From the very first practice of her freshman year in 1991, it was obvious that Meribeth Schwartz had something special. The slightly built sprinter from Red Wing, Minnesota burst onto the scene in a big way, winning the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin 400 in 1991 with a time of :59.55, placed third in the 200 and anchored her 1600 meter relay team to victory.
That was the beginning of one of the most consistent and accolade-laced careers in women’s athletics at Augustana. Before she graduated in 1995 (although her final year of eligibility was in 1994), Schwartz had claimed a total of seven conference titles. Of those seven, four were individual and three were as a member of relay teams. She also earned eight NCAA Division III All-American certificates.
This was a young lady, who as much as anybody, embraced the division III concept. A leader in various student groups around campus, she served as president of her sorority her senior year and she also helped organize a spring break trip to Florida for the office of student activities.
Her work in the classroom was stellar and she was a two time CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) Academic All-America selection.
Although she was a sprinter by trade, she was also a two time letter winner in cross country and was in the top five for the 1991 Viking team that won the CCIW title.
Her trademarks were her durability and her tenacity. She rarely missed a race or practice due to injury and she was tough to beat down the stretch.
During her sophomore season in 1992 she really came into her own. She earned NCAA Division III All-American honors during the indoor season in the 400 and then at the CCIW meet outdoors she won the 400 in a conference record of :57.38, took the 200 in :25.87 and anchored the winning 1600 relay team. At the outdoor national meet she placed sixth in the 400 to earn her second All-American certificate of the year. She was named the team’s MVP and at the end of the year she owned the school records in the 400 indoors and the 200 and 400 outdoors.
In 1993 she put on quite a show at the NCAA Division III national meet placing in the open 400 and 800 and in the 400 and 1600 relays. She won the open 400 and anchored the 400 relay team to victory in the CCIW meet as the Vikings won the team title by a wide margin. For the second year in a row she was named Augustana’s Most Valuable Performer. She also won the first of her Academic All-American awards.
She was an All-American again as a senior in 1994, this time in the 1600 relay and she saw her streak of CCIW titles snapped in the open 400. However, she did anchor the 1600 relay team to victory and placed second in the 400 and third in the 200 as the Vikings won the team title for the second straight year.
“The coaching staff at Augustana was amazing,” she said of her college experience. “They knew how to bring out the best in all of their athletes.”
After graduating in 1995 with degrees in English and secondary education, she started a career of coaching and teaching in her native Minnesota. She currently teaches English and is the head girls’ track & field coach at Lake City Central High School in Lake City, Minnesota. She owns a Master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from St. Mary’s University.
Meribeth and her husband Jason have three children: Carl (nine), Liv (eight) and Joseph (five).
