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  • Melissa DuBois lands after the long jump during the girls track sectional at Warsaw Tuesday. SAM HOUSEHOLDER

    120614 Melissa DeBois signing WEB.jpg
June 14, 2012

ATHLETIC SIGNING: Off to college

Concord standout DuBois will run at Bethel

By GREG KEIM THE GOSHEN NEWS

DUNLAP — When recent Concord High School graduate Melissa DuBois began looking for a college to continue her track and field career she was looking for something special.

She found what she was looking for at Bethel College in Mishawaka.

“I was impressed with the personal level the coaches have with the athletes,” she said. “Also the way they stayed in touch with me during the recruiting process was impressive. The Christian atmosphere was another big reason.”

Text messages is one popular form of communication among high school students, but Bethel coach Tony Natali believes in another method of keeping in touch with his recruits.

“A lot of coaches send texts, but I still like to make phone calls,” he said.

“Kids get so many texts that a phone call stands out. I think it makes a kid feel hey these people care about me. It makes them feel special.

“This is a very exciting day for Bethel track. Melissa is the perfect fit for our program in every way. She is definitely the type of athlete we want at Bethel, but even more important than that is she is a great kid. She has the leadership personality we are looking for.”

Natali found out about DuBois by talking to other kids.

“A lot of our recruiting is word of mouth,” he said. “Kids on our team are constantly telling me about kids we should be recruiting.”

DuBois was the NLC long jump champion this season. Her winning effort of 17-3 set an NLC record.

“I was so excited to break the record,” DuBois said. “My brother Chris DuBois is a Goshen coach and I was hugging him after breaking the mark. Goshen senior Lauren Stutzman had an early jump of 17-2 so I had to really buckle down. I popped one an inch further. Lauren and I are really good friends.”

The two will be continuing to compete against each other in college as Stutzman has signed with Indiana Wesleyan. Bethel and Wesleyan are members of the Mid-Central Conference.

DuBois won the long jump at the Warsaw sectional (17-2 1/2) and Warsaw regional (17-2) before finishing sixth (17-11 /12) at the recent state meet at Indiana University in Bloomington.

She also placed fourth in the 100 meters (13.10) in the Warsaw sectional and was a three-time regional and state qualifier in long jump.

She holds the Concord record with a leap of 18-5 and was on the school’s recording setting 4 x 100 relay (50.14).

DuBois plans to compete in the long jump, triple jump and the 4 x 100 relay at Bethel.

“I have never tried the triple jump, but am always open to new things,” she said.

DuBois also knows what she needs to work on to compete at the collegiate level.

“My running form has to improve,” she said.

“I have the worst form ever. It’s going to be like starting from scratch.”

Still Natali expects big things from DuBois.

“She is the type of athlete that can come in and make an immediate impact,” he said.

“We try to make sure athletes are comfortable by putting them in the best possible situation for them.”

DuBois is unsure of a major.

“I haven’t decided on anything yet. There is still time to work that out,” she said.

Melissa is the daughter of Mike and Vanessa DuBois. She also has an older brother Alex DuBois.

 

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