Cardinal Women Take 11th at NCAA
Regionals
Written Nov. 14, 2009 by Alex Stansell
TERRE HAUTE, IN- The Otterbein women’s cross country team placed 11th out of 34
teams at the NCAA Great Lakes Cross Country Regional on Saturday, hosted by
Rose-Hulman and Depauw. The regional was won by Calvin College, with 50 points.
Otterbein was lead by junior Andrea Pautsch who earned
All-Region honors, finishing34th overall. She ran in 23:36.15.
Senior Nikki Reese and sophomore Sarah Hutchinson finished
69th and 70th for the Cards, running in 24:29.60 and 24:30.30 respectively.
“We came in ranked 10th in the region, so we were right
around where we expected,” said head coach John Lintz. “We were only three
points out of ninth, so we weren’t far off from a better finish. We would have
liked to do a little better, but it just wasn’t our day.”
Junior Shaylyn Webster took 84th place, crossing the finish
line at 24:40.63. Sophomore Nicole Elliott came in 86th place, running in
24:45.62.
Overall, 231 runners from 34 different schools competed.
This marked the end of the season for the Cardinals, who will be back in action
next fall.
Otterbein Runs to Fourth-Place Finish at
OAC Championships
Written Oct. 31, 2009 by Alex Stansell
WILMINGTON, OHIO- The Otterbein women’s cross country team placed fourth at the
2009 Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Championships hosted by Wilmington College on Saturday. Baldwin Wallace
College won the team title.
The Cards were led by junior Andrea Pautsch, who earned
first team All-OAC honors. She finished in sixth place with a time of 22:31.49.
Senior Nicole Reese and sophomore Nicole Elliott earned
second team All-OAC honors, finishing 14th and 17th respectively. Reese ran in
23:19.61, while Elliott finished with a time of 23:31.35.
“Andrea ran fantastic, I was very pleased with her
performance,” said first-year head coach John Lintz. “Overall, our team had a
decent performance today.”
Sophomore Sarah Hutchinson placed 21st, finishing in
23:42.10. Sophomore Lexi Dooley rounded out the top five finishers for Otterbein,
placing 28th and crossing the finish line at 23:58.26.
“While today could have been better, it also could have
been worse,” said Lintz. “So we’re looking forward to regionals here in a couple
weeks.”
The Cards will run at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional at
Rose-Hulman on Saturday, Nov. 14. The race is slated to start at 11 a.m.
Reese and Pautsch Lead Cards to Second
at Wilmington
Written Oct. 19, 2009 by Ed Syguda
WILMINGTON, OHIO—Otterbein, placing all five runners in the top 30, finished
second at the Wilmington Fall College Classic.
The Cardinals scored 91 points to finish a close second to meet winner John
Carroll, who tallied 85 points. There were 244 runners from 25 teams
participating in the meet held last Friday.
“I thought that second place in a meet of this
size was a great result,” said first-year head coach John Lintz. “It was the
first time all year that they had to deal with cold race conditions and everyone
responded.”
Senior Nicole Reese and junior Andrea Pautsch led
the Cardinals over the 5,000-meter course. Reese took the seventh spot with a
time of 19:07 while Pautsch finished 12th in 19:17.
“I was particularly happy with Niki’s (Reese)
race,” Lintz said. “This was the first time all season that we've seen the real
Niki. Talking to her after the race, I'm convinced she's figured it out and will
only get better from here. For us to be really good, Niki needs to lead us.
“I was also really pleased with how Andie
(Pautsch) ran again,” Lintz continued. “She's been consistently good all year,
and I think she's ready to pop a big time in the next couple of meets.”
Rounding out the Otterbein scoring five were
sophomore Sarah Hutchinson, 21st (20:01), sophomore Nicole Elliott, 22nd
(20:05), and junior Shaylyn Webster, 29th (20:15).
The Cardinals are off this week, prepping for the
Ohio Athletic Conference Championships scheduled for Oct. 31 at Wilmington.
Otterbein Finishes 18th at All-Ohio
Written Oct. 6, 2009 by Adam Prescott
DELAWARE, OHIO—The Otterbein women’s cross country team, led by junior Andie
Pautsch, ran its way to an 18th-place finish last Friday at the All-Ohio
Intercollegiate Championship hosted by Ohio Wesleyan. Overall, 42 teams from
NCAA Division I, II, and III institutions competed in the event.
Pautsch led the way for the Cardinals by covering the
course in 20:21.90 to finish 68th out of 285 total runners.
“From an individual standpoint, this is by far her
best cross country season,” head coach John Lintz said of Pautsch. “She is
getting excited to see what she can do at the end of the season, and Coach
Lehman and I are as well.
Sophomore Nicole Elliott finished 113th with a time
of 21:11.18 while freshman Bekah Reese turned in a time of 21:17.90, good enough
for 118th.
Reese’s older sister, Niki (123rd), ran a time of
21:20.20 while sophomore Sarah Hutchinson (129th) covered the course in
21:25.40.
“A meet like the All-Ohio gives us a good gauge of
where we are at this point in the season,” Lintz said. “We beat most of the
teams that we should have beaten, but we were only the third OAC school and I
would've liked to have been closer to Ohio Northern and Baldwin-Wallace.
“The good news is that no one remembers what anyone
does in early October,” Lintz continued. “Oct. 31 (OAC Championships) and Nov.
14 (NCAA Regionals) are the dates that are important to us.”
The group next heads to compete at the Wilmington
meet on Oct. 16.
Cards Place Five in Top 21 to Capture
2nd at Otterbein Invite
Written Sept. 30, 2009 by Ed Syguda
WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein placed five runners in the top 21, leading the
Cardinals to a second-place finish at the 14-team Otterbein Invitational held
Saturday.
The Cardinals scored 69 points. DePauw won the
meet with 29 points. The meet drew 150 runners.
“The women ran well,” Lintz said. “To finish
second in a meet of this size and competition is pretty meaningful, especially
with the rainy conditions.”
For the third Saturday in a row, Junior Andie
Pautsch led the Cardinals, finishing fifth in 23:23.1 over the 6,000-meter
course.
“Andie has been in the top five in two of her three races this year (12th in the
other), and her confidence is really growing,” said first-year head coach John
Lintz. “She's had two great track seasons in her career, but this is the first
year she's been great in cross country.
Sophomore Sarah Hutchinson finished 13th
(24:05.3) and sophomore Nicole Elliott placed right behind, grabbing the 14th
spot in 24:09.3.
Sisters Niki Reese, a senior, and Bekah Reese, a
freshman, placed 16th (24:14.9) and 21st (24:27.1), respectively, to round out
the scoring five.
The Cardinals are scheduled to compete at the All-Ohio Friday in Delaware.
Cards Place Fourth at Cedarville
Written Sept. 23, 2009 by Ed Syguda
CEDARVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein, led by junior Andie Pautsch, placed fourth at the
19th-annual Friendship Invitational hosted by Cedarville University last
Saturday.
The Cardinals scored 114 points, finishing
behind meet winner Ashland (39), Cedarville (64), and Shawnee State (110).
Sixteen teams and 181 runners competed in the meet.
“The women continue to run very well, and are
getting better and better every week,” said first-year head coach John Lintz.
“We are pretty good right now, but it is important to be running the best at the
end of the season, and we're on our way to doing that.”
Pautsch turned in Otterbein’s best performance,
finishing 12th in a time of 19:27 over the 5,000-meter course.
“Andie has run very, very well this fall,” Lintz
said. “But what makes her accomplishments even more impressive is that she is
also working as an athletic trainer for the women's soccer team this fall. She
is doing a good bit of running by herself, and that is not easy.”
Rounding out the scoring for Otterbein were
freshman Bekah Reese, 18th (19:34); junior Shaylyn Webster, 26th (19:52);
sophomore Sarah Hutchinson, 28th (20:02); and senior Nicole Reese, 30th (20:08).
The Cardinals return home Saturday for the Otterbein Invitational. The women’s
race is scheduled to go off at 10:45 a.m.
OC Takes Four of Top 10 Spots to win at
Marietta
Written Sept. 17, 2009 by Ed Syguda
MARIETTA, OHIO—Otterbein took four of the top 10 spots to win the Carl Broughton
Invitational hosted by Marietta last Saturday.
The Cardinals scored 44 points to edge
California University (PA), who finished second with 49 points. Seven teams
competed in the meet. Host Marietta, the only other team from the Ohio Athletic
Conference, placed fourth with 99 points.
“The women started the year out great,” said
first-year head coach John Lintz. “We got a great team effort.”
Junior Andie Pautsch turned in Otterbein’s best
finish, placing fourth in 20:20.26. Freshman Rebekah Reese, right behind, took
the fifth spot with a time of 20:20.71. Rounding out the top-10 finishers were
sophomore Sarah Hutchinson, eighth (20:39.39), and junior Shaylyn Webster, 10th
(20:50.56).
“Andie has started her season off where she left
off in track, and Sarah continues to improve week to week.” Lintz said. “It's
nice to see someone who works so hard be successful.
“As far as Bekah Reese goes,” Lintz continued,
“we knew coming in that she would help us out right away, but it has been a
really pleasant surprise to see her be our No. 2 finisher the last two weeks.”
Rebekah finished second to teammate and sister Nicole Reese, who is a senior, at
the Otterbein Alumni meet held Sept. 4.
Otterbein is scheduled to compete at the 19th-annual Friendship Invitational
hosted by Cedarville this Saturday.
Lady Cards Look to Take Next Step, Reach
New Heights in 2009 Season
Written Sept. 11, 2009 by Adam Prescott
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – With five of the top six runners returning this fall, the
Otterbein women’s cross country team will be looking to build on a 2008 season
that saw the team earn a seventh place finish at the Great Lakes Regional in
addition to a third place finish at the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) meet.
The Cards, which enter the season ranked eighth in the
Regional coaches’ preseason poll, anticipate being led by the duo of senior
Nicole Reese and junior Andrea Pautsch.
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Nicole Reese |
Reese, a returning second team All-OAC performer, captured
race titles at Marietta and Earlham a season ago. In 2007, she was named the OAC
Runner of the Year and qualified for the NCAA Championships.
“Niki is arguably the most talented runner in the
conference,” said first-year head coach John Lintz. “She has a 5k personal
record that many guys would like to have. Niki put in an amazing summer of
training and has come back in the best shape of her life. If she runs like she
is capable, she could be an All American this fall.”
Pautsch, the defending OAC Track and Field champion in the
3,000 meter steeplechase, will also be counted upon to produce for the
Cardinals. Also a returning second team All-OAC performer, Pautsch ran a
career-best time of 19:54.85 en route to an 11th place finish at
Cedarville last season.
“Andie has proven to be one of the conference's elite
runners in track, but hasn't yet put together a cross season to match,” said
Lintz. “When she does this fall, we will have a one-two punch that is very
tough.”
The program also expects contribution from incoming
freshman Rebekah Reese, the younger sister of Nicole. Rebekah finished second
behind her older sister at the team’s alumni meet this past weekend.
Other returning letterwinners include senior Danielle
Vickers, junior Shaylyn Webster, and sophomore Nicole Elliot.
Vickers led the team with a sixth-place finish at the OAC
Championships last season, covering the course in 23:43.63 to earn first team
All-Conference. She also captured All-Great Lakes honors by finishing in the top
35 at the regional meet.
However, the team will miss the services of sophomore
Hannah Farver, who had compartment syndrome surgery on her calf this offseason
and unfortunately will not run in 2009.
Overall, the group appears ready and able to embark on a
successful season.
“We return a lot of runners with a lot of varsity
experience, and that will certainly help come conference, regionals and
hopefully nationals,” said Lintz.
Fresh off the annual alumni event, the team will travel to compete at Marietta
this weekend.
John Lintz Named Head Coach
Written May 19, 2009 by Ed Syguda
WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein named John Lintz its new head coach for men’s and
women’s cross country, Otterbein athletic director Dick Reynolds released today.
Lintz, a 2005 graduate of Otterbein College, has been serving as a graduate
assistant under head men’s and women’s track and field coach Doug Welsh, who is
retiring in June after 18 seasons at the helm of the Otterbein track and field
program.
“I am glad to have John move over from graduate assistant into the head
coaching position because it allows for continuity in our cross country
program,” Reynolds said.
“The exciting thing,” said Lintz about his new position, “is being able to
lead a program with the rich tradition that Otterbein has. If you go back 30
years, Otterbein has arguable the best cross country tradition in the state of
Ohio and, really, in the region.”
Lintz, who is finishing his master’s degree in education curriculum at
Otterbein, has been responsible for coaching the distance runners, pole vaulters
and javelin throwers; and has helped in recruiting and meet management at
Otterbein since 2006. Over that time, he’s coached one NCAA Division III
champion, eight NCAA qualifiers, and nine Ohio Athletic Conference
championships.
“I want to build a program that’s not only good on the conference level, but
good on the national level on a consistent basis,” Lintz said about his future
plans. “I would like to bring in high-caliber students, high-caliber athletes
and keep the program moving forward and match the success we’ve had in the past.
“I want our student-athletes to come out of here having a great experience in
cross country and a great experience in college, and to be able to take what
they’ve learned here and pass it around in their real lives,” Lintz added.
Coach Lintz and his wife, Susanne, an Otterbein graduate and former track
standout, live in Columbus.
Vickers Named to All-Academic Team
Written April 15, 2009 by Ed Syguda
WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Danielle Vickers was named to the U.S. Track &
Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic team in NCAA
Division III women’s cross country.
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Danielle Vickers |
In addition, both the women’s and men’s cross country teams earned USTFCCCA
All-Academic team honors by maintaining a minimum team grade-point average of
3.10 and competed and compiled a team score at an NCAA regional meet.
Vickers, a junior nursing major from Cincinnati (Sycamore High School),
earned the honor by finishing in the top 25 percent at the NCAA Division III
Great Lakes Regional in addition to maintaining a grade-point average of at
least 3.50. A total of 219 student-athletes were named to the team in 2008.
The junior, a two-time All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) performer in cross
country, finished 35th at the regional meet held Nov. 15, 2008 at Otterbein. She
placed sixth at the OAC Championship.
Vickers is also a member of the Otterbein women’s track and field team.
Otterbein
Takes Seventh at Great Lakes Regional
Written Nov. 15, 2008 by Ed Syguda
WESTERVILLE, OHIO—The Otterbein women’s cross country team placed seventh at
the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional held today at Otterbein College.
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Abby Ludwig |
“I thought we ran well,” said assistant coach Dave Lehman. "It was a good
overall team performance.”
Calvin, placing five runners in the top 12, won its second-consecutive title.
Calvin scored 42 points and was followed by Case Western (84), DePauw (105),
Kenyon (167), Baldwin-Wallace (173), Oberlin (224), and Otterbein (226).
Thirty-four teams competed in the meet.
Senior Abby Ludwig and junior Danielle Vickers earned All-Great Lakes honors
by finishing in the top 35.
Ludwig turned in Otterbein’s top finish, covering the 6,000-meter distance in
23:33.97 to finish in 32nd place.
“Abby ran a good, solid race,” Lehman said. “When she finished, she felt like
she gave it everything she had. It was a good race for her.”
Vickers took the final spot on the all-region team, finishing 35th
(23:45.02).
“It’s been so exciting to see Danielle’s progress the last few weeks—top 10 in
the conference and then all-region here,” Lehman said. “She’s really come a long
way in a short time. She ran a great race."
Junior Nicole Reese just missed all-regional honors, finishing 38th
(23:47.52).
Also scoring for the Cardinals were sophomore Andie Pautsch, 62nd (24:15.54),
and freshman Nicole Elliot, 63rd (24:17.72).
Calvin and Case Western earned an automatic bid to the NCAA championship
final scheduled for Nov. 22 at Hanover College in Hanover, Ind.
Otterbein
Captures Third at OAC Championships
Written Nov. 1, 2008 by Adam Prescott
MARIETTA, OHIO—The Otterbein women's
cross country team took a third-place finish and four runners earned
all-conference honors at the OAC Championships Saturday in Marietta.
Junior Danielle Vickers came in first
among the Otterbein runners with a time of 23:43.63, giving her a 6th-place
finish overall.
"Danielle ran the best race of her
career today," said assistant coach Dave Lehman. "She looked good, finished
strong, and may have even exceeded her expectations coming into the race."
Senior Abby Ludwig crossed the finish
line right behind Vickers in 7th place with a time of 23:43.64.
"Abby looked really good today despite
some struggles on the hills," Lehman explained. "There was a point during where
I thought she may win the entire race, but the course proved to be very
challenging down the stretch."
Vickers and Ludwig earned first team
All-OAC honors by finishing in the top nine.
Junior Nicole Reese and sophomore Andrea
Pautsch finished in 12th and 18th place, respectively, and earned second team
All-OAC honors. Reese turned in a time of 23:58.80 while Pautsch ran the
6,000-meter course in 24:20.36.
The Cardinals appeared to have earned a
second place team finish, but Reese's time was adjusted as she fell from 11th to
12th place. The modification led to Baldwin-Wallace hurdling Otterbein to grab
second.
"It was a great team effort today,"
Lehman said. "We hung right in there with teams that have beaten us most of the
year. This was a great team finish for us. It's just too bad we came up a little
short for second."
Freshman Hannah Farver ran a time of
24:30.99 to place her 23rd in her first OAC Championship race.
The Cards next return home to Westerville
where they will host the NCAA Great Lakes Regional on Saturday, November 15.
Otterbein
Women Grab 8th Place Finish at Oberlin Inter-Regional
Written Oct. 18, 2008 by Adam Prescott
OBERLIN, OHIO--The Otterbein women’s cross country team earned an eighth-
place team finish on Saturday as they participated in the 6K race.
Senior Abby Ludwig led the Cards with a time of 22:47, good
enough for 26th place.
Sophomore Andre Pautsch and junior Danielle
Vickers came in second and third, respectively, for Otterbein with times of 23:09
and 23:16. Pautsch finished 42nd while Vickers earned a 50th-place finish.
Otterbein next competes at the OAC Championships in
Marietta on Nov. 1.
Cards
Place 18th Overall at the All-Ohio
Written Oct. 14, 2008 by Alex Stansell
DELAWARE, OHIO—The Cardinals
placed 18th out of 41 teams at the All-Ohio, hosted last Friday by Ohio
Wesleyan. The overall champion was Cedarville University, with Cincinnati and
Case Western Reserve winning NCAA Division 1 and NCAA Division III,
respectively. 288 runners from 41 different schools competed.
Junior Nicole Reese led the way for the
Cardinals with a time of 20:07, good for 92nd place. Senior Abby Ludwig also
finished 101st (20:18). Andrea Pautsch, Sarah Hutchinson, and Hannah Farver all
finished in the top 140 runners for the Cardinals. The team totaled 572 points.
Otterbein finished with 159 points among NCAA
Division III schools, good for 6th place out of 19 teams. Every runner finished
in the top 50, with Nicole Reese, Abby Ludwig, and Andrea Pautsch finishing in
the top 30. Case Western Reserve’s winning total was 35 points.
The Cardinals next meet is Saturday at Oberlin.
OAC Names Reese Runner of the Week
Written Oct. 6, 2008 by Ed Syguda
WESTERVILLE,
OHIO—Nicole Reese, a junior from Columbus (Centennial High School), was named
Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) “runner of the week” in women’s cross country,
the OAC released today.
Reese finished first at the Earlham Invitational held
Saturday in Richmond, Ind. She covered the 5,000-meter distance in 19:29. This
is the second time this season that Reese has earned runner of the week honors.
Otterbein won the seven-team meet by 41 points, scoring 24.
Ohio Northern finished second with 65 points.
Otterbein is scheduled to compete Friday at the All-Ohio in
Delaware.
Otterbein
Takes Title at Earlham Invitational
Written Oct. 6, 2008 by Adam Prescott
RICHMOND, INDIANA – Otterbein placed ten runners in the top
15 finishers to earn first place at the Earlham Invitational in Richmond.
The Cardinals were led by junior Nicole Reese, who won the
Invitational by finishing with a time of 19:29. Senior Abby Ludwig earned a
third place finish by running the course in 19:46.
Sophomore Andrea Pautsch marked the third Otterbein runner
landing in the top five as she recorded a time of 19:56.
Hannah Farver, Danielle Vickers, Nicole Elliot, and Sarah
Hutchinson finished in seventh through tenth place, respectively. All four
runners finished within 26 seconds of one another.
Laura Canafax (20:33), Lindsay Main (21:00), and Shaylyn
Webster (21:04) rounded out the Otterbein finishers in the top 15.
Overall, 77 runners from seven different teams took part in
the race. Ohio Northern finished in second place, coming in 41 points behind the
Cardinals.
The Cards next compete at the All-Ohio/Ohio Wesleyan
Invitational on Friday. Starting time is set at 2 p.m.
OAC Names Reese Runner of the Week
Written Sept. 22, 2008 by Ed Syguda
WESTERVILLE,
OHIO—Nicole Reese, a junior from Columbus (Centennial High School), was named
Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) “runner of the week” in women’s cross country,
the OAC released today.
Reese turned in Otterbein’s best performance at the Cedarville University
Friendship Cross Country Invitational held Saturday in Cedarville, finishing
fifth over the 5,000-meter course in a time of 19:18.38. The field included 174
runners from 18 teams.
Otterbein finished second with 50 points, just six points behind meet winner
Shawnee State, who tallied 44 points.
A week earlier, Reese took top honors at the Marietta Invitational, helping
lead her team to a first-place finish Sept. 13. The distance runner covered the
5,000-meter course in 20:20.
Otterbein is scheduled to compete in its own invitational this Saturday. The
race, which features over 20 teams from the NCAA Division III Great Lakes
Region, is scheduled to begin at noon.
Cardinals
Open 2008 with Win at Marietta
Written Sept. 13, 2008 by Ed Syguda
MARIETTA, OHIO—Otterbein opened the 2008 season in convincing fashion,
winning the Carl Broughton Invitational by 45 points Saturday in Marietta.
The Cardinals, placing four runners in the top ten, scored 33 points.
Alderson-Broaddus College finished second with 78 points. Other Ohio Athletic
Conference (OAC) teams competing at the invitational were Marietta, finishing
fourth with 82 points, Capital, sixth with 178, Heidelberg, seventh with 207,
and Muskingum, 10th with 268 points.
Otterbein junior Nicole Reese, OAC runner of the year in 2007, won the race,
covering the 5,000 meters in 20:20. Abby Ludwig, a senior, placed fourth
(20:45.45), and was followed by freshman Hannah Farver, sixth (20:59.91), and
junior Danielle Vickers, 10th (21:14.87).
The Cardinals are scheduled to compete next at Cedarville Sept. 20.
Reese
Named OAC Runner of the Year
Written Dec. 10, 2007 by Ed Syguda
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|
Nicole Reese
|
WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Nicole Reese, a
sophomore from Columbus (Centennial High School), was one of two distance
performers selected Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) “runner of the year” in
women’s cross country, the OAC released today.
“To be named OAC runner of the year
is a great honor and one that does not happen by accident,” said Otterbein
head coach Ryan Borland. “Niki put a lot of work in over the off-season and
competed at a high level all season.
“Her focus was unwavering and she
was very determined to achieve her goals this past season,” Borland continued.
“We are very proud of her and look forward to even bigger things from her in
the future.”
Reese capped off a stellar regular
season with a second-place finish—just four seconds behind meet winner Lindsay
Brickner, a senior from Baldwin-Wallace—at
the OAC Women’s Cross Country Championship held Oct. 27. Brickner was
also co-recipient of the OAC “runner of the year” award.
The distance runner followed the
conference meet with an 11th-place showing at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes
Regional held Nov. 10 in Grand Rapids, Mich., which qualified her for the
national meet. Reese placed 195th in the field of 280 runners at the NCAA
Division III Championship held Nov. 17 in Northfield, Minn.
Over
the course of five meets during the regular season, Reese tallied two wins, at
Marietta and Earlham, and placed second at Wilmington. She finished fifth in the
All-Ohio and seventh at the Otterbein Invitational.
Cards
Place 10th at Great Lakes Regional
Written Nov. 13, 2007 by Ed Syguda
WESTERVILLE, OHIO—The Otterbein women’s cross country team, led by two
all-region performers, finished 10th at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes
Regional held Saturday at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Nicole Reese, a sophomore from
Columbus (Centennial High School), and Abby Ludwig, a junior from Strongsville,
earned all-regional honors by finishing in the top 35.
Reese took 11th place to qualify for
the NCAA Division III Women’s Cross Country Championships, which are scheduled
for Saturday at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn. Reese covered the
6,000-meter course in 22:07.90. Ludwig finished 30th in 22:59.50.
“Niki ran a very good race and put
herself in position right from the start,” said Otterbein head coach Ryan
Borland. “I am so excited for her because I know how hard she worked this past
summer and that nationals was a big goal for her.”
Rounding out the scoring for
Otterbein were Danielle Vickers, a sophomore from Cincinnati (Sycamore), 58th
(23:39.60); Ashley Suffel, a senior from Defiance, 76th (23:58.50); and
Elizabeth Sabbath, a junior from Westerville (St. Francis DeSales), 93rd
(24:22.05).
“Abby
and Danielle ran great races and I am very proud of their efforts,” Borland
said.
Otterbein scored 268
points to finish ahead of 21 teams in the field of 31. Host Calvin won the meet,
scoring 46 points.
“We
were shooting for a top-10 finish and we actually were very close to finishing
as high as sixth,” Borland said.
Cards
Place Second at OAC Championships
Written Oct. 30, 2007 by Ed Syguda
WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein, placing two runners in the top 10, finished
second at the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Women’s Cross Country
Championships held Saturday at the Highland Park Golf Course in Highland Hills,
Ohio.
The Cardinals scored 85 points, finishing behind meet winner Baldwin-Wallace
(27), who placed all five of its runners in the top 10.
“I am very pleased with our
performance,” said Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland. “B-W is a very good
team and we are excited to finish where we did.”
Nicole Reese, a sophomore from
Columbus (Centennial High School), placed second to earn first team All-OAC
honors, covering the 6,000-meter course in 23:22.83.
“It was a heart-breaking
performance,” Borland said about Reese’s race. “She was winning coming
into the last 20 meters and got passed at the end.”
Abby Ludwig, a junior from
Strongsville, also took home first team All-OAC honors by placing ninth
(24:17.46) in the field of 102 runners. Danielle Vickers, a sophomore from
Cincinnati (Sycamore), earned second team All-OAC honors with an 18th-place
finish (24:49.74).
“Abby
showed a lot of toughness in earning her first all-conference award,” Borland
said. “I am excited that Danielle was able to make All-OAC in only her first
season ever of cross country.”
First team all-conference honors were
awarded to the first nine finishers while the second nine were named to the
second team.
Rounding out the scoring for
Otterbein were Ashley Suffel, a senior from Defiance, and Ashton Shanower, a
senior from Alliance (Marlington). Suffel placed 27th (25:20.82) and Shanower
finished 29th (25:25.47).
The
complete order of team finish: Baldwin-Wallace (27), Otterbein (85), Mount Union
(95), Ohio Northern (101), John Carroll (107), Marietta (140), Wilmington (197),
Capital (218), Heidelberg (224) and Muskingum (273).
Cards
Prep for OAC Championships
Written Oct. 25, 2007 by Ed Syguda
WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein, compiling a 67-8 record this season, turns its
attention to the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Championships scheduled for
Saturday at the Highland Park Golf Course in Highland Hills, Ohio. John Carroll
is serving as the host.
The women’s race is scheduled for an 11 a.m. start.
Otterbein, finishing first three times and third once over five meets in
2007, heads into the OAC Championships off a first-place finish at the 22-team
Wilmington Fall Classic held Oct. 12. The Cardinals did not compete last
weekend.
“I
am very happy with the improvement shown from our women's team,” said
Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland. “Their attitude has been terrific all year
long and their enthusiasm has been contagious.”
Otterbein,
led by sophomore Nicole Reese, from Columbus (Centennial High School), will seek
a move up and improve upon last season’s fourth-place finish.
Reese
earned OAC Runner of the Week honors three times this season, finishing in the
top seven in all five of her races. She took individual honors at Marietta and
Earlham, and placed second at Wilmington.
Other
Cardinal runners who could record high finishes include Abby Ludwig, a junior
from Strongsville, and Ashton Shanower, a senior from Alliance (Marlington).
Ludwig
has recorded three top-10 finishes this season while Shanower has one.
The
Cardinals have never won a conference championship in women’s cross country,
but have finished in the top four in each of the last eight seasons. Otterbein
has finished second four times (2004, 1990, 1989 and 1987) since the first OAC
Championship in 1985.
OAC Runner of the Week Leads
Cards to Win at Wilmington
Written Oct. 17, 2007 by Ed Syguda
WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Nicole Reese, a sophomore
from Columbus (Centennial High
School), was named Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) “runner of the week” in
women’s cross country, the OAC released Monday.
This marks the third time that she has earned
the honor this season.
Reese helped lead her team to a first-place
finish at the 22-team Wilmington Fall Classic held last Friday. The distance
runner finished second with a personal-best time of 18:48.47 over the
5,000-meter course.
Otterbein placed all five runners in the top
20, scoring 58 points to easily distance itself from Franklin College, who
finished second with 134 points.
Abby Ludwig, a junior from Strongsville, placed
seventh (19:27.38) and was followed by Ashton Shanower, a senior from Alliance (Marlington),
13th (19:48.54); Ashley Suffel, a senior from Defiance, 16th (20:00.28); and
Danielle Vickers, a sophomore from Cincinnati (Sycamore), 20th (20:13.18).
The
Cardinals are off this weekend. Next up are the OAC Championships scheduled for
Oct. 27 at John Carroll.
OAC
Names Reese Runner of the Week
Written Oct. 9, 2007 by Ed Syguda
WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Nicole Reese, a sophomore
from Columbus (Centennial High
School), was named Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) “runner of the week” in
women’s cross country, the OAC released Monday. This marked the second time
this season that she has earned the honor.
Reese finished fifth at the All-Ohio in the
NCAA Division III race held last Friday in Delaware. The distance runner turned
in the best time among OAC runners, covering the 5,000-meter course in 20.01.2.
A week earlier, Reese took top honors at the Earlham Invitational held in
Richmond, Ind. Sept. 29.
Otterbein, with 160 points, finished seventh in
the 22-team All-Ohio, which was won by Case Western Reserve (23).
Baldwin-Wallace (116) placed second and was followed by Ohio Wesleyan (124),
Oberlin (141), Kenyon (142) and Denison (145).
Otterbein
is scheduled to compete at Wilmington this Friday.
Reese
Earns OAC Runner of the Week Honors
Written Oct. 1, 2007 by Ed Syguda
WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Nicole Reese, a sophomore
from Columbus (Centennial High
School), was named Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) “runner of the week” in
women’s cross country, the OAC released today.
Reese took top honors at the Earlham
Invitational, helping lead her team to a first-place finish Saturday in
Richmond, Ind. The distance runner covered the 5,000-meter course in 19:14. This
marked her second win of the season, having finished first at Marietta Sept. 15.
The Cardinals scored 52 points, beating
runner-up Taylor University by 17 points in the 12-team field.
The Cardinals placed four runners among the top 20: Abby Ludwig, a junior from
Strongsville, placed fifth (19:53); Ashton Shanower, a senior from Alliance (Marlington),
finished 11th (20:24); and Ashley Suffel, a senior from Defiance, took 19th
(20:46).
Otterbein
is scheduled to compete in the All-Ohio, hosted by Ohio Wesleyan, Friday in
Delaware.
Lady Cards Run Third at Otterbein Invitational
Written Sept. 22, 2007 by Don Middleton
WESTERVILLE, OHIO―The Otterbein women’s cross country team finished third at the
Otterbein Invitational Saturday. Sophomore Nikki Reese of Columbus (Centennial)
turned in the top mark for the Cardinals, finishing seventh with a time of
23:04.
The women’s team totaled 101 points with three runners
crossing the finish line in the top 20. Junior Abby Ludwig (Strongsville) ran
the race in 23:23 to take 11th place. Senior Ashton Shanower of Alliance (Marlington)
finished 18th with a time of 23:42.
The Lady Cardinals will run next at the Earlham
Invitational in Richmond, Ind. Sept. 29.
Cards Host Otterbein Invitational
Written Sept. 21, 2007 by Aurelio Ruiz
Otterbein men’s and women’s cross country teams are set to take the
course Saturday in the annual Otterbein College Invitational.
The competition will be very stiff, according to Otterbein head coach Ryan
Borland, but his teams are excited for the opportunity to race against some very
talented teams. Some of the
competition includes six Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) teams, including 2006
national qualifiers Mount Union, Heidelberg, and Ohio Northern.
“The OAC will be very tough this year, especially on the men's side,”
Borland said.
The field of competition includes 18 teams from three different states with
about 300 runners.
The season is still young, but Borland believes this year’s Cardinals have
improved because of there “strong work ethic” and a “great attitude”.
Borland does not feel the Cardinals have a distinct advantage because of
running at home.
“As far as an edge on our course, I don't think we have a definite
advantage, but we do know the course very well,” Borland said.
“The best part about being home is that we can sleep in a little bit
and everything is familiar as far as the course goes.
“This meet, although it is an early meet, is a very important meet for us,” Borland continued. “We feel that we have a great course and we like to
have a good showing here on our course.”
The women’s race is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. with the men’s race to
follow at noon.
Keessee
Named OAC Runner of the Year
Written Dec. 13, 2006 by Ed Syguda
WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Melinda Keesee, a senior
from Dublin (Scioto High School), was named the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC)
women’s cross country runner of the year, the OAC released today.
“Melinda
had a very strong finish to her season,” said head coach Ryan Borland. “She
is a good kid, who has worked very hard and is deserving of the award.
“Melinda is an athletic training major and had to do most of her
workouts on her own this year, which is testament to her drive and
discipline,” Borland added. “We are very proud of her improvement over her
four years and look forward to this upcoming track season.”
Keesee
won the individual title at the OAC Championship with a time of 22:59.2 and
qualified for the NCAA Division III Championship by placing ninth (22:47.1) at
the Great Lakes Regional. She placed 86th (24:43) over a rain-soaked course at
the national meet.
Keessee
Qualifies for NCAA Championships
Written Nov. 13, 2006 by Ed Syguda
HANOVER, INDIANA—Melinda Keesee, who helped
lead her team to a 13th-place finish at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes
Regional, qualified for the NCAA Championships.
Keesee, a senior from Dublin (Scioto High
School), finished ninth, covering the 6,000-meter course in 22:47.1 in the
regional meet held last Saturday at Hanover College in Hanover, Ind.
“Melinda
ran a very gutty race and qualified for her first individual appearance in the
NCAA meet,” said seventh-year head coach Ryan Borland. “She has committed
herself to this goal and it is great to see her realize her dream of getting to
the national meet.”
Otterbein scored 389 points to finish 13th.
Case Western Reserve won the meet with 53 points and was followed by Calvin
(57), DePauw (121) and Ohio Northern (154). The top four teams qualified for the
NCAA Championships scheduled to take place this Saturday in West Chester.
Wilmington College is serving as host school.
Scoring for Otterbein, in addition to Keesee,
were: Abby Ludwig, a sophomore from Strongsville, 76th (24:48.0); Elizabeth
Sabbath, a sophomore from Westerville (St. Francis DeSales), 94th (25:13.8);
Ashton Shanower, a junior from Alliance (Marlington), 100th (25:19.8); and Niki
Reese, a freshman from Columbus (Centennial), 111th (25:30.4).
Laura
Canafax, a sophomore from Russia, finishing 114th (25:34.6), and Bethany Trapp,
a senior from Olmsted
Falls (North Olmsted),
placing 192nd (28:14.6), rounded out the Otterbein team of seven.
Keessee
Leads Cards to 4th at OAC's
Written Oct. 30, 2006 by Alison Rose
TIFFIN, OHIO—The Otterbein women’s cross country team placed fourth out
of 10 teams at the OAC Championship hosted last Saturday by Heidelberg.
The Cardinals accumulated 113 points, while Ohio Northern went on to win
with a score of 39.
Melinda Keesee, a senior from Dublin (Scioto High School), led the Cardinals
with her first-ever OAC Cross Country Championship title and also earned All-OAC
honors by finishing in the top 10. Covering
the 6,000-meter course in a time of 22:59.2, she is only the fourth woman in the
history of the Otterbein women’s cross country program to win an individual
OAC title.
Abby Ludwig, a sophomore from Strongsville, finished in 18th place with a
time of 24:54.8.
“Melinda
beat some very good runners to win and won in impressive fashion,” said
seventh-year head coach Ryan Borland. “I thought that Abby worked her way up
well and competed very well. As a team, we didn't quite finish where we wanted,
but we did enough to keep our streak of top-four finishes alive for the past six
years.”
Rounding out the top five Otterbein finishers were junior Ashton Shanower,
from Alliance (Marlington), finishing 28th in 25:34.1; Laura Canafax, a
sophomore from Russia, 31st in 25:43.2; and Elizabeth Sabbath, a sophomore from
Westerville (St. Francis DeSales), 36th in 25:54.4.
“Considering the conditions, everyone left everything they had out on the
course,” said Keesee about the team’s performance. “Unfortunately we came
up short and, hopefully, we will pull together as a team for regionals.”
The
Cardinals are scheduled to compete next at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes
Regional scheduled for Nov. 11 in Hanover, Ind. The women’s race is scheduled
to start at noon.
Heidelberg
to Host OAC Championships
Written Oct. 24, 2006 by
OAC Information Director Lindsay Rickel
AUSTINTOWN, OHIO-- The 2006 Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships will be hosted by Heidelberg College this year at the Clinton Heights Golf Course in Tiffin, Ohio. Heidelberg’s course is located on Township Road 122, just east of State Route 101, on the northeast side of Tiffin. The 8K men's championship race will begin at 11:00 a.m., while the women's 6K race will start at noon.
The Mount Union men and the Ohio Northern women won the 2005 OAC cross country team championships, respectively.
The Raider men out-ran two-time defending champion Otterbein by 13 points. This was Mount Union’s 23rd overall team title and it’s first since 2002. The Raiders had three runners finish in the top 10, including returning seniors Jeremy Velliquette (Fremont/St. Joseph Central Catholic) who finished fifth overall (25:25.8) and Jason Sigmund (Streetsboro/Walsh Jesuit) who finished ninth (25:45.7) overall.
Ohio Northern captured its second overall title, edging runner-up John Carroll by a point, 63-64. Three Polar Bears finished in the top 10 , senior Darci Walthew (East Bethany, NY/Notre Dame Batavia) was the runner-up with a time of 22:28.9, senior Elizabeth DiNino (Beavercreek/Carroll) was eighth (22:59.3) and senior Jackie Kessler (Republic /Seneca East) was ninth (23:00.8).
The following lists include both the men’s and women’s team scores from the 2005 OAC Cross Country Championships and the top-10 individual runners for both the men’s and women’s races. The top-10 runners were honored with All-OAC accolades.
Hanover College will host the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regionals Saturday, November 11, while the NCAA Championship will be held on Saturday November 18, at Wilmington College.
|
2005
OAC Men's Team Results
|
2005
OAC Men's Individual Results
|
|
1
|
Mount
Union
|
50
|
1
|
Mike
Sawicki, Otterbein (Sr.)
|
24:26.5
|
|
2
|
Otterbein
|
63
|
2
|
Mike
Cauley, Otterbein (Sr.)
|
25:01.5
|
|
3
|
Ohio
Northern
|
69
|
3
|
Cyril
Pinchak, John Carroll (Sr.)
|
25:08.7
|
|
4
|
John
Carroll
|
107
|
4
|
Josh
Biggs, Baldwin-Wallace (So.)
|
25:09.7
|
|
5
|
Heidelberg
|
110
|
5
|
Jeremy
Velliquette, Mount Union (Jr.)
|
25:25.8
|
|
6
|
Baldwin-Wallace
|
147
|
6
|
Brad
Schroeder, Ohio Northern (Sr.)
|
25:28.3
|
|
7
|
Wilmington
|
186
|
7
|
Chris
Paulett, Mount Union (Sr.)
|
25:39.9
|
|
8
|
Marietta
|
247
|
8
|
Jeremy
Wysocki, Heidelberg (Jr.)
|
25:45.3
|
|
9
|
Capital
|
279
|
9
|
Jason
Sigmund, Mount Union (Jr.)
|
25:45.7
|
|
|
Muskingum
|
279
|
10
|
Paul
Lewis, Ohio Northern (Fr.)
|
25:47.1
|
|
2005
OAC Women's Team Results
|
2005
OAC Women's Individual Results
|
|
1
|
Ohio
Northern
|
63
|
1
|
Ellie
Fernandez, John Carroll (Sr.)
|
21:47.9
|
|
2
|
John
Carroll
|
64
|
2
|
Darci
Walthew, Ohio Northern (Jr.)
|
22:28.9
|
|
3
|
Mount
Union
|
76
|
3
|
Megan
Via, Baldwin-Wallace (Jr.)
|
22:39.5
|
|
4
|
Otterbein
|
80
|
4
|
Jenna
Yeakel, Otterbein (Fr.)
|
22:43.1
|
|
5
|
Baldwin-Wallace
|
99
|
5
|
Shelly
Gaines, Capital (Fr.)
|
22:46.2
|
|
6
|
Capital
|
177
|
6
|
Ashley
Scullion, Baldwin-Wallace (Fr.)
|
22:46.8
|
|
7
|
Wilmington
|
184
|
7
|
Jamie
Musick, Mount Union (Sr.)
|
22:49.8
|
|
8
|
Muskingum
|
200
|
8
|
Elizabeth
DiNino, Ohio Northern (Jr)
|
22:59.3
|
|
9
|
Marietta
|
257
|
9
|
Jackie
Kessler, Ohio Northern (Jr.)
|
23:00.8
|
|
10
|
Heidelberg
|
261
|
10
|
Melinda
Keesee, Otterbein (Jr.)
|
23:05.3
|
Cards
Place 21st at All-Ohio
Written Oct. 11, 2006 by Alison Rose
DELAWARE, OHIO--The Otterbein’s women’s cross country team competed in the
All-Ohio held last Friday in Delaware. The
Cardinals finished 21st out of 38 teams with a score of 539 while Ohio
University won the meet with 63 points.
Senior Melinda Keesee, from Dublin (Scioto High School), led the Cardinals over
the 5,000-meter course in a time of 19:21.3, finishing 25th out of 264 runners.
Keesee’s 19:21.3 was about a minute better than her previous best time
of 20:34.8 in this race.
Following Keesee for the Cardinals were freshman Niki Reese, from Columbus
(Centennial), and sophomore Abby Ludwig, from Strongsville, finishing 109th
(20:37.7) and 116th (20:44.5), respectively.
Junior Ashton Shanower, from Alliance (Marlington), followed closely
behind in 139th to finish in a time of 21:08.7. Rounding out the top five was sophomore Laura Canafax, from
Russia, placing 150th in a time of 21:30.0.
Otterbein finished eighth out of the 17 NCAA Division III teams that competed in
the All-Ohio. The Cardinals scored
190 points. Case Western Reserve
University went on to win with a low score of 39 points.
The
Cardinals will compete next at the Wooster Relays Saturday in Wooster.
The women’s race is scheduled to start at 4:45 p.m.
Cards
Place Seventh at Home Invite
Written Sept. 24, 2006 by Adam Walters
WESTERVILLE, OHIO--The Otterbein women’s cross country team placed fourth out of 10 teams
at the Otterbein Invitational held Saturday in Westerville. The women
accumulated 100 points, while Oberlin won the meet with a low score of 30.
Melinda Keesee, a senior from Dublin (Scioto High School), led the Lady
Cardinals by covering the rain soaked 6,000-meter course in a time of 23:50.6 to
finish seventh.
Junior Ashton Shanower, from Alliance (Marlington), placed 17th in a time of
24:28.3. Abby Ludwig, a sophomore from Strongsville, and Niki Reese, a freshman
from Columbus (Centennial), placed 26th (25:05.4)
and 27th (25:09.6), respectively. Laura Canafax, a sophomore from Russia, placed
38th in a time of 26:05.5 to finish off the scoring for Lady Cardinals.
“I was a little disappointed in the women’s performance,” said head
coach Ryan Borland. “I thought we could have competed a little better, even
under the tough course conditions.”
The
Lady Cardinals will be back in action Oct. 6 at the All-Ohio Championships
hosted by Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware. The women’s varsity race will
start at 2:45 p.m.
Cards Face Tough Field at Calvin
Written Sept. 20, 2006 by Adam Walters
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.--The
Otterbein women’s cross country team opened up its season at the Calvin
Invitational, hosted by Calvin College last Saturday in Grand Rapids, Mich.
The
women’s team placed seventh out of ten teams in a highly competitive field
totaling 164 points. 14th-ranked Calvin College won the meet with 32 points,
while the 12th-ranked University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh took second with 88
points.
Senior
Melinda Keesee, from Dublin (Scioto High School), led the lady cardinals with a
16th place finish by covering the 5,000-meter course in 19:14.6. Junior Ashton
Shanower, from Alliance (Marlington), and Abby Ludwig, a sophomore from
Strongsville placed 34th and 39th respectively with times of 19:52.9 and
19:58.1.
Closing
out the scoring for the lady cardinals were Elizabeth Sabbath, a sophomore from
Westerville (St. Francis DeSales) and freshman Niki Reese, from Columbus
(Centennial). Sabbath finished 43rd in 20:02.7, while Reese ran 20:14.0, good
enough for 50th place overall.
The
Cardinals will be back on the course this Saturday as they host the Otterbein
Invitational in Westerville. The women’s race will begin at noon.
Otterbein College’s cross-country course is located on Africa
Road, just west of the Clements Recreation Center. The course can also be
accessed off Cleveland Avenue, just north of Main Street and adjacent to the
Westerville Community Center.
Yeakel
Earns All-Region Honors
Written by Adam Walters 11/12/05
The women’s cross country team placed ninth out of 31 teams at the NCAA
Division III Great Lakes Regional held last Saturday at Voice of America Park in
West Chester.
Denison won the meet with 97 points and was followed by Calvin (105 points) and
DePauw (139 points). All three schools qualified for the NCAA championships
scheduled for this Saturday at the Dornoch Golf Club and Methodist Theological
School in Delaware.
Freshman Jenna Yeakel (Canton/Glen Oak) earned all-region honors with a finish
of 26th, covering the 6,000 meters
in 22:21.3. The top 35 in the field of 222 runners earned all-region honors.
Junior Melinda Keesee (Dublin/Scioto) just missed all-region honors by one
place, finishing 36th in 22:35.9. Rounding out the scoring for Otterbein were
senior Meghan Randolph (Pickerington), placing 39th (22:40.7), and freshmen Abby
Ludwig (Strongsville) and Laura Canafax (Russia), who finished 65th (23:16.7)
and 121st (24:16.1), respectively.
Otterbein
will only lose Randolph to graduation, so next season should be very promising
as a much more experienced squad will return seeking to improve on their
finishes from this season.
Cards
Seek to Surprise in Regional Meet
Written by Adam Walters 11/08/05
The women’s cross country team is looking to finish the season strong
and put it all together at this week’s NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional
scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at Voice of America Park in Wilmington.
Wilmington College is serving as host.
The Lady Cardinals head into the meet hoping to steal a berth in the NCAA
Championships in a very competitive field. Otterbein will be fighting 26 teams
for one of three spots to the national meet. The main competition will come from
defending regional champion Denison and 2005 OAC champion Ohio Northern. Other
teams in the hunt will be DePauw (IN), Anderson (IN), John Carroll and Oberlin.
“We have an outside shot at getting top three, but the region is very deep
this year,” said sixth-year head coach Ryan Borland. “A top-six finish would
end the season well.”
Otterbein has qualified for the NCAA Championships just once, that coming in
2003.
“I feel like this year’s team could be better than that 2003 team,”
Borland said. “But we have yet to put it together as a whole group in the same
race. If we come together a team, we can surprise a lot of people.”
2005 All-OAC performers Jenna Yeakel, a freshman, and Melinda Keesee, a
junior; and two-time all-region runner Meghan Randolph, a senior, should lead
the team. The rest of the line-up will include sophomores Alison Rose and Ashton
Shanower, and freshmen Abbey Ludwig and Laura Canafax.
“Even
if we don’t make it out as a team, there is a good chance that we will have
some women make it to nationals individually,” Borland said.
Cards
Place 4th in Tight OAC Finish
Written by Adam Walters 10/31/05
Otterbein placed fourth at the OAC Championships held last Saturday in
Westerville. Ohio Northern won the meet with a low score of 63, edging John
Carroll (64), Mount Union (76) and Otterbein (80) in a very tight team finish.
Freshman Jenna Yeakel (Canton/Glen Oak) led the way for the Lady Cardinals
with an impressive fourth-place showing in a time of 22:43.1. Junior Melinda
Keesee (Dublin/Scioto) also ran a strong race, covering the 6,000-meter course
in a time of 23:05.3 to place tenth and capture the last spot for All-OAC
honors.
Finishing right behind Keesee was senior Meghan Randolph (Pickerington), who
finished 11th in a time of 23:09.4. Freshman Abbey Ludwig placed 25th (24:16.5)
and sophomore Alison Rose (Pittsfield,
PA/Youngsville) finished 30th (24:22.7) to round out the scoring.
Freshman Laura Canafax (Russia) and sophomore Ashton Shanower (Alliance/Marlington)
followed Rose closely into the finish chute placing 31st (24:29.5) and 32nd
(24:30.4), respectively.
“We ran our best team race of the year,” said sixth-year head coach Ryan
Borland, “it was just a tough conference. We still have some people getting
healthy and we should have a good team at the regional meet in two weeks.”
The Cardinals will have this week off from racing before returning to the
starting line for the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional Nov. 12 at
Wilmington College. The women’s
race is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.
Cards
Prep for OAC Championships
Written by Adam Walters 10/24/05
After taking a week off from racing last weekend, the Lady Cardinals are
preparing to host the 2005 OAC championships in Westerville this Saturday.
The women look to improve on their runner-up finish in 2004 where they lost to
champion Mount Union by a score of 43 to 50. The women’s team is seeking the
school’s first-ever conference cross country title.
Otterbein will be looking to freshman Jenna Yeakel (Canton/Glen Oak), who has
led the team in every race this year, and senior Meghan Randolph (Pickerington),
who has been an All-OAC runner the past two seasons, to lead the pack.
Following Yeakel and Randolph closely will be senior Cathy Thompson
(Hilliard/Davidson); juniors Melinda Keesee (Dublin/Scioto) and Bethany Trapp
(North Olmstead); sophomores Alison Rose (Pittsfield,
PA/Youngsville) and Ashton Shanower (Alliance/Marlinton); and freshmen
Abby Ludwig (Strongsville) and Laura Canafax (Russia).
There are many teams in the mix for the title this season besides Otterbein;
mainly Ohio Northern, who won the D-III All-Ohio and Mount Union, who is the
two-time defending champion.
The
gun will go off for the women’s race at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
Cards
Place Second at Wilmington Fall Classic
Written by Adam Walters 10/15/05
The Otterbein women’s cross country team captured second place out of 15 teams
at the 13th-annual Wilmington Fall Classic hosted by Wilmington College. The
Lady Cardinals scored 90 points to finish runner-up to Anderson University, who
won the meet with a score of 50.
Freshman Jenna Yeakel (Canton/Glen Oak) and senior Meghan Randolph
(Pickerington) led the women’s team running times of 19:50.34 and 19:51.2 to
finish eighth and ninth, respectively.
Melinda Keesee, a junior from Dublin (Scioto), captured 19th with a time of
20:45.4. Freshmen Laura Canafax (Russia) and Abby Ludwig (Strongsville), and
sophomore Alison Rose (Pittsfield,
PA/Youngsville) finished 26th (21:03.59), 28th
(21:10.75), and 29th (21:12.75) to round out the scoring. Leah
Peelman, a senior from Hanover College, won the race with a time of 18:28.73.
Commenting on how the team is looking heading into the conference meet,
Randolph responded, “Pretty well, we’re starting to come together as a pack,
but we still have a lot of work to do. We’re really excited about the
conference meet. We’re kind of underdogs and we relish that role, so we’re
hoping to fly under the radar and surprise some people in two weeks.”
Head coach Ryan Borland added, “The girls ran decent today and Meghan had a
good race. We’ll be ready in two weeks to do our best and compete for the
conference championship.”
The
Lady Cardinals will not race this week, but will be back in action when they
host the Ohio Athletic Conference Championships Oct. 29, with the women’s race
scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.
Cards
Place 19th at All-Ohio
Written by Adam Walters 10/10/05
The Otterbein women’s cross country
team scored 525 points to place 19th out of 41 teams at the All-Ohio
Championships held in Delaware last Friday. Akron won the meet with a score of
71 points.
The women also placed eighth out of
the 20 Division III schools competing in the race, finishing with a score of 185
points. Denison won the Division III title with a score of 69 points.
Freshman Jenna Yeakel, from Canton
(Glen Oaks High School), led the Lady Cardinals with a time of 19.39.2, good for
49th place (12th in Division III). Senior Meghan Randolph, from Pickerington,
earned a 75th place showing in 20:01.9.
Rounding out the scoring for the
Cardinals were junior Melinda Keesee, from Dublin (Scioto High School),
finishing 122nd (20:51.2), sophomore Alison Rose from Pittsfield, PA
(Youngsville High School), placing 138th (21:06.6), and freshman Laura Canafax
from Russia, crossing the line 141st (21:12.7).
The
Cardinals compete again at the Wilmington Invitational, 4:30 p.m., Friday. It
will be the last tune-up meet before they host the Ohio Athletic Conference
Championships Oct. 29.
Cards
Field Experienced Squad in 2005
Written by Ashton Shanower 09/14/05
The Lady Cardinals bring back an experienced team along with a field of
newcomers. Six letterwinners and a large group of underclassmen make up the 2005
team.
Returning letterwinners include senior
Meghan Randolph (Pickerington/Pickerington), senior Cathy Thompson (Hillard/Davidson),
junior Melinda Keesee (Dublin/Scioto), junior Bethany Trapp (North Olmsted/ North
Olmsted), sophomore Ashton Shanower (Alliance/Marlington) and sophomore Alison
Rose (Pittsfield PA/Youngsville).
The captains for the team include
Randolph, Thompson and Keesee. These leaders hope to take the team to a place the
Otterbein women’s team has never been before. The women hope to bring home the
Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) championship title for the first time in school
history.
“I think the women’s team is ready
to take the next step this season,” said head coach Ryan Borland. “I think
the team is looking forward and is ready to make their move.”
This season the Cardinals will host both
the Otterbein Invitational on Sept. 24 along with the OAC Championship on Oct.
29.
The
season kicks off Saturday at the Cedarville Invitational.
Four
Earn All-Region Honors at Great Lakes
Written by Ed Syguda 11/13/04
Otterbein,
placing four runners among the top 32, finished fifth at the NCAA
Division III Great Lakes Regional held today at Alma College in Alma, Mich.
Four
Otterbein runners earned all-regional honors by finishing in the top 35 in this
field of 194 runners.
The
four include Meghan Randolph, a junior from Pickerington, 20th (22:34.9); Amy
Davin, a senior from North Ridgeville, 21st (22:36.8); Melinda Keesee, a
sophomore from Dublin, 29th (22:45.0); and Jennifer Lynch, a senior from
Englewood, 32nd (22:46.1).
Rounding
out the scoring for Otterbein was Kim Allen, a senior from Westerville, who
finished 54th (23:18.3).
Only
the top two teams in this 26-team field qualified for the NCAA Championships.
The Cardinals, under fifth-year head coach Ryan Borland, scored 156 points.
Meet
winner Denison (84) and runner-up DePauw (99) qualified for the NCAA
Championships scheduled for Nov. 20 at Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
Cards
Prep for Great Lakes Regional
Written by Justin Milam 11/10/04
Otterbein heads into this weekend’s NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional
on a roll.
Two weeks ago, the Cardinals stepped up their effort to earn a runner-up
finish at the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) championships, falling seven points
short of victory. The next step is
Saturday’s race, where, last season, Otterbein placed third to become the
first women’s team in school history to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
“Our last meet went very well and we want to carry that enthusiasm and
effort into this meet,” said Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland.
“Obviously, making it last year was very special and we would love to
have another opportunity to compete at the NCAA meet again.”
The Cardinals will be right in the hunt for one of the two NCAA-qualifying
spots. Teams fighting for those two
spots include tenth-ranked DePauw University (IN), fifteenth-ranked Denison
University, and OAC champion Mount Union.
Running for Otterbein will be seniors Kim Allen, Amy Davin, Jamie Levy,
Jennifer Lynch and Susanne Lynch, as well as junior Meghan Randolph and
sophomore Melinda Keesee.
“Last year’s regional meet was great,” Jamie Levy said.
“We came together as a team and ran the sort of race that we were
capable of running, and it paid off. I
know that we definitely have the talent and the drive to do the same thing this
year, and I really think that we are ready to repeat last year’s success at
this year’s meet.”
The meet will be held at Alma College in central Michigan.
The women’s race is scheduled to begin at noon.
“With
the women’s team running five seniors, it would be great to add another week
to their last season,” Borland said.
Cards
Place 2nd at OAC Championships
Written by Ed Syguda 10/30/04
The
Otterbein women’s cross country team finished second among ten teams at the Ohio
Athletic Conference (OAC) Cross Country Championships held today and hosted
by Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea.
The
Cardinals, under fifth-year head coach Ryan Borland, placed four runners in the
top ten, and trailed meet winner Mount Union by just seven points.
Otterbein
runners earning All-OAC honors by finishing in the top ten were: Kim Allen, a
senior from Westerville, sixth (23:50.86); Amy Davin, a senior from North
Ridgeville, eighth (23:54.32); Meghan Randolph, a junior from Pickerington,
ninth (23:58.07); and Jennifer Lynch, a senior from Englewood, tenth (23:59.52).
Melinda
Keesee, a sophomore from Dublin, placed 17th (24:27.61) to round out the scoring
for Otterbein.
The
complete order of team finish in this 6,000-meter race: Mount Union (43),
Otterbein (50), Baldwin-Wallace (81), Ohio Northern (106), John Carroll (125),
Capital (169), Muskingum (181), Wilmington (214), Heidelberg (231), and Marietta
(284).
Cards
Seek First OAC Title
Written by Justin Milam 10/28/04
Otterbein will look for its first
Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) cross country title when they head to
Baldwin-Wallace for the OAC Championships Saturday in Berea.
The Cardinals have finished third in
each of the last two seasons, but did qualify for the 2003 NCAA Championships
after beating OAC runner-up John Carroll at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional.
“This is my favorite time of the
year,” said Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland.
“Our women want to pick up where they left off a few weeks ago.
We have some momentum and confidence, and we are looking to improve on
our third-place finish from last year.”
After a disappointing finish at the
All-Ohio Championships, Otterbein rebounded to win the Wilmington Fall Classic
two weeks ago.
Since then, the Cardinals have been prepping to, hopefully, win that
elusive conference championship.
Otterbein returns two all-conference
performers, junior Meghan Randolph and senior Kim Allen.
Allen was the individual champion at the 2002 OAC Championships, which
were held at Otterbein.
Seniors Jennifer and Susanne Lynch,
Amy Davin, and Jamie Levy, along with sophomore Melinda Keesee, hope to be among
the top finishers in the race.
“It
will be a very tough battle, but we are excited and looking forward to the
challenge, Borland said.”
Cards
Prep for All-Ohio
Written by Justin Milam 10/05/04
The women’s cross country team
will look for their highest finish ever Friday afternoon when they compete at
the All-Ohio Championships at the Dornoch Golf Club in Delaware. The meet will
feature all of Ohio’s cross country teams, including NCAA Division I, II, III,
and NAIA.
A season ago, the Cardinals finished
fourth among all competing NCAA Division III schools, and 16th overall among all
39 schools. Miami
University won the meet, scoring 58 points.
At last week’s Lakefront
Invitational, Otterbein finished fourth out of 34 teams from around the nation.
Ferris State, Missouri Southern State, and OAC-rival John Carroll
finished ahead of the Cardinals.
Otterbein seniors Jennifer Lynch and
Kim Allen teamed up to finish 24th (19:18) and 26th (19:20), respectively, among
the 381 student-athletes.
Lynch has been the top runner at every meet so far this season.
Junior Meghan Randolph finished 39th
(19:39), sophomore Melinda Keesee, 44th (19:47), and
senior Jamie Levy, 64th (20:08).
“I am really excited about our
tight pack and how it is starting to move toward the front of the race,” said
Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland.
“We certainly raced better as a group this week.”
At the Rio Grande Invitational last
Saturday, senior Suzanne Lynch was Otterbein’s top finisher, placing eleventh
in 20:20.
The women’s varsity race is set
for 2:45 p.m. followed by the women’s open race at 4:15 p.m.
Cards
to Compete in Loyola's Lakefront Invite
Written by Justin Milam 09/29/04
The Otterbein women’s cross country team will split into two teams this
weekend as the varsity team travels to Chicago, Ill. to compete in the Lakefront
Invitational while the rest of the team will compete at the Rio Grande
Invitational.
The Lakefront Invitational, hosted by Loyola University Chicago, is one of
the largest meets in the country and features schools from across the nation.
“The Chicago trip will be a great opportunity for the women to see national
caliber competition and create the atmosphere that we will face at the end of
the year,” said Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland.
“Rio will give our younger members some much needed experience and our
older runners a chance to improve and gain confidence.”
Last season, the Cardinals won the Rio Grande Invitational, outdistancing
second place University of Charleston by 27 points.
Otterbein placed fourth of ten teams in their home invitational this past
weekend. 14th-ranked DePauw (IN)
easily won the team title, and was followed by Baldwin-Wallace and Mount Union.
Seniors Jennifer Lynch and Kim Allen led the way, finishing ninth (23:46.9)
and eleventh (23:53.8), respectively, among the 119 student-athletes in the
6,000-meter race.
“I am very pleased with our effort at the Otterbein Invitational,”
Borland said. “It was an
excellent meet with great competition. Our
pack time is right where we want it, but we need to put ourselves in better
positions earlier in the race.”
The gun goes off in Chicago at 10:30 a.m. (CST), while the race at Rio Grande
begins at 9:45 a.m.
OC
Invite Features OAC Preview
Written by Justin Milam 09/21/04
Every year the Otterbein Invitational becomes a preview meet for the Ohio
Athletic Conference (OAC) Championships. In each of the last three seasons for both men and women, the
team champion from this meet has gone on to win a conference championship in
late October.
This year’s meet will feature eight of the ten teams in the OAC, as well as
Columbus State, DePauw (IN), Ohio Dominican, and Rose Hulman (IN).
DePauw travels to Westerville hoping to do some damage. The DePauw women are
ranked 17th in the nation, while the men are ranked 22nd in the latest NCAA
Division III poll. In the preseason poll released two weeks ago, the Otterbein
men were ranked 20th and the Otterbein women were ranked 26th.
Both Otterbein squads are currently receiving votes in the national
rankings.
On the men’s side last year, the Otterbein Invitational ended in a thriller
as the Cardinals topped Mount Union by just one point, 30 to 31.
Top returning runners from last year’s meet include Otterbein’s Mike
Sawicki, Nate Ritz, Mike Cauley, and Justin Milam; Mount Union’s Chris Paulett
and Jeremy Velliquette; and Baldwin-Wallace’s Chris Buhoveckey.
“It’s our home course and the last race on it for a lot of the seniors on
our team,” said said senior Mike Cauley (Mechanicsburg) about Saturday’s
race. “We have a lot of pride in that and we never want another team coming in
and taking our title.”
In the women’s race last season, Mount Union showed its force by scoring
only 29 points, finishing ahead of Baldwin-Wallace (41) and Otterbein (56).
Top returning runners from last year’s meet include Otterbein’s
Meghan Randolph and Jennifer Lynch; Mount Union’s Kristen Koelling and Dara
Ford; and Baldwin-Wallace’s Lisa Bartkiewicz and Megan Via.
“This will be a good meet to see where we sit in the OAC right now,” said
sophomore Bethany Trapp (North Olmsted).
Otterbein College’s cross-country course is located on Africa Road, just
west of the Clements Recreation Center. The
course can also be accessed off Cleveland Avenue, just north of Main Street and
adjacent to the Westerville Community Center.
The men’s race is scheduled to go off at 11 a.m. followed by the women’s
race at noon.
Cards
Making School History
Written by Justin Hamilton 11/20/03
For the first time in school history, Otterbein College will have a women’s
athletic program competing in an NCAA national championship event.
Otterbein’s women’s cross country team will compete at the NCAA
Championships Saturday at Hanover College in Hanover, Ind.
“It is a very special feeling for
our team and coach (Dave) Lehman and I,” said fourth-year head coach Ryan
Borland. “This is something that
we have been working on for several years now and it is so exciting to see it
happen to the group of women we have in our program right now.”
The Cardinals received the invitation with their third-place finish at last
week’s Great Lakes Regional, also held in Hanover.
This year’s regional event consisted of 34 schools from around the
region, with only the top three advancing to the nationals.
“It
feels amazing to be the first women's team to make it out,” said sophomore
Meghan Randolph, who finished 10th at the regional meet.
“It's really cool to know that we are a part of Otterbein history.”
Junior
Kim Allen placed the highest of the Cardinal runners, finishing eighth out of
233 runners. She noted that the
team shocked even themselves by finishing third.
“I
think that our team was pleasantly surprised when we heard that we were going to
nationals,” Allen said. “We all
went into the meet planning on running our hardest, but we just didn't know
where that would put us. We weren't
predicted to place high in the meet, so there wasn't too much pressure on us.
I am really excited and lucky to be a part of this team.”
There
will be 24 schools competing in the championships, led by Wisconsin-Oshkosh who
has captured four team championships since 1981.
Calvin College, who finished second behind Mount Union in the Great Lakes
Regional, has won two national championships in the past five years.
Williams College is the defending national champions.
“I
am very excited to be on a team that works as hard as we do and that can say we
made school history,” Allen said. “I
think we are all very excited to have the chance to run against some of the best
college athletes in the country.”
Along
with Allen and Randolph, juniors Amy Davin (26th) and Jennifer Lynch (29th)
received All-Great Lakes Region honors by finished in the top 35.
Sophomore Cathy Thompson rounded out Otterbein’s scoring card by
finishing 64th.
“The
most important measure of success for us this weekend is to enjoy the
experience, have a lot of fun, and do the best that we can,” Borland said.
Cards
Head to NCAA Championships
Written by Ed Syguda 11/15/03
Otterbein qualified for the NCAA Division III
Women’s Cross Country Championship by finishing third at the Great
Lakes Regional held today at Hanover
College in Hanover, Ind.
The Cardinals, under fourth-year head coach
Ryan Borland, scored 137 points to trail meet winner Mount Union, with 112
points, and Calvin, with 120. The top three teams in this 34-team field
qualified for the NCCA championship scheduled for Nov. 22 at Hanover.
This will be Otterbein’s first team
appearance in the women’s national championship.
Kim Allen, a junior from Westerville (North
High School), and Meghan Randolph, a sophomore from Pickerington, finished in
the top ten. Allen placed eighth, covering the 6,000-meter distance in 22:59.
Randolph placed tenth (23:04).
Rounding out the scoring for Otterbein were
Amy Davin, a junior from North Ridgeville, 26th (23:48); Jennifer Lynch, a
junior from Englewood (Northmont High School), 29th (23:53); and Cathy Thompson,
a sophomore from Hilliard (Davidson High School), 64th (24:46).
Allen,
Randolph, Davin and Lynch each earned All-Great Lakes honors by finishing in the
top 35.
Cards
Take Third at OAC Championship
Written by Ed Syguda 11/01/03
WESTERVILLE, OHIO—The Otterbein women’s
cross country team finished third among ten teams at the Ohio
Athletic Conference (OAC) Cross Country Championship held today at
Wilmington College.
The Cardinals, under fourth-year head coach
Ryan Borland, scored 65 points to trail meet winner Mount Union, with 47 points,
and John Carroll, with 58.
Meghan Randolph, a sophomore from
Pickerington, and Kim Allen, a junior from Westerville (North High School),
finished in the top ten to earn All-OAC honors. Randolph finished fourth,
covering the 6,000-meter distance in 23:09.57. Allen placed eighth (23:25.49).
Rounding out the scoring for Otterbein were
Amy Davin, a junior from North Ridgeville, 12th (23:58.18); Cathy Thompson, a
sophomore from Hilliard (Davidson High School), 17th (24:32.16); and Melinda
Keesee, a freshman from Dublin (Scioto High School), 24th (24:58.87).
The
complete order of team finish: Mount Union (47), John Carroll (58), Otterbein
(65), Baldwin-Wallace (68), Ohio Northern (93), Heidelberg (203), Muskingum
(228), Capital (246), Wilmington (251) and Marietta (253).
Cards
Finish Third at Gettysburg
Written by Justin Milam 10/21/03
Otterbein finished third of 19 teams
competing in the Gettysburg Invitational Saturday in Gettysburg, Pa.
The Cardinals tallied 93 points, finishing behind Loyola College in
Maryland (32) and Gettysburg (67).
The trio of sophomore Meghan
Randolph (Pickerington/Pickerington) and juniors Jennifer Lynch (Englewood/Northmont)
and Kim Allen (Westerville/North) finished in a solid pack, taking the 12-13-14
places overall. Randolph covered the muddy 6,000-meter course in 24:21, while
Lynch followed in 24:23 and Allen in 24:25.
Junior Amy Davin (North
Ridgeville/North Ridgeville) finished 23rd (24:55) overall.
Freshman Melinda Keesee (Dublin/Scioto) and sophomore Cathy Thompson
(Hilliard/Davidson) finished in 25:20, taking the 33rd and 34th places.
Junior Jamie Levy finished 49th in 25:51.
“The girls had a good team effort,
especially with the conditions the way they were and the stiff competition,”
said Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland. “Jamie
Levy had a real nice race for us.
“This will be a good week for us
to rest mentally and get in some good work physically.”
The
Cardinals will take a week off in preparation for the Ohio Athletic Conference
Championships at Wilmington College Nov. 1.
Cards
Record Highest All-Ohio Finish Ever
Written by Justin Milam 10/15/03
Otterbein finished 16th of 39 teams and fourth among NCAA Division III
schools at the All-Ohio Championships held Friday in Delaware.
It was the team’s highest finish ever.
The All-Ohio Championships featured all of Ohio’s
cross-country teams, including NCAA Divisions I, II, III, and NAIA.
The Cardinals tallied 417 points and finished nine points
behind conference rival Baldwin-Wallace in the overall standings but edged them
by two points in NCAA Division III scoring.
Otterbein also finished ahead of Xavier, avenging their one point loss
from the Otterbein Alumni Meet in September.
Miami University brought home the team championship by
scoring 58 points and was followed by Ohio State (65), Akron (99), Kent State
(118) and Cincinnati (197).
“We were very pleased on how we finished at the
meet,” said Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland.
“The team’s attitude is great and they are really starting to believe
in themselves, which is exciting for the end of the season.”
Sophomore standout Meghan Randolph
(Pickerington/Pickerington) led the Cardinals with a 46th place finish, covering
the 3.1-mile course in 19:35. Following
Randolph were juniors Kim Allen (Westerville/North) and Jennifer Lynch
(Englewood/Northmont), who finished 74th (20:03) and 79th (20:09), respectively.
Junior Amy Davin (North Ridgeville/North Ridgeville) and
sophomore Cathy Thompson (Hilliard/Davidson) finished 105th (20:29) and 113th
(20:31), respectively.
“Randolph ran
almost a minute faster than last year and had another great race for us,”
added Borland. “She moved up 51
spots from last year’s race.”
“Our performance
at All-Ohio just shows that we are coming together as a team,” said Davin.
“We are continuing to improve and are getting better and better each
week.”
This
weekend the Cardinals will send half of their squad to Gettysburg, Pa. to
compete in the Gettysburg Invitational on Saturday, 10.30 a.m.
The other half will compete in the Wilmington Fall Classic Friday
afternoon, 4:30 p.m.
Cards
Win at Rio Grande
Written by Justin Milam 10/7/03
Otterbein won their second invitational team championship of the season
Saturday at the Rio Grande Invitational held at the University of Rio Grande.
The Cardinals scored 26 points and claimed 9 of the first 20 spots.
The tandem of sophomore Meghan Randolph
(Pickerington/Pickerington) and junior Kim Allen (Westerville/North) set the
pace for the Cards. Randolph and
Allen combined for a 1-2 finish, covering the 5,000-meter course in 19:35 and
19:40, respectively.
Junior Jennifer Lynch (Englewood/Northmont) and sophomore
Cathy Thompson (Hilliard/Davidson) followed for fifth (20:06) and seventh-place
(20:25) finishes.
“It was really nice to go down to Rio Grande and win
the meet,” said Randolph. “We
beat some good NCAA Division II schools. It
was exciting to win the race because I’ve never won one before.”
“It was a real solid win for us and I like the way the
team is coming together right now,” said Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland.
“It just shows that we are going to be good down the road.”
“It
was very exciting to see Meghan (Randolph) win her first cross-country race,”
added Borland.
Friday,
the Cardinals will travel to Dornoch Golf Club in Delaware to do battle with
every college in Ohio at the All-Ohio Championships.
“This
weekend we’re looking for a top 18 finish, which would be up there as one of
our better performances at the meet,” said Borland.
“It’s a tough meet and we’re certainly excited about the
challenge.”
Last
season, Otterbein finished 24th out of 39 teams.
The women’s varsity race is set to go off at 2 p.m., with the women’s
open race at 3:30 p.m.
Cards
Take Third in Otterbein Invitational
Written by Justin Milam 9/30/03
Otterbein finished third of six teams
competing in the Otterbein Invitational Saturday in Westerville.
The Cardinals tallied 56
points, while the team champions from Mount Union scored 29 points.
The runners-up from Baldwin-Wallace totaled 41 points.
Both Mount Union and
Baldwin-Wallace are ranked among the top 30 teams in the latest NCAA Division
III poll.
Sophomore Meghan Randolph
(Pickerington/Pickerington) and junior Jennifer Lynch (Englewood/Northmont)
paced the Cards, finishing fifth (17:47) and sixth (17:52) overall.
“I thought the women
competed very well and handled the course change pretty well too,” said
Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland. “Jamie
Levy and Susanne Lynch both ran extremely well, and the team stepped up in Kim
Allen’s absence. We’re anxious
to get to the Rio Grande meet and see what we can do.”
Standout Kim Allen
(Westerville/North) did not compete due to a hamstring injury.
The race was moved to the
soccer fields on Cleveland Avenue due to heavy flooding on Otterbein’s cross
country course.
“The creek was flowing
very fast and high, and the bottom field was flooded up to my knees,” added
Borland. The bottom field contains
both the start and finish lines for the course.
“We didn’t want to
cancel the meet, so we had to work with what we had.”
“We’re still
improving a lot and looking forward to competing this weekend,” said Levy, who
finished 21st overall in 18:54.
Otterbein
will be back in action Saturday when they head south for the Rio Grande
Invitational.
The women’s race is set to go off at 9:45 a.m.
Cards
Host Otterbein Invitational
Written by Justin Milam 9/24/03
Looking to build on last Saturday's victory in Marietta's Invitational,
Otterbein will host its own invitational Saturday at 11 a.m.
In last season's Otterbein Invitational, Baldwin-Wallace dominated the meet,
scoring a mere 29 points. The Cardinals nipped Mount Union by one point,
67 to 68, for a second-place finish.
Top returning runners from last year's meet include Otterbein's Kim Allen
(Westerville/North), Mount Union's Kristen Koelling, John Carroll's Shannon
McConville, and Baldwin-Wallace's Jennifer Southall.
"We are really looking forward to testing ourselves against
Baldwin-Wallace and Mount Union," said second-year runner Meghan Randolph.
Mount Union is ranked 25th in the latest NCAA Division III poll, and have yet
to be beaten. Baldwin-Wallace is ranked 29th, and have only one loss on
the season. The Yellow Jackets finished 20th at the NCAA Division III
Cross Country Championships last fall. Otterbein College's cross-country course is located on Africa Road, just west
of the Clements Recreation Center. The course can also
be accessed off Cleveland Avenue, just north of Main Street and adjacent to the
Westerville Community Center.
Cards
Win Broughton at Marietta
Written by Justin Milam 9/21/03
The Otterbein women’s cross country team brought home the team title from
the Carl Broughton Invitational held Saturday at Marietta College. The Cardinals finished with 24 points; an incredible 79
points ahead of Ohio Wesleyan and Rio Grande, who tied for second place in the
fourteen-team meet.
Otterbein took four of the first ten places, including a 1-2-3 finish.
Junior Kim Allen (Westerville/North) was the first individual to cross
the line, finishing the muddy six-kilometer course in 24:41.
Just behind Allen was sophomore Meghan Randolph
(Pickerington/Pickerington) and junior Jennifer Lynch (Englewood/Northmont), who
finished in 24:47 and 24:59, respectively.
“It was real exciting for us to finish 1-2-3,” said fourth-year head
coach Ryan Borland. “It just
shows us that we are getting a lot better as a team.
To win a meet of that size is a big confidence booster for our squad.”
The Cardinals host the Otterbein Invitational this Saturday.
Teams making the trip to Westerville include: Baldwin-Wallace, Mount
Union, Muskingum, John Carroll, Columbus State, OSU-Newark, Capital, and Central
State. The women’s race starts at
11 a.m.
Cards
One Point Short of Alumni Win
Written by Justin Milam 9/14/03
Otterbein fell just one point short of the team title Saturday at the
Otterbein Alumni Meet. Xavier edged
the Cardinals 30 to 31. The
Otterbein alumni team finished third, totaling 75 points.
“We were a little disappointed to lose to Xavier by one point, but we did
all we could,” said junior team captain Kim Allen (Westerville/North).
The Cards placed their five scorers
in the top 11, but it wasn’t enough. Xavier
had their five in the top 10. Xavier’s
Jennie Illig was the individual champion, covering the five-kilometer course in
20:01.
Allen was the Otterbein’s top
finisher, placing third in 20:21. Sophomore
Meghan Randolph (Pickerington/Pickerington) followed for fourth-place in 20:33.
Juniors Amy Davin (North Ridgeville/North Ridgeville) and Jennifer Lynch
(Englewood/Northmont) combined for sixth and seventh places, running 21:02 and
21:04, respectively. Freshman
Bethany Trapp (North Olmsted/North Olmsted) finished eleventh in 21:36.
“It is still real early in the
season, so I think that we will continue to improve,” said Allen.
“A main goal for this year will be to run in better packs.”
Bri Elsmore, a 2001 Otterbein
graduate, was the first alum to cross the tape.
She finished in 20:57, good enough for a fifth-place spot.
Otterbein
will return to action Saturday when they travel south to compete in the Carl
Broughton Invitational held in Marietta. The
women’s race is slated to go off at 11 a.m.
Cards
Host Alumni Invitational
Written by Justin Milam 9/9/03
The Otterbein women's cross country team will host a four-team invitational
Saturday in Westerville.
Ohio State-Newark, Xavier, and an Otterbein alumni team will be competing in
the race, which starts at noon.
The Cardinals return eight letterwinners from a team that finished third in
the Ohio Athletic Conference and ninth at the Great Lakes Regional in 2002.
Last week, the Cardinals finished fourth of six teams at the Ohio State
Invitational. Host Ohio State won the meet with 15 points, taking the top
five places in the race.
Junior team captain Kim Allen (Westerville/North) led the way for the Cards
with an eleventh-place finish, covering the 4k course in 15:05.
"We were a little tired from preseason camp, which is what we
expected," said Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland. "We had a
good pack, and just need to continue to focus and work hard each week. We
are anxious to see where we are at this week, running the 5k course instead of
4k."
Otterbein College's cross-country course is located on Africa Road, just west
of the Rike Center and the Clements Recreation Center. The course can also
be accessed off Cleveland Avenue, just north of Main Street and adjacent to the
Westerville Community Center.
Cards
Enter 2003 with Strong Upperclass
Written by Justin Milam 7/3/03
Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland fields an experienced 2003 squad with eight
returning letterwinners, including one of the top runners in the nation, Kim
Allen.
Allen, a
junior from Westerville, won the 2002 OAC Championships, placed eighth at the
Great Lakes Regional, and then finished 67th at the NCAA Division III Championships.
She earned All-America status during the indoor track season by placing
eighth in the 800m and also during the outdoor track season by placing fourth in
the 3000m steeplechase.
Following
Allen will be Jennifer Lynch, a junior from Englewood, and Cathy Thompson, a
sophomore from Hilliard.
Lynch placed
16th at the 2002 OAC Championships and 37th at the Great Lakes Regional.
She earned All-OAC honors during the indoor track season in the 1000m.
Thompson placed 35th at the 2002 OAC Championships, and earned All-OAC
honors during the outdoor track season in the 1500m and 800m runs.
Other top
returnees include Andrea Vernon, a senior from Gallipolis, Amy Davin, a junior
from North Ridgeville, and Meghan Randolph, a sophomore from Pickerington.
Last season,
Otterbein placed 24th at the All-Ohio Championships, third at the OAC
Championships, and ninth at the Great Lakes Regional.
The Cardinals
open the 2003 season Sept. 5 at the Ohio State Invitational in Columbus.
The women’s race begins at 4:45 p.m.
Groseclose
Runs 67th at National Meet
Written by Scott Rex 11/24/02
Kim Groseclose, a sophomore from Westerville North,
finished 67th out of 215 runners at the NCAA Division III National Championships
at St. Olaf (MN) Saturday.
Groseclose covered the 6K course in 22:58.1.
“I was really nervous,” Groseclose said.
“I didn’t think I ran as well as in some of the other meets.”
“I thought it was a good weekend for her,” said head
coach Ryan Borland. “The first
time you go to do something like that, it can be a little overwhelming, but I
think she needed that experience.
“She ran a good, solid race,” Borland added.
“Hopefully we can get her back there next year.”
“I think being there is more motivation to want to get
back there,” Groseclose said. “And,
it serves as motivation to want to get the team there.”
Missy Buttry, a sophomore from Wartburg College, finished
first overall in 20:17.3. The team
championship went to Williams College, who placed three runners in the top seven
overall.
“It was just really fun,” Groseclose said.
“They treated us really good and the meet was put together really well.
I was just happy to be there.”
Groseclose
Qualifies For National Meet
Written by Scott Rex 11/17/02
Sophomore Kim Groseclose earned a trip to the 2002
Women’s Cross Country Division III National Championships by placing eighth
overall at the regional meet at Ohio Northern Saturday.
She becomes the first Otterbein woman since Marsha Foulke
in 1995 to qualify for nationals.
“I never thought I would make it to nationals this year,
as a sophomore. Maybe as a junior
or senior, but not this year,” Groseclose said.
Groseclose covered the 6K course in 22:30 Saturday.
“She ran a great race,” said Otterbein head coach Ryan
Borland. “I don’t know if it was her best race, but she did what
she had to do, and in some tough conditions.
It was muddy and snowy up there.”
“I thought the race went really good,” Groseclose said.
“I just went out there and gave it everything I had.”
Groseclose has been Otterbein’s top place-finisher in
every meet in which she has competed this year, including the Ohio Athletic
Conference (OAC) Championships, where she finished first overall.
“She’s worked really hard.
I know this was one of her main goals,” Borland said.
“But the great thing about Kim is, she’s always more concerned about
how the team’s doing. She’s a
great leader, and the girls really look up to her.”
“I’m just really excited,” Groseclose said.
“I think it’s going to be a fun experience, and I consider it an
honor to be able to compete against those other great athletes.”
The
national championship is Saturday at St. Olaf (MN) College.
The women’s race begins at noon.
Cards
Place 9th at Great Lakes Regional
Written by Justin Milam 11/17/02
Otterbein sophomore Kim Groseclose (Westerville/North)
finished eighth overall at the NCAA-DIII Great Lakes Regional Championships held
Saturday in Lima. Her eighth-place finish not only helped the Cardinals to a
ninth-place team finish, but also earned herself a ticket to St. Olaf’s
College in Minnesota for the NCAA D-III Championships this Saturday.
Advancing to the national meet were Calvin (70) and
Baldwin-Wallace (87). Finishing behind the two qualifiers were Oberlin (187),
Anderson (194), Mount Union (207), Kenyon (231), and Depauw (236). Otterbein
finished with 267 points.
“This was the best team performance and race all year,”
said Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland. “If
we keep improving the way we have been, we should be really good down the
road.”
Groseclose, who covered the 6K course in 22:30, earned
All-Great Lakes honors for finishing in the top 35.
Just missing all-region honors was sophomore Jennifer Lynch
(Englewood/Northmont), who finished 37th in 23:40.
Rounding out the top five and finishing together were freshman Meghan
Randolph (Pickerington/Pickerington) in 71st (24:17), sophomore Amy Davin (North
Ridgeville/North Ridgeville) in 75th (24:20), and freshman Cathy Thompson
(Hilliard/Davidson) in 76th (24:20). Seniors
Marie Welshon (Reynoldsburg/Reynoldsburg) and Sara Rinfret (Millersburg/West
Holmes) finished 98th (24:46) and 132nd (25:23), respectively.
Upon conclusion of the national meet, the Cardinals will
take some time off before getting back to work in preparation for the indoor
track season which starts Jan. 16. Otterbein
will host its first indoor track meet in the new Clements Recreation Center.
Cards
Place 3rd at OAC Championships
Written by Justin Milam 11/5/02
Otterbein finished third among 10 schools competing in the
OAC Championships held Saturday in Westerville.
The Cardinals finished with 96 points, barely edging out
Ohio Northern (97) for third place. Baldwin
Wallace (35) won their fourth straight OAC title, and Mount Union followed with
71. Rounding out the rest of the team standings were Muskingum
(117), John Carroll (155), Heidelberg (168), Wilmington (211), Marietta (275),
and Capital (319).
“We’re continuing to keep the streak alive of being in
the top 3 for the past couple years, so we’re gaining some consistency,”
said Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland. “Amy
Davin and Jamie Levy both ran very good races.
I thought Jennifer Lynch ran tough as well.
Kim’s performance was just exciting.”
The Cards placed six runners in the top 40, and had one
individual earn All-OAC honors by finishing in the top 10.
Sophomore OAC champion Kim Groseclose (Westerville/North) took the
individual title after a late race surge to cross the line in 19:08.
Sophomore Jennifer Lynch (Englewood/Northmont) finished sixteenth in
20:08. Sophomore Amy Davin (North
Ridgeville/North Ridgeville) and Senior Sara Rinfret (Millersburg/West Holmes)
finished 27th (20:53) and 30th (21:06), respectively.
“I thought we ran pretty well as a team, even though we
maybe didn’t run up to the expectations of ourselves,” said Levy.
“I thought everyone ran as well as they could have that day.”
Otterbein will be back in action in Nov. 16 when they
compete at the NCAA D-III Great Lakes Regional hosted by Ohio Northern
University. The top two teams
qualify for the NCAA D-III National Championship in St. Olaf, Minnesota.
“We’re all pretty pumped about regionals, and,
hopefully, about running as a pack—to get out quick, and turn in some great
performances,” added Levy. “Team
unity is at a high for the season, and we are going to be a team to watch out
for.”
“We’re looking to continue to improve over the next two
weeks, and our goal is to beat our eighth-place finish a year ago at regionals,”
said Borland.
The women’s varsity race is set to go off at noon.
Cards
Host OAC Championships
Written by Justin Milam 10/28/02
After a well-deserved week off, the Cardinals return to the
trails Saturday, hosting the 2002 OAC Championships.
In last season’s OAC Championships, the Cards finished
third behind Baldwin-Wallace and Mount Union.
B-W and Mount Union both advanced to the NCAA-III Cross Country
Championships last fall, finishing 20th and 24th, respectively.
Baldwin-Wallace, ranked 9th in the country, has won nine of the last 10
OAC Championships, and returns four individuals from the top 10 a year ago.
Nine of the top 10 performers from last year’s meet
return in 2002. Barely missing All-OAC status for the Cards last season were
sophomores Kim Groseclose (13th) and Jennifer Lynch (15th). Both look to contend
for an individual title this year. Otterbein
last had an individual champion in 1995 when Marcia Foulke took the crown.
“Everyone expects B-W to come out and win,” said
Otterbein team captain Sara Rinfret. “However,
I think we have a great opportunity to surprise a lot of people, especially on
our home course. We are definitely
capable of doing so.”
Fellow captain Andrea Vernon agrees. “If we run a good
team race and compete up to our potential, good things are going to happen,”
she said.
Teams
making the trip to Westerville include: Baldwin-Wallace, Capital, Heidelberg,
John Carroll, Marietta, Mount Union, Muskingum, Ohio Northern, and Wilmington.
The men’s race goes off at 11 a.m., followed by the women’s at noon.
Cards
Test Regional Course
Written by Justin Milam 10/20/02
The Otterbein women’s cross country team finished fourth
at the Ohio Northern Homecoming Invitational held Saturday in Lima.
Otterbein finished with 106 points.
Denison (57) took the overall championship, followed by Mount Union (65),
and Kenyon (76). Finishing out the
team standings were Case Western (141), Ohio Northern (144), Wittenberg (186),
Hiram (214), Albion (228), Ohio Wesleyan (260), and Youngstown State (340).
This was the first time the Cards have competed on a 6k
course. Normally they run 5k, but
6k will be run at the regional and national meets. This course will be used for
the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional scheduled for Nov. 16.
“Fourth place was not bad at all in a tough meet like
this one,” said Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland.
“It was a good experience seeing the regional course and good for our
women to run the different distance, so now they know what to expect.”
The Cardinals placed five among the first 35 finishers.
Sophomore Kim Groseclose (Westerville/North) led the way by finishing
fourth overall in 23:04. Classmate
Jennifer Lynch (Englewood/Northmont) finished twelfth overall in 23:34.
“I thought we all ran pretty well,” said Lynch. “We’re
looking forward to the conference race on our course, and I think this was a
good race to get us ready.”
The Cardinals return to action Nov. 2 when they host the
OAC Championships here in Westerville.
Cards Take 24th at All-Ohio
Written by Justin Milam 10/12/02
Otterbein
finished 24th out of 39 schools and ninth among all NCAA Division III schools
competing in the All-Ohio Championships held Friday in Delaware.
The All-Ohio featured all of Ohio’s cross-country teams, including NCAA
Division I, Division II, Division III, and NAIA.
Pacing the Cardinals was freshman Meghan Randolph
(Pickerington/Pickerington), who finished 96th in 20:28.
Following Randolph were senior Sara Rinfret (Millersburg/West Holmes) and
freshman Cathy Thompson (Hilliard/Davidson), finishing 124th (20:52.1) and 125th
(20:52.3), respectively.
Two of Otterbein’s top runners, sophomores Kim Groseclose
(Westerville/North) and Amy Davin (North Ridgeville/North Ridgeville), did not
compete due to illness.
“It was a little disappointing on how we finished (as a
team), but it was a tough meet, and it hurts not having two of our top five,”
said Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland. “Meghan (Randolph) ran a great race
for us, which was excellent to see.”
The Cardinals head up to Lima for the Ohio Northern
Invitational this Saturday. The women’s race is scheduled for 11:45 a.m.
“We will have everyone back, strong and healthy, so
hopefully we can come out, run well, and have a good meet,” Borland said.
Cards 8th in Louisville's Cardinal Classic
Written by Justin Milam 10/6/02
Otterbein
finished eighth in an 18-team battle held Saturday in Louisville, Kentucky.
The Cardinal Classic featured many NCAA Division I programs, as well as a
few top Division II schools.
Otterbein finished with 223 points, and beat the likes of
Murray State, Morehead State, and Vanderbilt.
Wayne State, ranked 11th in NCAA Division II, brought home
the team title by scoring 53 points. Eastern
Kentucky (69), UT-Chattanooga (78), Samford (113), Southern Indiana (130),
Louisville (144), and Bellarmine (170) followed.
Finishing behind the Cardinals were Murray State (275), Centre (285),
Vanderbilt (295), Lipscomb (310), Morehead State (341), Georgetown (397), Marian
(440), Middle Tennessee State (521), Campbellsville (524), and Kentucky State
(557).
“Our women ran well today,” said Otterbein head coach
Ryan Borland. “Our 3-4-5 were
much improved. Kim (Groseclose) ran
well considering the competition, and finished with a personal best of 18:48.
I am really excited about watching them improve over the next month.”
Otterbein’s top seven finished in the top 75, with three
among the first 45. Sophomore Kim
Groseclose (Westerville/North) led the way by finishing fifteenth overall with a
personal record of 18:48. Jennifer
Lynch (Englewood/Northmont) finished 43rd (19:42), and Meghan Randolph
(Pickerington/Pickerington), who broke 20 minutes for the first time this
season, placed 44th (19:47).
“I thought we ran pretty well (as a team) against tough
competition,” said Amy Davin (North Ridgeville/North Ridgeville), who finished
59th (20:12). “We are definitely
improving each week.”
This Friday, the Cardinals travel north up Route 23 to the
Methodist Theological School in Delaware to face off against every college in
Ohio at the All-Ohio Championships.
“We want to improve on our 18th-place finish from a year
ago,” said Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland.
“The key for us this week is to improve the middle of our race.”
Otterbein finished 18th among all 35 teams, but placed
third among NCAA Division III teams last season. The women’s varsity race goes
off at 2:45 p.m., with the women’s open race at 4:15 p.m.
Otterbein Runs Second in Home Meet
Written by Justin Milam 9/30/02
Otterbein
finished as runners-up in their home Invitational held Saturday in Westerville.
The Cardinals scored 67 points, just barely edging out conference-rival Mount
Union (68). Tenth-ranked
Baldwin-Wallace took home the team championship by finishing with 29 points.
Rounding out the team standings were Muskingum (103), John Carroll (127),
Ohio Wesleyan (146), and Capital (219).
The Cards placed six runners in the top 30, with sophomore
sensation Kim Groseclose (Westerville/North) finishing second in 19:38.
Sophomore Jennifer Lynch (Englewood/Northmont) and freshman Cathy
Thompson (Hilliard/Davidson) finished 12th and 13th in 20:41.
“It was nice to nip Mount Union by one point this
weekend,” said Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland.
“We haven’t beat them in awhile, and now we just have to keep
improving and tighten our packs up.”
The
Cardinals travel to Louisville, Kentucky this weekend to face off against teams
from Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee in the Cardinal Classic.
The women’s race is slated to go off at 10 a.m.
Kim Groseclose Born to Run
Written by Jason Erickson 9/27/02
Ever
since she can remember Otterbein harrier Kim Groseclose has been running
straight and turning left.
A product of Westerville North High School, Groseclose has
been running fast, breaking records, and finishing first. However, the Otterbein
sophomore says that while she likes finishing atop the leader board, there is
more to the sport than just crossing the finish line.
“I love to run, but more than that I love my team,” she
said. “I love being around the girls, setting goals with them and
accomplishing those goals together. Our team is special, we all get a long and
we love being around one another.”
Groseclose is a two-time Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC)
record holder in track and field, and turned in Otterbein's best performance at
the OAC Cross Country Championships last season, finishing 13th. She holds the
individual record titles in the indoor 1000 meters (3:02.36) and outdoor 1500
meters (4:43.95).
From watching her father run marathons to leading the
Cardinals to impressive performances, Groseclose says she attributes most of her
success to her father, who has been the example she has followed.
“Ever since I can remember my dad has been running,”
she said. “I would go to his marathons and run in the little kids race. I
think that’s where I gained a love of the sport. I wanted to be like my
dad.”
Running 40-plus miles a week is standard now for Groseclose,
who recently won her second-straight meet with a finishing time of 19:21 at the
Wilmington Invitational last Saturday. Despite winning two straight meets
Groseclose expects her times to get better.
“My times have actually dropped,” she said. “I have
not been running as fast as I used to, but have set some goals and hopefully
things can get better. I expect the times to get better throughout the
season.”
This year’s women’s cross-country squad leader is
fronting a team of impressive talent, which expects to finish atop the OAC
standings come the end of the season, and with Groseclose leading the way,
Otterbein shows a lot of promise to succeed.
Engaged to be married in January, Groseclose says her life
will soon change, but her love for running will not because of a supportive
fiancé, who encourages her to continue running.
With two seasons still to go, the future looks bright for
Groseclose, and Cardinal cross-country is sure to reap the rewards of having her
a part of the team.
Groseclose will be in action Saturday as the Cardinals host
the Otterbein Invitational. The race is slated to begin at noon.
Cards Host Otterbein Invitational
Written by Justin Milam 9/24/02
Saturday’s
Otterbein Invitational is shaping up to be a preview of the race for the Ohio
Athletic Conference (OAC) championship as the field features the top four OAC
teams from 2001, including nationally-ranked Baldwin-Wallace and Mount Union.
In addition to B-W, Mount Union and Otterbein, the field
includes Muskingum, Capital, Columbus State, John Carroll, Ohio Wesleyan, and
OSU-Newark. The women’s race is scheduled for noon.
In last season’s Otterbein Invitational, the Cardinals
finished third behind Baldwin-Wallace and Mount Union.
B-W, Mount Union, Otterbein and Muskingum finished 1-2-3-4 at the OAC
Championships, and Baldwin-Wallace and Mount Union advanced to the NCAA-III
Cross Country Championships last fall.
Key individuals returning from last year’s meet include
Otterbein’s Kim Groseclose and Jennifer Lynch, Mount Union’s Kristen
Koelling and Kelly Hammond, and Baldwin-Wallace’s Lynn Katanik and Jessica
Textoris.
Otterbein heads into the invitational off a third-place
showing at Wilmington last Saturday.
“This week we are looking to close the gap from our
number one through five runners,” said assistant coach Dave Lehman.
“We would like to continue to improve each week, and at the same token
to try and compete well against last season’s top two OAC teams.”
At Wilmington, the Cardinals finished third, just two
points behind Mount Union, and 13 points behind meet winner Denison.
The Cardinals placed six runners in the top 20, including invitational
champion Groseclose, and third-place finisher Jennifer Lynch.
Otterbein College’s cross-country course is located on
Africa Road, just west of the Rike Center and the new Clements Recreation
Center. The course can also be accessed off Cleveland Avenue, just north of Main
Street and adjacent to the Westerville Community Center.
Cards Place Third at Wilmington
Written by Justin Milam 9/21/02
The
Otterbein women’s cross country team finished third at the Wilmington
Invitational held Saturday at Wilmington College.
The Cardinals scored 47 points, 13 points behind team champion Denison,
and two points behind Mount Union. Defiance finished fourth with 131 points,
followed by Ohio Wesleyan (133) and Wilmington (156).
The Cardinals placed six runners in the top 20, including
two in the top three. Sophomore Kim
Groseclose (Westerville/North) won her second consecutive meet by finishing with
a time of 19:21, and classmate Jennifer Lynch (Englewood/Northmont) finished
third in a time of 19:39.
“The women’s team had a really good start, and I
thought they ran pretty well against some good teams,” said Otterbein head
coach Ryan Borland. “We are just looking forward to improving next week so we
can compete well next weekend at home.”
The
Cardinals host the Otterbein Invitational this Saturday.
Teams making the trip to Westerville include: Muskingum, Mount Union,
Baldwin-Wallace, John Carroll, Columbus State, Ohio Wesleyan, Capital, and OSU-Newark.
The men’s race begins at 11 a.m., followed by the women’s race at
noon.
2002 Preview
Otterbein returns six of its top seven runners from last season's squad, which finished third at the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Championships and eighth at the Great Lakes Regional.
Kim Groseclose, a sophomore from Westerville, heads the list of leading returnees. Groseclose, a two-time OAC record holder in track and field, turned in Otterbein's best performance at the OAC cross country meet, finishing 13th last season. She holds conference records with individual titles in the indoor 1000 meters (3:02.36) and outdoor 1500 meters (4:43.95), both set her freshman year.
Rounding out the list of top returnees are twins Jennifer and Susanne Lynch, sophomores from Englewood, Sara Rinfret, a senior from Millersburg, and Amy Davin, a sophomore from North Ridgeville.
Jennifer Lynch placed 15th at the OAC Championships, and led the Cardinals at the Great Lakes, finishing 43rd. Rinfret finished 18th, and Davin 21st at the conference meet. Davin earned all-conference honors in the 10,000 meters with a third-place finish (39:26) at the OAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships last spring.
Otterbein led NCAA Division III women's cross country with a team 3.818-grade-point average last season.
The Cardinals open 2002 with the Otterbein Alumni Meet Sept. 14. The women's race begins at noon.
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