog finisher at the regional meet in 54th-place with a time of 20:06.
Meyer and junior Beth Sabin, who placed 78th at the regional meet, were the only two runners who had a wealth of collegiate experience this season. The second and third runners, freshmen Jody Shanks and Krista Roland, made significant contributions in their first seasons in the purple and white.
Roland was the top Bulldog finisher at two meets and was the only team member to finish in the top spot twice. Despite shin problems late in the season, she still managed to put in a good effort at the regional meet, finishing 65th. Shanks, who started the year as a redshirt, was activated midway through the season and competed in three races.
Cochrane liked how the team came along at the end of the season and believes the backbone of people back next year will be ready to compete.
