WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein track and field performers Katie Homan and Allyson Tobin were named to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country teams as selected by the College Sports Information Director’s of America (CoSIDA).

Katie Homan

Homan, a senior from Fort Recovery (Coldwater High School), was selected to the first team and is now eligible for Academic All-America consideration. Tobin, a junior from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic), was named to the second team.

Homan, an athletic training major, has made the Otterbein Dean’s List all 11 quarters. She won the discus for the second straight year at the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) outdoor championships this season to finish her career with five All-OAC performances, three in the outdoor discus and two in the outdoor shot put.

Allyson Tobin

Tobin, a nursing major, earned All-America honors in the shot put twice in 2008. She finished fourth at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships and placed eighth at the outdoor national championships. She is a three-time indoor and a three-time outdoor OAC champion in the shot put.

Academic All-District IV team members are selected through voting by CoSIDA, a 2,000-member organization consisting of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. District IV encompasses the states of Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee.

Tobin Takes Home All-America Honors in the Shot
Written May 24, 2008 by Ed Syguda

OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN—Allyson Tobin, a junior from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic High School), took home All-America honors for the second time in her career, finishing eighth in the shot put today at the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

Tobin, who earned All-America honors during the 2008 indoor season, threw the shot 44-8 1/4 in the finals to secure All-America by finishing in the top eight. The All-American just made the finals with a throw of 43-10 in the preliminaries, two inches better than the cutoff mark of 43-8.

“That’s what competitors do when they are having an off-day—and Allyson doesn’t have many of those—they still find a way to achieve their goal,” said Otterbein head coach Doug Welsh. “And she did. She passed one person and got up on the podium as an All-American. When you are top eight in the country, that’s awfully strong.”

Tobin’s best throw this season, 45-5 1/4, came at the Ohio Athletic Conference outdoor championships where she won her third-straight individual championship in the shot put.

Tobin Heads to the NCAA's
Written May 20, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Allyson Tobin, a junior from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic High School), has qualified to compete in the shot put at the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships scheduled to begin Thursday at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

Tobin, who earned All-America honors during the 2008 indoor season, qualified for the national meet with a throw of 45-5 1/4 on her way to a third-straight individual title at the Ohio Athletic Conference outdoor championships held in April. She holds the ninth best distance in NCAA Division III this season.

“It is a real tribute to Ally’s organizational abilities, work ethic, and athletic talent that she is once again going to a national meet,” said Otterbein head coach Doug Welsh. “She competes at such a high level while maintaining her status as an elite nursing student. Ally is the essence of what a Division III student-athlete should, and could aspire to be.”

Three other Otterbein track and field performers came close to qualifying for the national meet. Stacey Schall, a junior from Lancaster (Bloom Carroll), missed qualifying for the 100-meter hurdles by three spots while Emily Bonnette, a freshman from Marietta (Warsaw), missed the cutoff for the triple jump by four spots. Ashley Suffel, a senior from Defiance, needed to jump six spots to qualify for the 800-meter run. 

Schall and Suffel turned in career best marks at the Gregory Invitational hosted by North Central College in Naperville, Ill. last Saturday. Schall ran the 100-meter hurdles in 14.83 seconds while Suffel covered the 800 meters in 2:14.13. Bonnette’s best distance this season in the triple jump, 37-7 1/4, came at the Jesse Owens Classic held May 2-3 at the Ohio State University.

Cards Claim Second Straight OAC Championship
Written April 26, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WILMINGTON, OHIO—Otterbein won five individual titles on its way to a second-straight Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) outdoor title at the championships held Friday and Saturday at Wilmington College.

Otterbein, scoring 175 points, edged out Baldwin-Wallace, with 162.5 points, in the ten-team field. Ohio Northern (79.5), Capital (77) and Marietta (65) followed to round out the top five. The Cardinals took individual titles in the triple jump, discus, 800-meter run, shot put and 3,000-meter steeplechase.

“I felt our women really needed a spark coming into the championships,” said Otterbein head coach Doug Welsh. “We got it today from Katie Homan and Emily Bonnette and it carried over into some great running efforts from our hurdlers and our veteran distance runners.”

Homan, a senior from Fort Recovery (Coldwater High School), won the discus (119-5) while Bonnette, a freshman from Marietta (Warren), won the triple jump (37-5 3/4) and placed second in the long jump (17-11) to earn All-OAC honors. The top three finishers in each event garner all-conference honors.

Bonnette was named the women’s most outstanding field athlete.

Thrower Allyson Tobin, a junior from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic), won the shot put for the third straight year. The All-American took the event with an NCAA provisional throw of 45-5 1/4.

Distance runner Nicole Reese, a sophomore from Columbus (Centennial), won the 3,000-meter steeplechase (11:36.98) and placed second in the 5,000-meter run (18:53.77). Distance runner Ashley Suffel, a senior from Defiance, won the 800-meter run (2:19.10) and placed second in the 1,500-meter run (4:50.53).

Reese and Suffel also earned all-conference honors as members of the 4 x 800-meter relay team, which finished second (9:40.25). Suffel took home her fourth all-conference honor of the meet as a member of the 4 x 400-meter relay team, which placed second (4:02.73).

Otterbein scored 26 points in the 100-meter hurdles, taking five of the top six spots. Stacey Schall, a junior from Lancaster (Bloom Carroll), and Lauren Rausch, a junior from Edison (Mt.Gilead), finished second and third, respectively, to earn All-OAC honors. Schall covered the distance in 15.05 seconds and Rausch finished in 15.14. Schall also earned All-OAC honors in the 4 x 400-meter relay.

Other all-conference performances were turned in by Andrea Pautsch, a freshman from Reynoldsburg, second in the 10,000-meter run (41:04.45); 4 x 400-meter relay team members Anna Yonker, a sophomore from Newark, and Danielle Vickers, a sophomore from Cincinnati (Sycamore); and 4 x 800-meter relay team members Vickers and Lindsay Main, a freshman from Maumee (Springfield).

The Cardinals are scheduled to compete next at the Jesse Owens Track Classic at the Ohio State University Friday and Saturday.

Cards Seek to Repeat as Champs
Written April 24, 2008 by Zach Manoogian

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein heads to Wilmington this Friday and Saturday for the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Championships.  The Cardinals, the 2007 OAC champions, seek to successfully defend their title against tough competition. 

“Baldwin-Wallace has to be considered the favorite,” said 18th-year head coach Doug Welsh. “I’m not sure our team has put together a total meet to this point.  Our veterans need to lead, and our younger people have to step up for us to be in contention.” 

Lauren Rausch, a junior from Edison (Mt. Gilead High School), is seeking defend her 2007 individual championship in the 10,000 meter hurdles.  Allyson Tobin, a junior from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic), also seeks to defend her 2007 title in the shot put. 

“Our women have a great deal of pride and I am hopeful they will give their best because that’s what it takes to repeat as champions,” said Welsh. 

A team victory would give the Cardinals their seventh OAC title overall and fourth in the past six years. 

OAC Names Bonnette Field Athlete of the Week
Written April 21, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Jumper Emily Bonnette, a freshman from Marietta (Warren High School), was selected Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) women’s field athlete of the week, the OAC released Monday.

Bonnette won the triple jump (36-2 1/4) and finished second in the long jump (16-8 3/4) at the Kenyon Spring Invitational held Saturday in Gambier. Otterbein won the meet, scoring 141 points in the ten-team field.

Otterbein, 2007 OAC outdoor champion, seeks to defend its title Friday and Saturday at the OAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which will be hosted by Wilmington College.

Cards Place Second at Marv Frye Invitational
Written April 7, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein finished a close second to host Ohio Wesleyan at the Marv Frye Invitational held Saturday in Delaware.

Ohio Wesleyan scored 121.50 points and was followed by Otterbein (110.75, Baldwin-Wallace (108) and Capital (81.75). Thirteen teams competed.

“I saw some of our younger people step up a little bit in their level of competitiveness, which is highly necessary since the outdoor conference championships arrive so early this year,” said head coach Doug Welsh.

Emily Bonnette, a freshman from Marietta (Warren High School), won the long jump (17-2 3/4) and placed fourth in the triple jump (34-7 1/2). All-American Allyson Tobin, a junior from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic), easily won the shot put with an NCAA provisional-qualifying distance of 43-1 1/2. Distance runner Ashley Suffel, a senior from Defiance, won the 800 in 2:15.72.

Other top performances were turned in by hurdler Stacey Schall, a junior from Lancaster (Bloom Carroll), who finished second in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles (1:06.81), and third in the 100-meter hurdles (:15.34); and All-American hurdler Lauren Rausch, a junior from Edison (Mt. Gilead), who finished second in the 100-meter hurdles (:15.24). 

Despite the good showing, Welsh feels his team has not yet jelled this season.

“I’m not sure we are yet obtaining the unity needed to make the run we would like to make,” Welsh said. “I’m hoping that our leaders will lead, and our team will follow. They cannot afford to be at anything but their top performance level as the OAC Championships approach.

Cards Win Nine Events at Wilmington
Written April 1, 2008 by Zach Manoogian

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—The Otterbein women’s track team won nine events Saturday on way to winning an Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) split meet at Wilmington.

The Cardinals finished with 176 points to win the meet. Ohio Northern, 124 points, and Capital, 111 points, finished second and third, respectively. 

The Cards got strong performances from Ashley Suffel, a senior from Defiance, winning the 800-meter with a time of 2:24.23 and 1500-meter with a time of 5:01.19.  Thrower Ashley Tobin, a junior from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic High School), also won two events, winning the shot put (45-04 1/2) and discus (120-10).  

Emily Bonnette, a freshman from Marietta (Warren), won the long jump (16-10 3/4), while Kyra Smith, a junior from Galena (Big Walnut), won the high jump (5-00 1/4). 

Other victories included Andrea Pautsch, a freshmen from Reynoldsburg, in the 5000-meter (19:13.54), Stacy Schall, a sophomore from Lancaster (Bloom Carroll), in the 100 meter (15.11), and Nicole Reese, a sophomore from Columbus (Centennial), in the 3000-meter steeplechase (12:16.15). 

Head Coach Doug Welsh is pleased with the team’s early season success.  “Starting with the trip to Charlotte, and continuing at the split meet, our athletes have responded well.  We hope to continue that this week at Ohio Wesleyan,” Welsh noted. 

Rausch and Tobin Earn All-America Honors
Written March 15, 2008 by Brett Rybak

ADA, OHIO—Otterbein track and field athletes Lauren Rausch and Allyson Tobin each earned All-America honors today at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships hosted by Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio.

Rausch, a junior from Edison (Mt. Gilead High School), finished sixth in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.35 seconds. Sumer Rohrs, a junior from Frostburg State, won the event in 7.96 seconds. “I just really wanted to go out and finish better than where I started and I did that,” Rausch said.

Tobin, a junior from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic), finished fourth in the shot put with a throw of 44-9 3/4. Monique Riddick, a freshman from Montclair State, won the event with a throw of 46-4 3/4.

“Allyson is a truly great competitor,” said Otterbein head coach Doug Welsh. “She has learned to compete at this level and will only get better.”

Kelli Peirano, a graduate student from Gahanna (Lincoln), just missed making the finals, running the 55-meter hurdles in 8.40 seconds in the preliminaries, which were held Friday. Peirano earned All-America honors in this event with a fourth-place finish in 2006.

“Kelli did an excellent job even getting back into the NCAA Championships,” Welsh said. “After getting hurt last year  and getting in a car accident yesterday (Friday) morning, it was a great feat running the way she did here.”

Cards Just Miss OAC Indoor Title
Written March 10, 2008 by Brett Rybak

All five Cardinals clear the first hurdle in the finals of the 55-meter hurdles Saturday in the Clements Recreation Center. Lauren Rausch (middle) wins the event. Rausch and Kelli Peirano (second from left), who finishes second, advance to the NCAA Championships.

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—The Otterbein women’s track and field team won four events on its way to a second-place finish in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Indoor Track and Field Championships held Friday and Saturday at Otterbein College.

Otterbein finished with 134 points, just behind OAC champion Baldwin-Wallace, with 137 points. Ohio Northern and Capital followed with 96 and 82 points, respectively.

NCAA-bound Allyson Tobin sets an OAC record of 46-3 1/2 on this throw.

Allyson Tobin, a junior from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic High School), won “field athlete of the meet,” taking the shot put with an OAC record throw of 46-3 1/2.

“Ally Tobin is as good a big meet performer as you will see,” said 18th-year head coach Doug Welsh. “As she has moved along in her career, Ally has learned how to compete and how to prepare to compete.”

Lauren Rausch, a junior from Edison (Mt. Gilead), won the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.36 while Kelli Peirano, a graduate student from Gahanna (Lincoln), took second at 8.48.

“Lauren is anther one of our student-athletes who has made herself into a national-class performer,” Welsh said. “She is a tremendous blend of speed, power, intelligence, and coachability.”

Tobin, Rausch and Peirano all qualified for the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Ohio Northern in Ada.

Other individual championship performances were turned in by Ashley Suffel, a senior from Defiance, who won the 800-meter run (2:21.76), and Abby Ludwig, a junior from Strongsville, who took first in the 5,000-meter run (18:43.34). Ludwig also earned All-OAC honors (top three finishers earn All-OAC honors) in the 3,000-meter run with a third-place finish (10:46.57).

Other Cardinals earning All-OAC honors were Nicole Reese, a sophomore from Columbus (Centennial), second (19:03.23) in the 5,000-meter run;  Anna Yonker, a junior from Lancaster (Bloom Carroll), second in the 400-meter dash (1:00.54); and Emily Bonnette, a freshman from Marietta (Warren), second in the long jump (17-06 1/4).

Otterbein took home All-OAC honors in all three relays, placing second in the distance medley (12:36.34) and taking thirds in both the 4 x 200-meter relay (1:49.08) and 4 x 400-meter relay (4:09.31).

Members of the distance medley team were Reese, Danielle Vickers, a sophomore from Cincinnati (Sycamore), Suffel, and Stacey Schall, a junior from Lancaster (Bloom Carroll).

Cards Prep for OAC Championships
Written March 5, 2008 by Brett Rybak

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—The Otterbein women’s track and field team shoots for its second-straight Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) indoor title when Otterbein hosts the championships Friday and Saturday in the Clements Recreation Center.

“We look forward to a very strong weekend of intense competition,” said 18th-year head coach Doug Welsh. “Any person interested in watching quality athletes perform at a high level should enjoy this meet.”

Otterbein will have 23 women competing this weekend, including five with the top mark in the OAC this season.

Ashley Suffel, a senior from Defiance, holds down the top spot in the 800-meter run (2:17.49).

Kelli Peirano, a graduate student from Gahanna (Lincoln), tops the list in the 55-meter hurdles (8.33) while Lauren Rausch, a junior from Edison (Mt. Gilead), ranks second (8.35).

Nicole Reese, a sophomore from Columbus (Centennial), leads the 5,000-meter run (18:19.46) and ranks third in the mile run (5:20.00). Abby Ludwig, a junior from Strongsville, is in second, right behind Reese, in the 5,000-meter run (18:59.15).

Allyson Tobin, a junior from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic), has recorded the best mark in the shot put (44-10 3/4) while Kyra Smith, a junior from Galena (Big Walnut), tops the list in the high jump (5-3).

OAC Names Suffel Track Athlete of the Week
Written March 4, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Mid-distance runner Ashley Suffel was selected Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) women’s indoor track athlete of the week, the OAC released Monday.

Suffel, a senior from Defiance, turned in a school-record performance in the 1,000-meter run in an OAC qualifier meet held last Friday at Otterbein College. Racing uncontested, she covered the distance in 2:57.47, breaking the former school record of 3:02.36 set in 2002 by Kim Allen. Suffel’s time is also the best in the OAC this season.

Cards Win 2nd Straight All-Ohio
Written Feb. 18, 2008 by Brett Rybak

WESTERVILLE, OHIO – The Otterbein women’s track and field team won four events on its way to taking its second-straight All-Ohio Championship held last Saturday in the Clements Center.

The Cardinals tallied 102.75 points while Ohio Northern and Ohio Wesleyan followed with 76 and 66 points, respectively, in the 17-team field.

“Obviously, it is a fine accomplishment to win back-to-back All-Ohio titles, but I’m hoping that our women will improve before the challenge of the OAC championships,” said 18th-year head coach Doug Welsh. “I have been a little concerned about our ability to put up consistent performances from event to event in more pressurized settings, but I think we made progress in that area last Saturday.”

Lauren Rausch, a junior from Edison (Mt. Gilead High School), and Stacey Schall, a junior from Lancaster (Bloom Carroll), took one, two in the 55-meter hurdles. Rausch won the event with a time of 8.48 while Schall followed at 8.73.

Ashley Suffel, a senior from Defiance, also took first in the 800-meter run, finishing in 2:19.37, and helped lead the Cards to a first-place finish in the  distance medley with a time of 12:27.24.

The Cardinals also turned in solid performances in the field events. Allyson Tobin, a junior from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic), won the shot put with a throw of 43-10 while Kyra Smith, a junior from Galena (Big Walnut), took first in the high jump at 5-3.

Another notable performance was turned in by Emily Bonnette, a freshman from Marietta (Warren), coming in second in the long jump (17-4 1/4).

OAC Names Rausch Track Athlete of the Week
Written Jan. 29, 2008 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Hurdler Lauren Rausch was selected Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) women’s indoor track athlete of the week, the OAC released Monday.

Rausch, a junior from Edison (Mt. Gilead High School), ran an NCAA provisionally-qualifying time of 8.53 seconds to win the 55-meter hurdles at the Baldwin-Wallace Mid-January meet held last Friday in Berea. She was even faster in the preliminaries, turning in an 8.43.

Rausch and Tobin to Compete at NCAA Championships
Written May 24, 2007 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Hurdler Lauren Rausch and shot putter Allyson Tobin have qualified for the NCAA Division III Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships scheduled to be held Thursday through Saturday at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

Rausch, a sophomore from Edison (Mt. Gilead), will compete in the 100-meter hurdles. She shares the school record in this event, winning the 2007 Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) title in 14.64 seconds, which is the 15th best time in NCAA Division III this season. 

Tobin, a sophomore from Lancaster  (Fisher Catholic), qualified in the shot put with a school-record throw of 45-10 1/2  to capture the OAC outdoor title this season. She heads into the NCAA’s with the third best throw in the nation.

Cards Roll to a Third OAC Outdoor Championship
Written May 12, 2007 by Ed Syguda

BEREA, OHIO—The Otterbein women’s outdoor track and field team won eight events and set or tied school records in the shot put and 100-meter hurdles on its way to winning the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Outdoor Track and Field Championships held Friday and Saturday at Baldwin-Wallace College.

Melinda Keesee

Otterbein, with 177 points, easily defeated two-time defending champion Baldwin-Wallace by 47 1/2  points to earn its third OAC outdoor title in five years. The Cardinals also won in 2003 and 2004.

“From event to event, our women put up personal best after personal best,” said 17th-year head coach Doug Welsh. “It was almost surreal how each of our women put up performances that were beyond what they had accomplished up to that point.”

Melinda Keesee, a senior from Dublin (Scioto High School), turned in a triple, winning the 10,000-meter run (38:29.13), 5,000-meter run (18:01.91) and 3,000-meter steeplechase (11:06.9) on her way to “most outstanding distance athlete” honors at the meet.

“I have not had an athlete, in my career, who has gotten more out of her ability then Melinda,” Welsh said. “Just think of it: running eleven miles on the track in less than 24 hours and dominating each event.  Melinda gave an unforgettable performance.”

Allyson Tobin

Allyson Tobin, a sophomore from Lancaster  (Fisher Catholic), shared “most outstanding field athlete” honors. Tobin won the shot put with a throw of 45-10 1/2, easily shattering the former school record of 44-11.

“Ally is an immensely talented young person, who, today, showed what I think the future holds for her,” Welsh said. “She is explosive, quick, intelligent and is a fierce competitor. She can be one of the top throwers in the nation, and, possibly, laid the groundwork today to make that happen.”

Lauren Rausch, a sophomore from Edison (Mt. Gilead), won the 100-meter hurdles in 14.64 seconds, tying the school record. Libby Hoffman, a senior from Columbus (Whetstone), finished third (15.01) to earn All-OAC honors. The top three finishers in each event earn All-OAC honors.

Anna Yonker, a sophomore from Lancaster (Bloom Carroll), won the 800-meter run (2:17.62). Ashley Suffel, a junior from Defiance, finished second (2:18.05).

Katie Homan, a junior from Fort Recovery (Coldwater), won the discus (122-6) and finished second in the shot put (39-5 3/4).

The Cardinals dominated in the relays, winning the 4 x 800-meter relay (9:22.21), and placing second in the 4 x 100-meter relay (49.07) and  4 x 400-meter relay (4:01.54).

Members of the winning 4 x 800 were Suffel, Meghan Randolph, a senior from Pickerington, Nicole Reese, a freshman from Columbus (Centennial), and Yonker.

Members of the 4 x 100, each earning All-OAC honors, were Natalie Yost, a freshman from Newark, Rausch, Yonker and Hoffman.

Cards Prep for OAC Championships
Written May 9, 2007 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein, winner of the conference indoor title this season, seeks to carry that momentum into the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Outdoor Track and Field Championships scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea.

The Cardinals came close the last two seasons, finishing second to Baldwin-Wallace in 2006 and 2005, that after winning back-to-back titles in 2003 and 2004.

“Like most others, I'm sure, we have to have our top people perform well to have a chance to contend,” said 17th-year head coach Doug Welsh. “ I'm concerned about our health, but I believe, nonetheless, that our women will compete in a  very determined fashion.”

Otterbein will be sending 22 performers, including five with the top mark in the OAC this season, to the championships.

Anna Yonker, a sophomore from Lancaster (Bloom Carroll), tops the list in the 800-meter run (2:17.46) and sits second in the 400-meter dash (57.81).

Melinda Keesee, a senior from Dublin (Scioto), leads in both the 5,000-meter run (17:38.22) and 3,000-meter steeplechase (11:03.14).

Amanda Fugate, a senior from Seville (Cloverleaf Senior High School), holds the best mark in the long jump (18-3), and sits fourth in the 100-meter dash (12.62) and fifth in the 200-meter dash (26.21).

Caitlyn Renner, a freshman from Pataskala (Watkins Memorial), sits first in the high jump (5-5 1/4), and Allyson Tobin, a sophomore from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic), sports the best mark in the shot put (44-5 1/4).

OAC Names Rausch and Tobin Performers of the Week
Written May 7, 2007 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Hurdler Lauren Rausch and shot putter Allyson Tobin were selected Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) performers of the week in women’s track and field, the OAC released today.

Rausch, a sophomore from Edison (Mt. Gilead High School), ran an NCAA provisionally-qualifying time in the 100-meter hurdles, 14.98, to finish fourth at the Jesse Owens Classic held Saturday at The Ohio State University. It was her best time in the event, and fifth fastest in school history.

“She had an excellent run, and, hopefully, she can continue that into the OAC Championships this weekend,” said Otterbein head coach Doug Welsh.

Tobin, a sophomore from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic), improved her season mark in the shot put with a throw of 44-5 1/4, also an NCAA provisional-qualifying distance, at the Jesse Owens Classic.

“Ally has improved from week to week and seems to be putting together good performances at the right time,” Welsh said.

OAC Names Keesee Track Athlete of the Week
Written April 24, 2007 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Melinda Keesee, a senior from Dublin (Scioto High School), was selected Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) women’s track athlete of the week for her performance in the All-Ohio held last Wednesday at Ohio Wesleyan.

Keesee won the 5,000-meter run in a school record time of 17:38.22 and also won the 3,000-meter steeplechase in a personal best time of 11:03.14. Both marks provisionally qualify her for the NCAA Division III Championships.

Otterbein finished third with 107 points in the 18-team field. Host Ohio Wesleyan won with 169 points.

OAC Names Tobin Field Athlete of the Week
Written April 9, 2007 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Allyson Tobin, a sophomore from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic High School), was selected Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) women’s field athlete of the week for her performance in the Marv Frye Invitational held last Friday at Ohio Wesleyan.

Tobin won the shot put with a throw of  42-8 1/4. She also scored in the discus, finishing sixth with a throw of 109-6.

The Cardinals finished second at the eight-team meet with 151 points. Host Ohio Wesleyan won with 176 points.

Cards Win OAC Gold
Written April3, 2007 by Ed Syguda

WILMINGTON, OHIO--Otterbein won the five-team Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Gold meet held Saturday at Wilmington. Baldwin-Wallace won the OAC Black meet held at Marietta.

The Cardinals, 2007 OAC indoor champions, won eight events on their way to scoring 155 points in the meet. Ohio Northern, with 136 points, finished second and was followed by Capital (120), Heidelberg (87) and host Wilmington (79).

“Our women gave a relatively strong performance this past weekend, and are a very motivated and unified group,” said 17th-year head coach Doug Welsh. “However, we have work to do in gaining a week-to-week consistency that we will obviously need for the tough meets we have down the road.

“And, like many other teams I’m sure,” Welsh continued, “we need to get our injured people back. If we are to enjoy any success in the future it behooves us to get to full competitive strength.”

Otterbein is scheduled to compete at the Marv Frye Invitational this Friday at Ohio Wesleyan.

Stacey Schall, a sophomore from Lancaster (Bloom Carroll High School), turned in a triple at the Gold meet. She placed first in the 100-meter hurdles (15.51) and 400-meter intermediate hurdles (1:07.9), and ran one leg of the winning 4 x 400-meter relay team (4:04.8).  

“Stacy is one of a solid group of sophomore competitors in our program,” Welsh said. “She is a very aggressive person, who has a done an outstanding job of combining increased physical strength with a desire to do well. She has a chance to be very good.”

Other event winners were Anna Yonker, a sophomore from Lancaster (Bloom Carroll), 800-meter run (2:19.08); Megan Randolph, a senior from Pickerington (Central), 5,000-meter run (18:44.23); Amanda Fugate, a senior from Seville (Cloverleaf), long jump (17-2 1/4); and Allyson Tobin, a sophomore from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic), shot put (42-6 1/4).

Amanda Fugate, a senior from Seville (Cloverleaf Senior High School), won the long jump (18-1 3/4), which qualified her for the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships, scheduled to begin Friday at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Ind. Fugate finished third in the 55-meter dash (7.45), but set the school record (7.44) in the preliminaries.

Anna Yonker, a sophomore from Lancaster (Bloom Carroll), won the 500-meter run in an OAC meet and school record 1:17.69. She finished third in the 300-meter dash (41.84).

Melinda Keesee, a senior from Dublin (Scioto), won the 5,000-meter run in a school record 17:55.48 and finished second in the one-mile run (5:12.86).

The Cardinals finished one, two in the 55-meter hurdles with Stacey Schall, a sophomore from Lancaster (Bloom Carroll), winning the event in 8.50 seconds. Lauren Rausch, a sophomore from Edison (Mt. Gilead), took second in 8.61.

Allyson Tobin, a sophomore from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic), rounded out the list of individual Otterbein winners. Tobin took the shot put with a throw of 41-11 1/4.

The Cardinals cleaned up in the relays, winning the 4 x 200-meter relay in a school record 1:45.81 and placing second in the 4 x 400-meter relay in a school record 4:06.02. Otterbein also finished second in the distance medley (12:33.81).

Members of the winning 4 x 200-meter relay team were Fugate, Natalie Yost, a freshman from Newark, Meredith Boettner, a freshman from Valley City (Buckeye Local), and Yonker.

The Cardinals scored 86 points, edging Ohio Wesleyan, with 77.5 points, and Ohio Northern, 70.5 points, in the 17-team field.

“It was an outstanding win for our women,” said 17th-year head coach Doug Welsh. “What was gratifying to see was the leadership and effort our veteran performers put forth. It was a very strong field, and our women rose to the occasion.

“I am in hope that this same type of toughness will be front and center as we head to the stretch run of the season,” Welsh added.

The tandem of Libby Hoffman and Lauren Rausch finished one, two in the 55-meter hurdles, provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships. Hoffman, a senior from Columbus (Whetstone High School), won the event in 8.45, the sixth fastest time in NCAA Division III this season. Rausch, a sophomore from Edison (Mt. Gilead), finished second in 8.56, good for 18th in the nation.

Thrower Allyson Tobin, a sophomore from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic), won the shot put with a distance of 41-0 1/4.

Other notable performances were turned in by Anna Yonker, a sophomore from Lancaster (Bloom Carroll), second in the 800-meter run (2:21.84); Melinda Keesee, a senior from Dublin (Scioto), second in the 5000-meter run (17:56.2); and Mandy Fugate, a senior from Seville (Cloverleaf), second in the long jump (17-8 1/4).

Otterbein also finished second in the 4 x 200-meter relay (1:47.94). Members of the team were Fugate, Yonker, Meredith Boettner, a freshman from Valley City (Buckeye Local), and Natalie Yost, a freshman from Newark.

OAC Names Fugate Field Athlete of the Week
Written Feb. 5, 2007 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Amanda Fugate, a senior from Seville (Cloverleaf Senior High School), was selected Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) women’s field athlete of the week for the second straight week.  

Fugate won the long jump with a distance of 17-6 at the Marietta Invitational held last Friday in Marietta. She also won the 400-meter dash (1:03.81) and was a member of the winning 4 x 200-meter relay team (1:52.57).

The Cardinals won the eight-team meet with a score of 243. Host Marietta finished second with 194 points.

OAC Names Fugate Field Athlete of the Week
Written Jan. 29, 2007 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Amanda Fugate, a senior from Seville (Cloverleaf Senior High School), was selected Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) women’s field athlete of the week for her performance in the OAC Relays held Saturday at Baldwin-Wallace.

Fugate won the long jump with a distance of 17-3 1/2. She also ran legs of the 1600 sprint medley, which finished first (4:23.31), and 4 x 200-meter relay, which finished third (1:50.6).

The Cardinals finished third with 93 points at the relays. Ohio Northern placed first with 110 points and was followed by host Baldwin-Wallace, with 107. 

Otterbein is scheduled to compete Friday at Marietta, beginning at 6 p.m.

Peirano Earns Academic All-America Honors
Written June 22, 2006 by Ed Syguda

Kelli Peirano

Otterbein track student-athlete Kelli Peirano was named to the 2006 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country third team as selected by the College Sports Information Director’s of America (CoSIDA).

Peirano, a junior from Gahanna (Lincoln High School), is majoring in middle childhood education and has made the Otterbein Dean’s List all nine quarters.

The junior holds the Otterbein school record in the 55 meters (7.50), 55-meter hurdles (8.32), and the 4x100-meter relay (49.24); and owns Otterbein’s second fastest time in the 100-meter hurdles (14.86).

Earlier this year, Peirano earned All-America honors in the 55-meter hurdles at the 2006 NCAA Division III Indoor Championships after finishing first in the event at the 2006 Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Indoor Championships. She placed third in the 100-meter hurdles at the 2006 OAC Outdoor Championships and first in 2005.

Academic All-America teams are selected through voting by CoSIDA, a 2,000-member organization consisting of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at his/her current institution, and be nominated by his/her sports information director.

Peirano, a junior from Gahanna (Lincoln High School), made the first team and is now eligible for Academic All-America consideration. Gossel, a junior from Lancaster, earned second-team honors.

For Peirano, who is majoring in middle childhood education, this marked the first time she has earned the award. The junior holds the Otterbein school record in the 55 meters (7.50), 55-meter hurdles (8.32) and the 4x100-meter relay (49.24), as well as the second-fastest time in school history in the 100-meter hurdles (14.86).

Earlier this year, she earned All-America honors at the 2006 NCAA Indoor Championships in the 55-meter hurdles after placing first in the event at the 2006 Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Indoor Championships. She placed third in the 100-meter hurdles at the 2006 OAC Outdoor Championships and first in 2005.

Gossel, who is majoring in nursing, holds the Otterbein school record for best pole vault (12-00.00) as well as the indoor school record (11-08.00). She earned All-America honors at the 2006 NCAA Indoor Championships finishing 6th in the pole vault and took first at the 2006 OAC Indoor Championships.

Recently, the junior earned All-OAC honors for the third-consecutive year at the 2006 OAC Outdoor Championships, finishing second in the pole vault after taking the championship in 2004 and 2005.

Academic All-District IV team members are selected through voting by CoSIDA, a 2,000-member organization consisting of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. District IV encompasses the states of Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee.

Gossel and Tobin Compete at NCAA Championships
Written May 27, 2006 by Adam Walters  

Alysha Gossel, a junior from Lancaster (Lancaster High School), and Allyson Tobin, a freshman from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic), both competed at the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships held this past weekend at Benedictine University in Lisle, Ill.

On Thursday, Gossel finished 12th in the pole vault, clearing a height of 11-6 1/2. Gossel improved on her 19th-place finish from a year ago at the outdoor national championships. She also earned All-America honors this year at the indoor championships by placing sixth.

On Saturday, Tobin, who was injured during the OAC outdoor championships, still managed to recover to finish  14th in the shot put with a throw of 42-0 3/4. Tobin won OAC indoor and outdoor shot put titles this season.

Cards Finish 5th at OAC Championships
Written May 14, 2006 by Adam Walters

The Otterbein women’s track and field team competed in the Ohio Athletic Conference championships last weekend at Marietta College. The Lady Cardinals scored 152 points to finish second behind Baldwin-Wallace College, who won the meet with 197.5 points.

Juniors Melinda Keesee, from Dublin (Scioto High School), and Libby Hoffman, from Columbus (Whetstone), turned in first-place performances in the running events. Keesee won the 10,000-meter run on Friday night in a time of 38:36.40. She also came back Saturday and earned All-OAC honors in two more events by finishing second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (11:08.52) and the 5,000-meter run (18.19.11).

Hoffman crossed the line first in the 100-meter hurdles in a time of 15.01 seconds. This is the second time she has been the OAC champion in the 100-meter hurdles. She also won the title back in 2004. Hoffman also placed fifth in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.71 seconds.

Junior Krysta Douds, from Marengo (Highland), and freshman Allyson Tobin, from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic), both finished first in their respective field events as well. Douds won her second-consecutive OAC javelin title with a mark of 129-5. She also placed seventh in the 100-meter hurdles in a time of 15.65 seconds.

Tobin won her first outdoor shot put title with a mark of 42-9 3/4. This follows the indoor shot put championship she won earlier this year. Tobin also earned All-OAC honors in the discus by placing third with a toss of 124-10.

Other All-OAC performers included Kelli Peirano, a junior from Gahanna (Lincoln), who placed third in the 100-meter hurdles (15.25), and freshman Anna Yonker, from Lancaster (Bloom Carroll), who finished second in the 400-meter dash with a personal-best time of 57.88 seconds. Junior Alysha Gossel, from Lancaster, finished second in the pole vault with a height of 11-3 3/4, and sophomore Katie Homan, from Coldwater, placed second in the discus with a throw of 128-9.

The 4x100-meter relay team of Peirano, Yonker, Hoffman, and junior Mandy Fugate, from Seville (Cloverleaf Senior), placed second in a time of 48.61 seconds to earn All-OAC honors.

Other major point contributions were turned in by senior Meghan Randolph, from Pickerington, who placed fourth in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 18:57.65; Yonker and Fugate in the 200-meter dash, finishing fifth (26.24) and seventh (26.37), respectively; freshman Amber Gresham, from Olentangy (Liberty), sixth in the long jump with a distance of 16-10 1/2; and Fugate, seventh in the long jump with a leap of 16-9 1/4.

Stacy Schall, a freshman from Lancaster (Bloom Carroll), placed fifth in the 100-meter hurdles (15.46) and eighth in the 400-meter hurdles (1:09.70). Freshman Deanna Kremer, from Maria Stein (Marion Local), placed sixth in the 10,000-meter run with a personal-best time of 41:39.97.

The 4x400-meter relay team of Yonker, Schall, Alison Pence, a sophomore from Reynoldsburg (Licking Heights), and Megan Short, a freshman from Bowling Green, placed fifth in a time of 4:06.57. Short also placed eighth in the 400-meter dash in a time of 1:01.42.

Finally, the 4x800-meter relay team of Randolph, Cathy Thompson, a senior from Hilliard (Davidson), Sarah Blaney, a freshman from Newark (Newark Catholic), and Ashley Suffel, a sophomore from Defiance, placed fifth in a time of 10:04.84. Suffel also placed sixth in the 800-meter run in a time of 2:23.03.

Some members of the team will compete this Friday at the Baldwin Wallace NCAA last chance qualifier meet looking to qualify for the NCAA Championships. The field events will begin at noon.

The Otterbein women’s track and field team competes this weekend in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Outdoor Championships, hosted by Marietta, and look to reclaim the title it won in 2003 and 2004.

The Lady Cardinals are led by defending OAC champions Alysha Gossel, a junior from Lancaster (Lancaster High School), junior Kelli Peirano, from Gahanna (Lincoln), and junior Krysta Douds, from Marengo (Highland).

Gossel looks to defend her title in the pole vault, an event she has already earned NCAA provisional qualification with a height of 12-00.

Douds will compete in the javelin where she leads the conference with a provisional qualifying throw of 131-00.

Peirano leads the conference with a provisional qualifying time in the 100-meter hurdles. Her closest competition will come from teammate and 2004 OAC champion, Libby Hoffman, a junior from Columbus (Whetstone).

Junior Melinda Keesee, from Dublin (Scioto), will compete for the 10,000-meter title after placing second a year ago. Keesee will also compete in the 3000-meter steeplechase where she holds a provisional qualifying time.

Two Cardinal freshmen will look for their first conference outdoor titles. Anna Yonker, from Lancaster (Bloom Carroll), has the second best time in the conference in the 200 and 400-meter dashes, while Allyson Tobin, from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic), sits atop the conference rankings with a provisional qualifying throw of 44-07.

Other returning 2005 All-OAC performers include: sophomore Katie Homan, from Coldwater, in the shot put; sophomore Ashley Suffel, from Defiance, in the 800-meter run; and junior Mandy Fugate, from Seville (Cloverleaf Senior), in the 400-meter dash.

The 4 x 100-meter relay team of Peirano, Yonker, Fugate, and Hoffman finished third a year ago and has posted the third best time in the conference this year.

Tobin Named OAC Field Athlete of the Week
Written April 30, 2006 by Craig Coleman

Allyson Tobin, a freshman from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic High School), was selected Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) women’s track and field athlete of the week for her performance last week at the Otterbein Mid-Week and Otterbein Invitational Meets in Westerville.

Tobin finished runner-up in the shot put at the Mid-Week Invitational with a throw of 13.59 meters (44-7 feet), and placed first at the Otterbein Invitational with a throw of 13.53 meters (44-3 feet). Tobin’s shot put of 44-7 feet is the sixth-best throw in the NCAA Division III this season, as well as a new Otterbein school record.

The Cardinals scored 107.5 points Saturday at the Otterbein Invitational and finished first out of three teams. Wilmington placed second (39.5), while Muskingum finished third (36). The Mid-Week Invitational was not scored.

Lady Cards Take 1st at Otterbein Invitational
Written April 30, 2006 by AdamWalters

The Otterbein women’s tack and field team scored 107.5 points and finished first out of three teams Saturday at the Otterbein College Invitational.

Otterbein easily outdistanced runner-up, Wilmington (39.5), and third-place finisher, Muskingum (36).

The Lady Cardinals had many individual champions with Amber Gresham, a freshman from Olentangy (Liberty High School), leading the way in the long and triple jumps with leaps of 4.54 and 9.65 meters, respectively.

Other champions in the field events included: freshman Allyson Tobin, from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic), in the shot put with a toss of 13.53 meters; and junior Krysta Douds, from Marengo (Highland), in the javelin with a throw of 39.94 meters. Douds throw tops the NCAA provisional standard of 38.89 meters and provisionally qualifies her for the NCAA Championships.

Running event champions include: junior Mandy Fugate, from Seville (Cloverleaf Senior), in the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.97 seconds; freshman Anna Yonker, from Lancaster (Bloom Carroll), in the 400-meter dash with a time of 58.87 seconds; and junior Kelli Peirano, from Gahanna (Lincoln), in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.13 seconds.

Junior Libby Hoffman, from Columbus (Whetstone), Peirano, Yonker, and Fugate won the 4 x 100-meter relays in a time of 49.20 seconds.

Sophomore Alison Pence, from Reynoldsburg (Licking Heights), sophomore Ashley Suffer, from Defiance, freshman Stacey Schall, from Lancaster (Bloom Carroll), and Yonker placed first in the 4 x 400-meter relays with a time of 4:09.83 seconds.

Lady Cards Place 2nd at Kenyon Invitational
Written April 24, 2006 by AdamWalters

The Lady Cardinal track and field team took second out of seven teams Saturday at the Kenyon College Invitational. Otterbein scored 154.5 points, while Wooster placed first with 158 points.

Freshman Aleshia Higgins, from Westerville (Big Walnut High School), won the high jump, clearing the bar at 5-02, while junior Kelli Peirano, from Gahanna (Lincoln), led a Cardinal sweep of the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.85 seconds. 

Junior Libby Hoffman, from Columbus (Whetsone), placed a close second with a time of 14.97; freshman Stacey Schall, from Lancaster (Bloom Carroll), placed third at 15.99; and freshman Lauren Rausch, from Mt. Gilead, finished fourth at 16.15.

Schall also placed second in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:08.61 seconds.

Other runner-up finishes were turned in by freshman Anna Yonker, from Lancaster (Bloom Carroll), in the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.50 seconds; and junior Alysha Gossel, also from Lancaster, in the pole vault with a height of 11-01 3/4.

The Otterbein women’s throw team competed at the Joe Banks Invitational, hosted by Ohio Northern, in Ada Friday, and placed top finishers in three of four throwing events.

Allison Rose, a sophomore from Pittsfield, Pa. (Youngsville), won the javelin with a throw of 109-01. 

Allyson Tobin, a freshman from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic), won the shot put with a throw of 41-10, while teammate Katie Homan, a sophomore from Coldwater, placed second with a toss of 37-08 1/2.

Tobin and Homan reversed finishes in the discus with Homan winning the event with a throw of 120-09, and Tobin placing second at 113-07. Sophomore Dani Michel, from Vandalia (Wayne), placed third with a throw of 102-03.

The Cardinals return to action Wednesday at The Mid-Week Otterbein Invitational with field events starting at 4 p.m. and running events starting at 5:00 p.m.

Cards Place 2nd at D-III All-Ohio
Written April 16, 2006 by AdamWalters

The women’s track and field team competed at the D-III All-Ohio Championships Saturday, hosted in Delaware by Ohio Wesleyan University. The Lady Cardinals, with 101 points, placed second out of twenty-one teams. Baldwin Wallace College won the meet with 164 points.

Leading the way for the Lady Cardinals was the 4x100-meter relay team of Kelli Peirano, a junior from Gahanna (Lincoln High School); Anna Yonker, a freshman from Lancaster (Bloom Carroll); Mandy Fugate, a junior from Seville (Cloverleaf Senior); and Libby Hoffman, a junior from Columbus (Whetstone).

Peirano also took third in the 100-meter hurdles in a time of 15.44 seconds. Yonker placed second in the 400-meter dash (58.84) and third in the 200-meter dash (26.04). Junior Melinda Keesee, from Dublin (Scioto), captured a third-place finish in the 10,000-meter run in a time of 38:39.20.

High finishes were also recorded in the field events as freshman Allyson Tobin, from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic), won the shot put with a toss of 42-6 1/4, and junior Krysta Douds, from Marengo (Highland), won the javelin with a throw of 128-6.

Katie Homan, a sophomore from Coldwater, placed second in the discus with a mark of 126-8. Sophomore Allison Rose, from Pittsfield, PA (Youngsville), threw the javelin109-6 to place third. Junior Alysha Gossel, from Lancaster, also finished third in the pole vault with a height of 10-11 3/4.

Gossel Named OAC Field Athlete of the Week
Written April 10, 2006 by Ed Syguda

(TWINSBURG, Ohio)--All-American pole vaulter Alysha Gossel, a junior from Lancaster, was named Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) field athlete of the week, the OAC released today.

Gossel won the pole vault, hitting an NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 11-9 at the Marv Frye Invitational held last Friday at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware. It was her second win of the spring season. Gossel also won the event at the OAC south meet held April 1 at Otterbein.

Cards Take 2nd at Marv Frye
Written by Adam Walters 04/08/06

The Lady Cardinals took home the runner-up trophy out of twelve teams at the Marv Frye Invitational held Friday at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware. The women scored 138 points in a meet that was delayed for an hour due to severe weather. Baldwin-Wallace took home the team title with 164 points.

The Cardinals were led in the running events by the one-two 110-meter hurdle duo of juniors Libby Hoffman, from Columbus (Whetstone High School), and Kelli Peirano, from Gahanna (Lincoln). Hoffman won the event in 15.17 seconds and Peirano followed closely in 15.48 seconds.

Other individual running event champions included junior Melinda Keesee, from Dublin (Scioto), who won the 3000-meter steeplechase in 11:21.04 and freshman Anna Yonker, from Lancaster (Bloom Carroll), who won the 400-meter dash in 58.39 seconds.

A one, two finish in the shot put propelled the field event athletes. Freshman Allyson Tobin, from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic), won the event with a toss of 42-3 1/4, and sophomore Katie Homan, from Coldwater, threw the shot 38-6 to finish second. Sophomore Danielle Michel, from Vandalia (Wayne), captured a second-place finish in the discus with a heave of 111-4.

Alysha Gossel, a junior from Lancaster, continued her winning ways by vaulting to a height of 11-9 to win the pole vault.

Third-place finishes were turned in by freshman Amber Gresham, from Olentangy (Liberty), in the triple jump (33-11 1/2), freshman Stacy Schall, from Lancaster (Bloom Carroll), in the 400-meter hurdles (1:08.31), and sophomore Alison Rose, from Pittsfield, Pa. (Youngsville), in the javelin (112-4).

Tobin Named OAC Field Athlete of the Week
Written by Craig Coleman 04/03/06

Allyson Tobin, a freshman from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic High School), was selected Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) women’s track and field athlete of the week for her performance last week at the OAC Split Meet in Westerville.

Tobin captured a first-place finish in the shot put with a NCAA provisional qualifying throw of 43-7, and earned a second-place finish in the discuss throw (34.23 meters). Tobin’s shot put also surpassed her previous best of 42-5 1/2.

Otterbein, scoring 255 points, finished first out of five participating teams.

Lady Cards Win Big at OAC South Meet
Written by Adam Walters 04/03/06

The Otterbein women’s track and field team finished first out of five teams Saturday at the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) South Meet held at Memorial Stadium. Otterbein won 11 of 18 events and scored 255 points, easily outdistancing Capital (120) and Wilmington (74).

Junior Mandy Fugate (Seville/Cloverleaf Senior) led the Cardinals, earning first-place finishes in the 400-meter dash (1:01.58) and long jump (4.97 meters). 

Additional Cardinal champions in the running events included: freshman Anna Yonker (Lancaster/Bloom Carroll) in the 200-meter dash (26.39); junior Melinda Keesee (Dublin/Scioto) in the 1500-meter run (5:06.47); senior Meghan Randolph, from Pickerington, in the 5000-meter run (19:03.98); and junior Libby Hoffman (Columbus/Whetstone) in the 100-meter hurdles (15.11 seconds).

Cardinal champions in the throws and jump events included: sophomore Danielle Michel (Vandalia/Wayne) in the discus (35.74 meters); junior All-American Alysha Gossel, from Lancaster, in the pole vault (3.51 meters); freshman Allyson Tobin (Lancaster/Fisher Catholic), in the shot put (43-7); and junior Krysta Douds (Marengo/Highland) in the javelin (36.65 meters).

Finally, junior All-American Kelli Peirano (Gahanna/Lincoln), Yonker, Fugate, and Hoffman edged Capital for first place in the 4x100-meter relay (49.65).

Gossel and Peirano Earn All-America Honors
Written by Ed Syguda 03/11/06

Pole-vaulter Alysha Gossel and hurdler Kelli Peirano earned All-America honors today at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships hosted by St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn.

Gossel, a junior from Lancaster, finished sixth in the pole vault with a vault of 11-7 3/4, which equaled her personal best. Stephanie Barnes, a senior from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, won the event with a vault of 12-7 1/2. 

Peirano, a junior from Gahanna (Lincoln High School), finished fourth in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.35 seconds. She turned in the third fastest time, 8.32 seconds, in Friday’s preliminaries. Sheana Grigsby, a senior from Carthage College, won the event in 8.05 seconds.

The top eight finishers in an event earn All-America honors.

Otterbein went a perfect 4-for-4 today as its two men’s track athletes also earned All-America honors at the national meet. Mike Sawicki, a senior from Ashtabula (Lakeside High School), finished second in the 5,000-meter run (14:37.49), and Justin Rush, a sophomore from Cortland (Lakeview), finished fifth in the 55-meter hurdles (7.77 seconds).

“I can’t believe it, and I saw it happen with my own eyes,” said 16th-year head coach Doug Welsh. “I’m proud of all of them.”

What really impressed Welsh more than anything was that each student-athlete was able to move up in the national rankings. None of the four was ranked higher than seventh heading into the meet. For example, Sawicki was ranked eighth coming in and finished second.

Gossel and Peirano Head to NCAA's
Written by Ed Syguda 03/09/06

Pole-vaulter Alysha Gossel and hurdler Kelli Peirano have qualified for the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships scheduled for Friday and Saturday at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn.

Gossel, a junior from Lancaster, will be making her first appearance at the indoor national meet, but did compete outdoors in 2005, finishing 19th. She heads into the NCAA’s fresh off a third-straight Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) indoor title in the pole vault. Gossel ranks eighth in NCAA Division III with a vault of 11-8.

Peirano, a junior from Gahanna (Lincoln High School), is making her first appearance in an NCAA meet. A two-time OAC indoor champion in the 55-meter hurdles, she possesses the eighth best time (8.35 seconds) this season in NCAA Division III.

Preliminaries in the women’s 55-meter hurdles are scheduled for 6:35 p.m. (CST) Friday. The final is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. Saturday. Competition in the pole vault is scheduled to begin 10 a.m. Saturday.

Sixteenth-year head coach Doug Welsh was impressed and full of praise for the Cardinals’ efforts over the weekend.

“Our kids really exhibited a lot of mental toughness,” Welsh said. “There was no quit or stopping in them.”

Several Cardinals placed at or near the top of their respective events. Junior Kelli Peirano (Gahanna/Lincoln) won the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.35, while junior Elizabeth Hoffman (Columbus/Whetstone) finished in second at 8.65.

“Peirano has made herself into one of the best hurdlers in the nation,” Welsh said. “If you watch her, she’s not very tall but she generates so much power. She’s a great combination of talent, physical preparation, and mental toughness.”

Welsh was equally happy with Hoffman’s performance. “Libby has fought back from some injuries, and her performance last weekend was like the Libby Hoffman we all know.”

Peirano and Hoffman also placed second (7.48) and eighth (7.61) in the 55-meter dash.

Freshman Anna Yonker (Lancaster/Bloom Carroll) had an outstanding day placing first in the 400-meter dash (1:00.10) and third in the 300-meter dash (42.56).

“She’s so competitive, she just loves to race,” Welsh said. “She’s like a pit bull; she just does not give an inch and outworked everybody to win the 400-meters.”

Junior Alysha Gossel (Lancaster) continued to dominate the pole-vault event finishing in first for the third consecutive year with a vault of 11-06.50. Welsh pointed out that the type of career Gossel is having shouldn’t be taken for granted.

“It’s quite an accomplishment for her to remain at the top this long at this high a level and she’s still getting better,” Welsh said. “And she’s not going to rest until she accomplishes all her goals.”

In the shotput, freshman Allyson Tobin (Lancaster/Fisher Catholic) placed first with a throw of 42-05.50, while sophomores Danielle Michel (Vandalia/Wayne) and Katie Homan (Coldwater) finished fourth (38-07.50) and fifth (38-07.00).

“Tobin is a freshman who has had an unbelievable amount of success when you consider she never really seriously picked up a shot-put until two months ago,” Welsh said. “She has a tremendous future if things keep falling for her health-wise and motivation-wise.”

Junior distance-runner Melinda Keesee (Westerville/Dublin Scioto) placed fourth in the one-mile run (5:15.74) and 5000-meter run (18:32.85), while placing fifth in the 1000-meter run (3:12.72).

“When Melinda came out of high school she was overlooked and underrated,” Welsh said. “In three years, she has made herself into probably the most fit person on the team.

She’s tireless and she’s getting every bit out of her ability. I told her she’s kind of like a jet-fighter around the world where all somebody has to do is just stop by and re-fuel her. She never stops running. We have this old saying that you should never leave anything out on the track, and she didn’t.”

Junior Amanda Fugate (Seville/Cloverleaf Senior) placed in two events, the long jump and 400-meter dash, finishing third and sixth, while sophomore Ashley Suffel (Defiance/Defiance Senior) placed third in the 800-meter run.

In the relay events, Otterbein placed second in the 4x200-meter (1:46.40), fifth in the 4x400-meter (4:15.22), and third in the distance medley (12:44.82).

Gossel (pole-vault) and Peirano (55-meter hurdles) will represent Otterbein at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships scheduled for March 10-12 in St. Olaf, Minn.

Gossel, Peirano, Yonker and Tobin Lead Cards into OAC's
Written by Ed Syguda 03/02/06

Otterbein heads into the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Indoor Track and Field Championships with four of the league’s best performances.

Pole-vaulter Alysha Gossel, hurdler Kelli Peirano, sprinter Anna Yonker and shot putter Allyson Tobin sport Otterbein’s best chances for individual titles at the conference championships that get underway Friday at Ohio Northern University.

Gossel, a junior from Lancaster, returns as two-time defending champion in the pole vault. She sits atop the OAC this season with a vault of 11-8, the eighth best mark in NCAA Division III. Gossel took the 2005 individual conference title with a vault of 11-2 1/2.

Peirano, a junior from Gahanna (Lincoln High School), won the 2005 conference title in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.56 seconds. She leads the OAC with an 8.37 second clocking, seventh best in the nation, and sports the OAC’s second fastest time in the 55-meter dash (7.50).

Yonker, a freshman from Lancaster (Bloom Carroll), leads the OAC in the 300 meters at 42.52 seconds, and holds down the second spot in the 400 meters at 1:00.14.

Tobin, a freshman from Lancaster (Fisher Catholic), sports the league’s best throw of 40-10 1/2 in the shot put.

Hurdler Libby Hoffman, a junior from Columbus (Whetstone), could contend for the title in the 55-meter hurdles. She won the event as a freshman in 2004, and heads into the meet with the third best time (8.70 seconds) in the conference.

Amanda Fugate, a junior from Seville (Cloverleaf), should add to the Otterbein scoring. She ranks among the OAC’s top 11 in the 300- and 400 meters, and long jump.

Yonker Named OAC Track Athlete of Week
Written by Ed Syguda 02/21/06

Sprinter Anna Yonker, a freshman from Lancaster (Bloom Carroll), was named the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) women’s track athlete of the week, the OAC released Monday.

Yonker won the 300 meters in a time of 42.52 seconds at the Greater Columbus Championships held at Capital University last Saturday. Her time in the 300 is a season’s best in the OAC. In addition to her win in the 300, Yonker ran legs of Otterbein’s winning 800-meter and 1600-meter relay teams.

Hurdler Kelli Peirano, a junior from Gahanna (Lincoln High School), was named the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) women’s track athlete of the week, the OAC released Monday.

Peirano won the 55-meter hurdles in 8.44 at the All-Ohio held last Saturday at Ohio Northern. She ran an OAC season's best 8.39 in the preliminaries, which provisionally qualified her for the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships scheduled for March 10-11 at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn.

OAC Names Gossel Athlete of the Week
Written by Craig Coleman 02/06/06

Alysha Gossel, a junior from Lancaster, was selected Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) women’s indoor track and field athlete of the week for her performance last week at the Purple and White Invitational hosted by Capital.

Gossel bettered her NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the pole vault with a vault of 11-08, the fourth-best in all of Division III this year. The junior has won the pole vault in every meet she has competed in this season.

Otterbein, scoring 201.66 points, finished first out of five participating teams.

The Cardinals travel to Gambier Friday for the Kenyon Invitational with men’s and women’s events scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.

Otterbein Wins Cardinal Invite
(written by Ashton Shanower 01/24/06)

The Cardinals, opening the indoor season strong, won their the first scored meet of the year, which was held last Saturday at home in the Clements Center.

Otterbein tallied 190 points and was followed by Mount Union, 146.5, Capital, 94, Washington and Jefferson, 70, Muskingum, 56.5, and Rio Grande, 42.

Individual winners for Otterbein in the distance events were sophomore Ashley Suffel (Defiance/Defiance) in the 1000-meter run (3:16.29), junior Melinda Keesee (Scioto/Dublin) in the mile run (5:21.73), and senior Meghan Randolph (Pickerington/Pickerington) in the 5000-meter run (18:47.20).

In the sprints, junior Kelli Peirano (Lincoln/Gahanna) won the 55-meter hurdles (8.79).

Individual winners in the field events included freshman Aleshia Higgins (Big Walnut/Westerville) in the high jump (5-2), junior Alysha Gossel (Lancaster/Lancaster) in the pole vault (11-0) and freshman Alyson Tobin (Fisher Catholic/Lancaster) in the shot put (39-3).

A week earlier, Gossel vaulted 11-6, qualifying her on a provisional basis for the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships.

“I am happy with how we competed at our first scored meet,” said 16th-year head coach Doug Welsh.

The Cardinals are scheduled to compete in the Ohio Athletic Conference Relays this Saturday beginning at noon at Marietta College. Last season, Otterbein finished third in the ten-team field.

Gossel Finishes 19th at NCAA's
(written by Justin Milam 05/26/05)

Otterbein pole vaulter Chris Swanson and distance runner Mike Sawicki earned All-America honors today at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships held at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa.

Swanson, a senior from New Carlisle (Bethel High School), finished fifth in the pole vault with a vault of 16-3 1/4. Brian DeLoriea, a senior from North Central College (IL), won the event with a vault of 16-11.

Sawicki, a junior from Ashtabula (Lakeside High School), finished eighth in the 10,000-meter run with a time of 30:54.21. Josh Moen, a senior from host Wartburg College (IA), won the event in a time of 30:31.45.

Gossel, a sophomore from Lancaster (Lancaster High School) finished 19th in the pole vault (11-0 3/4).  Stephanie Barnes, a junior from Wisconsin-Eau Claire, won the event with a vault of 12-2 1/2.  

Yet to compete for Otterbein are high jumpers Bill Myers and Mike Perrine, and hurdler Justin Rush.  The men’s high jump is set for 4 p.m. CDT Friday, with the men’s 110-meter hurdle preliminaries at 4:20 p.m.  Sawicki will run the 5,000 meters at 3:55 p.m. on Saturday.

Gossel Joins Five Teammates at NCAA's
(written by Justin Milam 05/24/05)

Otterbein will send six student-athletes to the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships scheduled for Thursday through Saturday at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa.

The qualifiers from Otterbein include Mike Sawicki in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, Justin Rush in the 110-meter hurdles, Chris Swanson and Alysha Gossel in the pole vault, and Mike Perrine and Bill Myers in the high jump.

Sawicki, a junior from Ashtabula (Lakeside High School), heads into the meet with the season’s sixth best time in NCAA Division III in the 5,000 meters (14:28.93) and seventh best time in the 10,000 meters (30:12.72).  Sawicki finished tenth in the 5,000 meters at the indoor national championships in 14:51.92.  The men’s 10,000 meters is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. (CDT) Thursday, with the men’s 5,000 meters set for 3:55 p.m. Saturday.

Rush, a freshman from Cortland (Lakeview High School), is making his first national meet appearance and was the final entrant to the 110-meter hurdle field.  His time of 14.73 positions him seventeenth.  Preliminaries for the men’s 110-meter hurdles are scheduled for 4:20 p.m. Friday with the finals set for 1:45 p.m. Saturday.

Swanson, a senior from New Carlisle (Bethel High School), enters the pole vault with the third best vault of 17 feet in NCAA Division III this season.  Swanson already has two All-American honors to his credit. He won the national indoor title with a vault of 17-5 1/2.  The men’s pole vault is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Thursday.

Gossel, a sophomore from Lancaster (Lancaster High School), is making her first national meet appearance and checks in with the eleventh best vault, 12-0, in the field.  The women’s pole vault is scheduled for noon Thursday.

Perrine, a senior from Lewis Center (Olentangy High School), and Myers, a sophomore from Fostoria (Fostoria High School), enter the championships tied for eleventh, each clearing 6-8 1/4 this season.  Myers earned All-American honors with a third-place finish (6-8 3/4) during the indoor championships.  Perrine earned his invitation by setting a personal record last Friday at Baldwin-Wallace.  The men’s high jump is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Friday.

Cards Place 2nd at OAC Championships
(written by Justin Milam 05/09/05)

The Otterbein women’s track and field team finished as runners-up at the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Outdoor Track and Field Championships held last Friday and Saturday at Mount Union College.

The Cardinals totaled 122 points, finishing behind rival Baldwin-Wallace, with 165 points, and ahead of host Mount Union, who finished third with 113 points.

Otterbein boasted three individual champions, all sophomores.  Alysha Gossel won the pole vault, Krysta Douds, the javelin, and Kelli Peirano, 100-meter hurdles.

Gossel established a new meet record in the event, vaulting 11-9.  The previous record was set by Jackie Kaup of Ohio Northern, who vaulted 11-3 in 2002.  This was Gossel’s fourth OAC pole vault championship since coming to Otterbein last year.

Douds, who has been throwing the javelin less than a month, tossed a new personal-best 125-11 for the title.  It moved her up to third on the Otterbein all-time list.

Peirano crossed the line first in a very fast 100-meter hurdles field.  Her time of 14.86 was a new personal best and an NCAA-provisional qualifying time.  The first four finishers met the NCAA provisional standard.

Sophomore Libby Hoffman turned in a very busy and impressive OAC meet.  She finished fourth in the 100-meter hurdles (15.02), fourth in the 100 meters (12.76), fifth in the 200 meters (26.52), and was the anchor leg on the 4 x 100-meter relay team that finished third (49.86).  Her time in the 100-meter hurdles was a personal best and NCAA provisional qualifier.

Douds, Peirano and sophomore Mandy Fugate were also on the 4 x 100-meter relay team.  Fugate finished third in the 400 meters (1:00.85). 

In the distance events, sophomore Melinda Keesee finished second in the 10,000 meters (39:75.50), fifth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (11:49.48), and sixth in the 5,000 meters (19:01.59).  Keesee raced a total of 45 laps on the weekend, covering just over 11 miles.

Freshman Ashley Suffel finished third in the 800 meters (2:22.87), junior Meghan Randolph finished fifth in the 5,000 meters (18:51.76), and senior Jennifer Lynch finished eighth (19:08.75) in the 5,000 meters.  The 4 x 800-meter relay team of Suffel, Lynch, junior Cathy Thompson and senior Jamie Levy finished third (9:36.10).

Freshman Katie Homan finished third in the shot put (39-11 1/4) and seventh in the discus (124-6), and freshman Katie Albanese finished fifth in the pole vault (10-4).  Freshman Allison Rose finished fifth in the javelin (114-4).  Junior Amy Winter finished fifth in the long jump (17-6) and sixth in the 200 meters (26.85).

Otterbein athletes who are in position to qualify for the NCAA Championships will either compete at Baldwin-Wallace or North Central (Ill) May 20.  The NCAA Championships are set for May 26-28 at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa.

Cards Place 5th at D-III All-Ohio
(written by Justin Milam 04/18/05)

Otterbein finished fifth of 21 teams competing at the Division III All-Ohio Championships Saturday afternoon at Ohio Wesleyan University.

Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) foe Baldwin-Wallace dominated the meet, totaling an impressive 141.33 points.  After the Yellow Jackets, the final team standings were up for grabs.  John Carroll finished as runner-up, totaling 69 points.  Mount Union finished third with 68 points and was followed by Ohio Northern, 66.83, Otterbein, 60, Capital, 57, and Wilmington, 54.  

The top eight spots in the meet were filled by OAC schools, and shows that Baldwin-Wallace is the clear favorite at this point in the season.

The Cardinals were paced by a group of sophomores. 

Alysha Gossel was the lone first-place finisher for the Cardinals, winning the pole vault at 11-5 ¾.  Melinda Keesee finished second in the 10,000 meters (38:33) while Kelli Peirano finished second in the 100-meter hurdles (15.52). Mandy Fugate placed third in the 400 meters (1:00.16).  Peirano and Fugate teamed up with fellow sophomores Krysta Douds and Libby Hoffman to finish third in the 4 x 100-meter relay in a school record time of 49.24.

Freshman Ashley Suffel finished fourth in the 800 meters (2:23.13).

Otterbein will compete at the Wilmington Invitational on Saturday.  The OAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships are set for May 6-7 at Mount Union College in Alliance.

Cards Place 4th at Marv Frye Invitational
(written by Justin Milam 04/10/05)

The Otterbein women’s track and field team finished fourth of 16 teams at the Marv Frye Invitational held at Ohio Wesleyan University last Friday.

Otterbein totaled 65.5 points, finishing behind Ashland University, 253.5 points, the University of Findlay, 108 points, and Baldwin-Wallace, 69 points.

The Cardinals had three first-place finishes, highlighted by Alysha Gossel’s victory in the pole vault.  Her vault of 12-0 set a new school record and moved her up to second in the national rankings.  She narrowly missed the NCAA automatic qualifying standard, which is 12-2.

Senior Jennifer Lynch was winner of the 800 meters in 2:23.49, and sophomore Melinda Keesee was winner of the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 12:10.40.  It was the first time Keesee has run the event and she ranks third all-time on the Otterbein list.

Sophomores Libby Hoffman and Kelli Peirano finished third and fourth, respectively, in the 100-meter hurdles in times of 15.44 and 15.49.  Freshman Ashley Suffel finished fourth in the 800 meters in 2:26.16.

Otterbein will compete in the NCAA Division III All-Ohio Championships on Saturday at Ohio Wesleyan University.  The Cardinals finished second to Denison by just three points in 2004.  The meet is set to begin at 9 a.m.

Otterbein Places Third at OAC Championships
(written by Justin Milam 03/06/05)

Otterbein finished third at the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Indoor Track and Field Championships held last Friday and Saturday at Marietta College.

The Cardinals totaled 91.5 points, finishing behind meet winner Baldwin-Wallace, 125, and Ohio Northern, 108.5.  It was Baldwin-Wallace’s 16th OAC crown in the last 18 years with Otterbein winning the other two in 2003 and 2004.

Otterbein tallied three individual champions and six all-conference performers.

Sophomore Alysha Gossel won her third-straight OAC crown in the pole vault (11-2 1/2); sophomore Kelli Peirano won the 55-meter hurdles in an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 8.56; and senior Jennifer Lynch won the 800 meters in 2:22.93.

Freshman Ashley Suffel and senior Susanne Lynch finished second (3:07.86) and third (3:08.55), respectively, in the 1,000 meters.  Sophomore Mandy Fugate placed third in the 300 meters (43.09) and finished fourth in the 400 meters (1:01.07).

The Cardinals will take some time off before heading south to Virginia to compete at Virginia Commonwealth University and Roanoke College.

Race for OAC Indoor Title Tightens
(written by Justin Milam 03/03/05)

Otterbein will look for its third-straight Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) championship this weekend when they head to Marietta College for the indoor track championships.

There is no clear-cut favorite to win this year’s meet as Otterbein, Ohio Northern and Baldwin-Wallace all have excellent chances to win the team title.  Earlier this season, Ohio Northern edged Baldwin-Wallace by two points to win the OAC Relays, with Otterbein finishing 17 points back in third place.  A few weeks later, Baldwin-Wallace came back to win the Division III All-Ohio Championships, finishing ahead of Ohio Northern and Otterbein.

A season ago, the Cardinals won the conference indoor title with 145.5 points, while runner-up Ohio Northern scored 121. 

Otterbein returns two conference champions from 2004.  Sophomore Libby Hoffman, who sits seventeenth in NCAA Division III in the 55-meter hurdles, will look to defend her title in that event.  Sophomore Alysha Gossel, who sits fourteenth in the nation in the pole vault, will look to defend her title in that event as well.

The Cardinals hope to score points in the 55-meter hurdles and the pole vault.  Besides Hoffman in the hurdles, Otterbein will run NCAA-provisional qualifier Kelli Peirano and sophomore Krysta Douds.  The trio will join freshman Megan Clifton in the 55-meter dash.  In the pole vault, Gossel will be joined by former OAC champion Dana Ullman, freshman Katie Albanese and junior Tiffany Estes.

Other all-conference performances could be turned in from junior Meghan Randolph and sophomore Melinda Keesee in the 1,500 meters; sophomore Mandy Fugate in the 300- and 400 meters; senior Jennifer Lynch in the 800 meters; and senior Susanne Lynch and freshman Ashley Suffel in the 1,000 meters. 

On Friday, the field events get underway at 2 p.m. and the running events start at 5:30 p.m.  On Saturday, the field events begin at 10 a.m. and the running events at 2 p.m.

Cards Roll at Greater Columbus Meet
(written by Justin Milam 02/22/05)

Otterbein won its second-consecutive Greater Columbus Division III championship last Saturday.

The Cardinals dominated the meet, rolling up 191 points.  Runner-up Denison scored 118 points, and was followed by Ohio Wesleyan, 117, Capital, 112, Wilmington, 75, and Kenyon, 36.

First-place finishes for Otterbein included sophomore Libby Hoffman, 55 meter hurdles (8.81), junior Cathy Thompson, 800 meters (2:29.55), and sophomore Alysha Gossel, pole vault (10-10).  The 4 x 200-meter relay team finished first in a school record time of 1:48.22.

Otterbein also tallied six second-place and four third-place finishes.

The Cardinals are scheduled to compete Friday at Marietta in a conference qualifier. The Ohio Athetic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships follow March 4-5 at Marietta College.

Cards Set Two Meet Records at All-Ohio 
(written by Justin Milam 02/13/05)

The Otterbein women’s track and field team finished third among 19 teams competing in the Division III All-Ohio Championships held Saturday at Ohio Northern University.  The Cardinals collected two meet records, one school record, and one NCAA-qualifying performance.

Otterbein tallied 61 points, finishing behind Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) rivals Baldwin-Wallace, 94.5 points, and Ohio Northern, 86 points.

Sophomore Alysha Gossel won the pole vault in a meet and school record mark of 11-2 ¼, which qualifies her for the NCAA Championships on a provisional basis. She improved her own school record by an impressive five inches.

Sophomore Kelli Peirano won the 55-meter hurdles in a meet record 8.61.  She currently ranks seventh in the nation with a time of 8.59 taken at the OAC Relays.

Other noteworthy performances include ones from senior Jennifer Lynch, runner-up in the 800 meters (2:24.60); sophomore Melinda Keesee, fourth in the 5,000 meters (18:37.96); and sophomore Libby Hoffman, third in the 55-meter hurdles (8.71).

Otterbein will compete in the Greater Columbus Championships at Denison University this Saturday.  The meet is set to begin at noon.

Cards Open '05 with Win at Capital 
(written by Justin Milam 01/17/05)