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.

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

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.

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.

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).

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.

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).

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).

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).

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.

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.”

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).

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.”

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.”

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.

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), 28^th (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.”

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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).

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 disap