Cards Place 11th at Great Lakes Regional
Written Nov. 13, 2007 by Ed Syguda

Jared French

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—The Otterbein men’s cross country team finished 11th at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional held Saturday at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Jared French, a senior from Marengo (Sparta Highland High School), led his team with a 17th-place finish to earn all-regional honors. He covered the 8,000-meter course in 25:28.10, and just missed qualifying for the NCAA Championships by one second.

“Jared ran a very good race and rebounded from a disappointing conference meet to finish all-region,” said Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland. “I hate it for him to miss nationals by one second, but I know that he gave it his all and that is all that really matters.”

Otterbein tallied 315 points to finish ahead of 23 teams in the field of 34. Host Calvin won the meet, scoring 27 points.

“Our guys didn't have their best team effort of the season, but we have improved a lot from last year,” Borland said.

Cards Place Fourth at OAC Championships
Written Oct. 30, 2007 by Ed Syguda

Chase Schneider at OAC Championships

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein, led by a ninth-place finish from Chase Schneider, finished fourth at the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Men’s Cross Country Championships held Saturday at the Highland Park Golf Course in Highland Hills, Ohio.

The Cardinals scored 119 points, finishing behind meet winner Ohio Northern (38), Heidelberg (48), and Mount Union (50) in the ten-team field.

“Our conference is very tough and we knew that we would have to run very well to finish higher than fourth,” said Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland.

Schneider, a junior from Centerburg, covered the 8,000-meter course in 26:32 on his way to first team All-OAC honors.

“I am very proud of how Chase ran,” Borland said. “He is a hard worker and has willed himself into being an all-conference performer. I am excited to see him continue to improve over the next year.”

James Castrillo, a sophomore from Gahanna (Bishop Hartley High School), just missed all-conference honors by one place, finishing 19th (27:00.37).

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 Otterbein scoring were Chris Fyock, a freshman from Seven Hills (Normandy), 24th (27:16.64); Jared French, a senior from Marengo (Sparta Highland), 35th (27:50.62); and Michael Jacoby, a sophomore from Newark, 38th (27:55.93).

Cards Prep for OAC Championships
Written Oct. 25, 2007 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein, compiling a 64-6 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 men’s race is scheduled for a noon start.

Otterbein, finishing first twice and second twice over five meets in 2007, heads into the OAC Championships off a second-place finish at the 20-team Wilmington Fall Classic held Oct. 12. The Cardinals did not compete last weekend.

“Our men's team has shown tremendous progress from a year ago,” said Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland. “They had a great summer and it has really shown throughout the year.”

Otterbein, led by senior Jared French, from Marengo (Sparta Highland High School), hopes to improve upon last season’s fourth-place finish. The Cardinals have won the conference title nine times, including back-to-back wins in 2003 and 2004.

French earned OAC Runner of the Week honors twice this season, finishing in the top five in all five races.

Other Cardinal runners who could record top-10 finishes include Chase Schneider, a junior from Centerberg, and James Castrillo, a sophomore from Gahanna (Bishop Hartley).

OAC Names French Runner of the Week
Written Oct. 17, 2007 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Jared French, a senior from Marengo (Sparta Highland High School), was named Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) “runner of the week” in men’s cross country, the OAC released Monday.

This marks the second time that French has earned the honor this season.

The distance runner helped lead Otterbein to a second-place finish at the 20-team Wilmington Fall Classic held last Friday. French placed second, covering the 8,000-meter course in a personal-best 25:32.64.

Otterbein placed four runners among the top 20. Chase Schneider, a junior from Centerberg, finished sixth (25:52.13); James Castrillo, a sophomore from Gahanna (Bishop Hartley), placed 12th (26:03.49); and Chris Fyock, a freshman from Seven Hills (Normandy), took 19th (26:19.77).

As a team, Otterbein scored 73 points, finishing behind meet winner Shawnee State, with 57 points.

French Earns OAC Runner of the Week Honors
Written Sept. 24, 2007 by Ed Syguda

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Jared French, a senior from Marengo (Sparta Highland High School), was named Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) “runner of the week” in men’s cross country, the OAC released today.

French helped lead the Cardinals to a second-place finish at the Otterbein Invitational held Saturday in Westerville. The distance runner placed fourth, running the 8,000-meter course in a personal-best 26:04.

The Cardinals placed three runners in the top 10, finishing with 80 points. Two-time defending OAC champion Mount Union claimed the top spot in the 16-team field with 62 points.

Cards Finish Second at Otterbein Invite
Written Sept. 22, 2007 by Don Middleton

WESTERVILLE, OHIO―The Otterbein men’s cross country team finished second at the Otterbein Invitational Saturday.  Senior Jared French of Marengo (Sparta Highland) turned in the top mark for the Cardinals, finishing fourth with a time of 26:04.  

The men’s team totaled 80 points with three runners finishing in the top 10.  Sophomore James Castrillo of Gahanna (Bishop Hartley) ran the race in 26:23 to take 8th place.  Junior Chase Schneider (Centerberg) finished a second behind Castrillo at 26:24 to finish in 9th place.

Otterbein 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.

Cards Place 10th at Great Lakes Regional 
Written Nov. 12, 2006 by Adam Walters

HANOVER, INDIANA--The Otterbein men’s cross country team finished its season with a good race at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional hosted by Hanover College last Saturday in Hanover, Ind.

The men scored 323 points to place 10th out of 31 teams. Calvin won the meet with 17 points and was followed by Heidelberg (119), Ohio Northern (123) and Mount Union (133). The top four teams qualified for the NCAA Championships scheduled to take place this Saturday in West Chester. Wilmington College is serving as host.

“Our men ran, perhaps, their best team race of the season,” said seventh-year head coach Ryan Borland. “Our goal was to be in the top 10 and beat some teams that had beaten us this season. We were able to accomplish that feat on Saturday.”

Jared French, a junior from Marengo (Sparta Highland High School), led the Cardinals by placing 47th in a time of 27:05.1. The rest of the Cardinal men followed closely, recording a season best 24-second pack time from their first to fifth runners.

Chase Schneider, a sophomore from Centerburg, was the next Cardinal to cross the finish line, finishing 57th in a time of 27:12.2.

“Jared and Chase ran very good races up front for us, and we are very optimistic about the future of Otterbein cross country,” Borland said.

Eric Green, a sophomore from Bellefontaine, Adam Walters, a senior from Circleville, and James Castrillo, a freshman from Gahanna (Bishop Hartley), finished close together in 71st (27:26.9), 73rd  (27:27.4), and 75th  (27:28.9), respectively.

Sophomore Matt Kleinknecht, from Galion, placed 119th in 28:18.1 and senior Ben Lehman, from Westerville (South), rounded out the Otterbein squad, placing 164th in 29:15.0.

Cards Place 4th at OAC Championships 
Written Oct. 30, 2006 by Adam Walters

TIFFIN, OHIO--The men’s cross country team finished fourth at the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Championship hosted last Saturday by Heidelberg. The Cardinals scored 133 points on a wet, cold racecourse. Mount Union won the meet with 41 points.

The men were led by James Castrillo, a freshman from Gahanna (Bishop Hartley High School), who finished 22nd in a time of 27:16.2.

“It was a tough day for our guys,” said seventh-year head coach Ryan Borland. “We did not run a very focused race and it showed in the results of our performance. This was our first finish outside of the top three in 26 years and we were very disappointed. James Castrillo was a bright spot as he recorded the third-best finish by freshman in the meet.”

The rest of the Cardinal scorers followed quickly as Adam Walters, a senior from Circleville and Eric Green, a sophomore from Bellefontaine, finished 26th and 29th with times of 27:22.0 and 27:28.5.

Sophomores Ryan Davis, from Westerville (South), and Chase Schneider, from Centerburg, finished up the scoring by placing 31st (27:30.3) and 35th (27:34.5), respectively.       

The Cardinals next meet will be at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional Nov. 11 in Hanover, Ind. The men’s race is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.

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 17th at All-Ohio 
Written Oct. 8, 2006 by Adam Walters

DELAWARE, OHIO—The men’s cross country team competed Friday at the Ohio Intercollegiate Cross Country Championships hosted by Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware. This meet is unique since 42 of the colleges and universities in Ohio competed against each other regardless of school size or NCAA division.

The Cardinals finished 17th with 510 points. The Ohio State University won the meet with 42 points.    

The men were led by James Castrillo, a freshman from Gahanna (Bishop Hartley High School), and Adam Walters, a senior from Circleville, who placed 84th and 86th, respectively, in times of 27:52.1 and 27:53.7.   

Sophomores Chase Schneider, from Centerburg, and Tim Weaver, from Youngstown (Boardman), crossed the finish line next in times of 28:05.6 and 28:08.2, placing 102nd and 104th, respectively. Jared French, a junior from Marengo (Highland), rounded out the scoring for the Cardinals with a 135th-place finish in a time of 28:31.5.

Otterbein placed sixth out of 22 teams competing from NCAA Division III. The Cardinals scored 174 points. Mount Union College placed first with a low score of 58.

The Cardinals compete next at the Wooster Relays on Oct. 18 in Wooster. The men’s race is scheduled start at 4 p.m.

Cards Just Miss First Place at Home 
Written Sept. 24, 2006 by Adam Walters

The Otterbein men’s cross country team hosted the Otterbein Invitational Saturday on a rain-soaked course in Westerville. The Cardinals took second place with 59 points, losing to Denison, with 58, by a single point.

Senior Adam Walters, from Circleville, and sophomore Eric Green, from Bellefontaine, led the Cardinals, placing fifth and sixth, respectively, covering the flooded 8,000-meter course in 27:06.7 and 27:12.4.

Chase Schneider, a sophomore from Centerburg, ran 27:21.6 to place 11th, while sophomores Ryan Davis, from Westerville (South High School) and Tim Weaver, from Youngstown (Boardman), rounded out the scoring by finishing 18th (27:41.2) and 19th (27:43.5) overall.

“The men made a positive step this week and improved from last week’s race,” said head coach Ryan Borland. “I was proud of how we battled the tough conditions.”

The men showed improvement as a team, turning in an impressive pack time of just under 37 seconds between the first and fifth runners,  and a 56-second spread between the first and eighth runners.

Cards Face Tough Field at Calvin 
Written Sept. 19, 2006 by Adam Walters

GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.--The Otterbein men’s cross country team opened up its season at the Calvin Invitational, hosted by Calvin College last Saturday in Grand Rapids, Mich.

The men’s team placed eighth out of ten teams with 196 points in a highly competitive field. The top ranked NCAA Division III team in the nation, Calvin College, won the meet with 18 points. Fifth-ranked University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh placed second, while the third-ranked team in NAIA, Aquinas College, placed third.

Sophomore Tim Weaver, from Youngstown (Boardman High School), led the Cardinals, placing 33rd in a time of 26:36.6. Following closely were Eric Green, a sophomore from Bellefontaine, and Adam Walters, a senior from Circleville, completing the course in times of 26:53.5 (45th) and 26:59.4 (47th). Rounding out the top five were Chase Schneider, a sophomore from Centerburg, and Ryan Davis, a sophomore from Westerville (South), who placed 52nd (27:11.8) and 56th (27:17.5).

“We’re disappointed with where we finished place-wise, but we knew it was going to be a tough first meet,” said seventh-year head coach Ryan Borland. “We did have a good pack time, and we’re just looking to improve this week as a team.”

The Cardinals will be back on the course this week as they host the Otterbein Invitational this Saturday in Westerville. The men’s race will begin at 11 a.m.

OAC Coaches Tab Sawicki Runer of the Year 
Written by Ed Syguda 12/14/05

All-America distance runner Mike Sawicki, a senior from Ashtabula (Lakeside High School), was named the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) runner of the year in men’s cross country, the OAC released today.

Sawicki, who also earned the honor in 2004, capped off a stellar senior season, winning five individual titles, including the All-Ohio and the OAC Championship. He was selected OAC runner of the week four times this season.

The two-time All-American finished second at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional and sixth at the NCAA Division III Championship.

Sawicki, Cauley Cap off Stellar Careers 
Written by Adam Walters 11/21/05

Seniors Mike Sawicki (Ashtabula/Lakeside) and Mike Cauley (Mechanicsburg) came to Otterbein as freshmen with very unassuming high school cross country resumes.

Sawicki had been a state qualifier in high school, but not a high finisher. Cauley played high school football, so he didn’t even run during the fall. Both of them capped off very decorated collegiate cross country careers Saturday at the  NCAA Division III Men’s Cross Country Championship held in Delaware.

Sawicki finished sixth in the field of 211 runners to earn his second straight All-America title with a time of 25:42.6. Cauley finished 38th in a time of 26:32.1, just missing All-American status by three places. Williams College’s Neal Holtschulte, a native of Fairbanks, won the race in a time of 25:13.8.

Sawicki, who finished third in this meet last year, was right with the lead pack for most of the race before fading near the finish on the 8,000-meter course. Cauley opened the race trapped in a crowd of runners and sat about 105th after the first 1500 meters.            

Sawicki and Cauley both ended great cross country careers at Otterbein.

"The main qualities that Mike and Mike have brought to our program are commitment, focus, and metal toughness. And they just have this enthusiasm and passion about competing that every coach wants to see in his athletes," said sixth-year head coach Ryan Borland.

Sawicki finshed his career as a four-time All-OAC performer (including two individual titles), a four-time All-Great Lakes runner (including one individual title), and a two-time All-American (third and sixth in the nation).

Cauley, often overshadowed by Sawicki, would have been the top runner for almost any other school this season. He finished his career as a three-time All-OAC finisher, a two-time All-Great Lakes performer, and a two-time national qualifier (50th and 38th).

Sawicki, Cauley Advance to the NCAA's 
Written by Adam Walters 11/12/05

The men’s cross country team finished sixth out of 34 teams at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional held last Saturday at Voice of America Park in West Chester.

Seniors Mike Sawicki (Ashtabula/Lakeside) and Mike Cauley (Mechanicsburg) finished second and eighth, respectively, and qualified for the NCAA championships scheduled for this Saturday at the Dornoch Golf Club and Methodist Theological School in Delaware. The men’s race is slated to begin at noon.

Sawicki and Cauley earned all-region honors by finishing in the top 35. Sawicki covered the 8,000-meter course in 24:20.6, six seconds behind meet winner Tim Finnegan, from Calvin, who ran a 24:14.3. Cauley turned in a 24:50.8.

This marks the pair’s second straight appearance in the NCAA championships. Both will be looking to improve upon their finishes from 2004. Sawicki placed third (24:43.4) to earn All-America honors while Cauley came in 50th (25:29.7).

Rounding out the scoring for the Cardinals at the regional were freshman Eric Green (Bellefontaine), placing 63rd (26:29.5), and sophomores James Rook (Warren/Lordstown) and Jared French (Marengo/Sparta Highland), who placed 69th (26:35.9) and 94th (27:07.0), respectively.

Cards Shoot for Top 3 Finish at Great Lakes 
Written by Adam Walters 11/08/05

The men’s cross country team is looking at this weekend’s NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional as a chance to redeem themselves after finishing a disappointing second place at the OAC Championships two weeks ago.

The Cardinals go into the regional looking to secure a national berth that has eluded them the last two years, just missing a qualifying finish by one place each time. This year, the team will be fighting against 30 other teams hoping to capture one of the three NCAA qualifying spots. The main competition will come from two-time defending national champion Calvin (MI), nationally-ranked DePauw (IN), 2005 OAC champion Mount Union, and a very good Anderson (IN) squad.

“Our guys have a realistic shot,” said sixth-year head coach Ryan Borland. “We just need to compete to our potential and we’ll be in good shape,”

An Otterbein men’s team hasn’t qualified to the national meet since the 1994 squad finished eighth in the nation.

“This year we are better up front, our first two runners are better than our first guy (who finished as an All-American) that year,” said Borland, who was a member of that 1994 team. “The difference is we had a really good pack from our first through our seventh runners that year, but I’d say this team has worked just as hard and has a little bit more ability than our team in 1994.”

Each team can only run their top seven runners, so the Cardinals will line up following their senior one-two punch of defending regional champion, Mike Sawicki, and national qualifier, Mike Cauley. The rest of the team will be made up of juniors Bobby Fink and Adam Walters; sophomores Jared French and James Rook; and freshman Eric Green.

“The 1994 team was extremely confident, and we have yet to get that type of confidence as a whole team this year,” Borland added. “But we have a great chance to do something special this Saturday.”

The Cardinals really don’t need to do anything different than they’ve done all year as they have finished second in every race this year except for the All-Ohio. A second-place finish Saturday would be good enough to punch their ticket to nationals.

Sawicki, Cauley Take Top Two at OAC's 
Written by Adam Walters 10/31/05

Seniors Mike Sawicki (Ashtabula/Lakeside) and Mike Cauley (Mechanicsburg) finished one, two to lead the Cardinals to a runner-up finish at the OAC Championships held last Saturday in Westerville. This is only the second time in school history that Otterbein teammates finished first and second at the conference meet, with the last two being Tom Schnurr and Scott Alpeter, who both hold numerous school records and earned multiple All-America honors.

Despite Sawicki and Cauley both running career personal bests of 24:26.5 and 25:01.5, the Cardinals fell to Mount Union—who put four runners in the top eleven—by  a score of 50-63.

Eric Green, a freshman from Bellefontaine, ran a personal best time of 26:09.7 to place 13th. Junior Adam Walters (Circleville) and sophomore Jared French (Marengo/Sparta Highland) placed 23rd(26:33.6) and 24th (26:35.1), respectively, to round out the scoring for the Cardinals. Sophomore James Rook (Warren/Lordstown) also ran a personal best time of 26:57.2 to finish 30th.

“As a team, we’re disappointed because we know we can do better,” said sixth-year head coach Ryan Borland. “We are excited about the chance to compete at the regional meet in two weeks.”

Cards Shoot for 3rd Straight OAC Title 
Written by Adam Walters 10/24/05

After taking a week off from racing last weekend, the Cardinals are preparing to host the 2005 OAC Championships in Westerville this Saturday.

Otterbein held off Mount Union last year for its second-straight title by a score of 49 to 57. The Cardinals are going for the three-peat or its first string of back-to-back-to-back titles in the program’s history.

The men’s team will be looking to the senior one-two punch of Mike Sawicki (Ashtabula/Lakeside) and Mike Cauley (Mechanicsburg) to lead the team. Sawicki has only been beaten once this season (by a non-D-III runner) and will look to become the 15th OAC runner to win back-to-back individual OAC titles after winning this race a year ago. Cauley is looking to improve on his all-conference fourth-place finish from last year.

Following the seniors closely will be juniors Adam Walters (Circleville), Bobby Fink (St.Clairsville), Ben Lehman (Westerville/South); sophomores Jared French (Marengo/Sparta Highland) and James Rook (Warren/Lordstown); and freshmen Eric Green (Bellefontaine) and Chase Schneider (Centerburg).

The men’s toughest competition will come from Mount Union, who won the title in 2002 and has finished second to the Cardinals the last two seasons, and Ohio Northern, who finished second to Otterbein in the D-III standings at the this season’s All-Ohio.

Otterbein has won conference championships in 1980, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1995, 2003, and 2004.  The Cardinals have not finished any lower than third since 1979.

Seniors Finish One, Two at Wilmington 
Written by Adam Walters 10/15/05

The Otterbein men’s cross country team captured second place out of 16 teams at the 13th-annual Wilmington Fall Classic hosted by Wilmington College. 

The Cardinal men scored 62 points to finish runner-up to Anderson University, who won the meet with a score of 42. This race served as the last tune-up before the men go after their third straight Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) title in two weeks.

Senior captains Mike Sawicki (Ashtabula/Lakeside) and Mike Cauley  (Mechanicsburg) once again led the men’s team. The duo finished first and second with times of 25:30.56 and 25:34.2, respectively.

Eric Green, a freshman from Bellefontaine, and junior Adam Walters (Circleville) ran well to finish 14th  (26:36.15) and 20th (26:51.57). James Rook, a sophomore from Warren (Lordstown), and Bobby Fink, a junior from St. Clairsville, each ran career personal best times of 27:10.72 and 27:24.77 to close the team pack time down to a season best.

“I think our five (Rook) and six (Fink) guys ran much better today. I’m excited about their races,” said sixth-year head coach Ryan Borland, “I like where we’re at right now going into the off week. I’m excited for the challenge of the conference meet in two weeks.”

Cards Take Top D-III Finish at All-Ohio 
Written by Adam Walters 10/10/05

The Otterbein men’s cross country team scored 279 points to place 8th out of 41 teams at the All-Ohio Championships held in Delaware last Friday. Ohio State won the men’s race with a low score of 64 points.

The Cardinals won the All-Ohio Division III Championship for the third consecutive year, holding off rivals Ohio Northern and Mount Union.

On a cold and rainy day, senior Mike Sawicki, from Ashtabula (Lakeside High School), won the race in a time of 25:46.5. He becomes the first Cardinal to win the All-Ohio Championship, and only the second Division III overall champion.

Senior Mike Cauley, from Mechanicsburg, finished 15th overall (third in Division III) in a time of 26:33.2 to help the Cardinals.

Rounding out the scoring for Otterbein were freshman Eric Green, from Bellefontaine, placing 70th (27:50.5), junior Adam Walters from Circleville, finishing 90th (28:06.1), and sophomore James Rook from Warren (Lordstown High School), placing 103rd (28:18.7).

The Cardinals compete again at the Wilmington Invitational, 5:15 p.m., Friday.  It will be the last tune-up meet before they host the Ohio Athletic Conference Championships Oct. 29.

Sawicki Wins All-Ohio
Written by Ed Syguda 10/07/05

All-America cross country runner Mike Sawicki, a senior from Ashtabula (Lakeside High School), won the men’s varsity race of the All-Ohio Intercollegiate Championship held today at the Methodist Theological School and Dornoch Golf Club in Delaware.

“I’m pretty happy, pretty excited,” said Sawicki shortly after the race. “Our team did well too, so that was good.”

Sawicki covered the 8,000-meter course in 25:46.5, besting the field of 286 runners. Sawicki, who has won three of four invitationals this season, becomes the first Otterbein runner to win the All-Ohio, which includes teams from NCAA Division I, II and III schools.

“I really thought I had a good shot to win—that was my goal,” Sawicki said. “I would have been happy in the top five.”

Sawicki, who said he was in better shape this season, shaved about 40 seconds off his time from last season. He finished 12th at the All-Ohio in a time of 26:25.0 a year ago.

Sawicki ran a pretty conservative race over the course of the first mile, but moved up among the top four runners for miles two and three, he said. He took the lead for good at the three-mile mark.

Sawicki Three-Peats for OAC Honors
Written by Ed Syguda 10/03/05

For the third straight week, All-America Mike Sawicki, a senior from Ashtabula (Lakeside High School), was selected Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) men’s cross country runner of the week.

Sawicki took his second straight individual title, finishing first at the 25th Annual Geneseo (SUNY) Invitational held last Saturday in Mount Morris, N.Y. He covered the 8,000-meter course in 25:16, besting the field of 192 runners.

“Mike showed a lot of toughness,” said sixth-year head coach Ryan Borland.

Sawicki suffered an asthma attack about two miles into the race, but still managed to hang on for the win, according to Borland.

“That’s why he is such a great leader for our team,” Borland said.

Sawicki, who won individual titles at six meets last season, brings his career meet win total to nine.

Otterbein, scoring 63 points, finished seven points behind meet winner and host Geneseo, who tallied 56.  Eighteen schools participated in the meet.

The Cardinals are scheduled to compete at the All-Ohio Friday in Delaware. The men’s race is scheduled to begin at 2:45 p.m., which follows the women’s race scheduled for 2 p.m.

OAC Names Sawicki Runner of the Week
Written by Ed Syguda 09/28/05

For the second straight week, All-America Mike Sawicki, a senior from Ashtabula (Lakeside High School), was selected Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) men’s cross country runner of the week.

Sawicki led from beginning to end, finishing first at the Otterbein Invitational held in Westerville last Saturday. He covered the rain-soaked 8,000-meter course in 25:33.9, besting the field of 117 runners.

Otterbein, scoring 35 points, finished three points behind meet winner Ashland (32). Nine schools participated in the meet.

OAC Names Sawicki Runner of the Week
Written by Ed Syguda 09/21/05

All-America Mike Sawicki, a senior from Ashtabula (Lakeside High School), was selected Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) men’s cross country runner of the week for his performance in the Cedarville Friendship Invitational held last Saturday in Yellow Springs.

Sawicki, finishing second in a field of 122 runners, helped lead Otterbein to a second-place finish. He covered the 8,000-meter course in 25:05.66.

“Mike has worked his way into being one of the best in the country and, possibly, one of the best this school has ever seen in cross country,” said sixth-year head coach Ryan Borland. “We are very proud of his accomplishments.”

Otterbein, scoring 90 points, finished behind meet winner Ohio State, who captured seven of the top ten spots. Nine teams participated.

Cards Field Experienced Squad in 2005
Written by Ashton Shanower 09/14/05

Experience is a common characteristic for the team in 2005.  Five lettermen return to the team.

Returning letterwinners include senior Mike Cauley (Mechanicsburg/Mechanicsburg), senior Mike Sawicki (Ashtabula/Lakeside), junior Adam Walters (Circleville/Circleville), junior Ben Lehman (Westerville/South), and sophomore Jared French (Marengo/Sparta Highland). Returning with national meet experience are Sawicki, who placed third at the 2004 NCAA Championships and Cauley, who finished 50th.

Captains representing the season include Cauley, Sawicki and Walters.

The men plan on defending their Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) title and qualify for the NCAA national meet. “ Our main goals this season are to win conference and make it to nationals. Those are two of our competition goals,” said head coach Ryan Borland.

The Cardinals will host both the Otterbein Invitational Sept. 24 and the OAC Championship on Oct. 29.

The season kicks off Saturday at the Cedarville Invitational.

Sawicki, Coach Borland Earn Top OAC Honors
Written by Ed Syguda 12/13/04

Mike Sawicki, a junior from Ashtabula, was selected Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) men’s cross country Runner of the Year by the league’s coaches, the OAC released today.

Head coach Ryan Borland, who also coaches the women’s team, was named OAC men’s Coach of the Year for the third time in his five-year career at Otterbein.

Sawicki capped off a stellar season, earning All-America honors with a third-place finish (24:43.4) at the NCAA Division III Championships. He also took individual titles at both the OAC Championships and the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional.

Sawicki Takes 3rd at NCAA Championships
Written by Justin Milam 11/20/04

Otterbein junior Mike Sawicki capped off an incredible cross country campaign with a third-place finish at the 2004 NCAA Division III Championships Saturday afternoon at Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Running up front the entire race, Sawicki completed the 8,000-meter course in 24:43.4, earning him All-America honors in his first national championship race.  Wartburg College senior Josh Moen was the individual champion in 24:28.7, while Williams College junior Neal Holtschulte was runner-up in 24:41.8.

Senior Mike Cauley continued his streak of impressive races as he finished 50th overall in a new personal-best time of 25:29.7.  There was a total of 214 competing student-athletes.

Sawicki set school records for the highest finish at a NCAA meet and for the best single-season winning percentage.  In 1982, Mark Burns finished seventh in the national meet and was 998-10 on the season, for a 99.01 winning percentage.  Sawicki finished with a record of 1,439-13, for a 99.10 winning percentage.

Calvin College won their second straight team championship, and DePauw University, who took the last qualifying spot from the regional, finished 13th overall among the 24 competing schools.  Both schools are from the Great Lakes region.

Sawicki and Cauley Prep for NCAA's
Written by Justin Milam 11/16/04

Otterbein will have two student-athletes competing at the 2004 NCAA Division III Championships Saturday afternoon at Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Junior Mike Sawicki, who won the NCAA D-III Great Lakes Regional, and senior Mike Cauley, who finished 13th at the regional meet, will do battle with the best runners in the nation.  The duo has an excellent opportunity to earn All-America status, which goes to those who finish in the top 35.

“It is very exciting to see both have this opportunity,” said Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland.  “It has been a big goal for both of them, and they have worked tirelessly to obtain this goal.”

Sawicki has a realistic chance of winning the race, as he is unbeaten against runners from NCAA Division III schools this season.  He will have to deal with defending champion Josh Moen, from Wartburg College, and last year’s runner-up, Macharia Yuot, from Widerner University, who have run capable times this season.

“The national meet is so exciting and very competitive, and I know both of them will be ready to represent Otterbein with solid performances.”

The race starts at 11 a.m. Central Standard Time.

Sawicki and Cauley Qualify for the NCAA's
Written by Ed Syguda 11/13/04

Otterbein, placing three runners among the top 26, finished third at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional held today at Alma College in Alma, Mich.

Although Otterbein missed qualifying its team for the NCAA Championships by one place, it will send two runners to the national meet scheduled for Nov. 20 at Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Mike Sawicki, a junior from Ashtabula, and Mike Cauley, a senior from Mechanicsburg, both qualified for the NCAA Championships. Sawicki took the individual title today, running the 8,000-meter course in 24:08.4. Cauley placed 13th in 25:01.1. Both earned all-regional honors by finishing in the top 35 in this field of 211 runners.

Aaron Mack, a senior from Elyria, also earned all-regional honors. He finished 26th in 25:29.6.

Rounding out the scoring for Otterbein were Nate Ritz, a senior from Millville, 41st (25:52.2); and Bob Baers, a senior from Bremen, 49th (26:03.2).

Only the top two teams in this 30-team field qualified for the NCAA Championships. The Cardinals, under fifth-year head coach Ryan Borland, scored 130 points and trailed meet winner Calvin (30), and runner-up DePauw (97).

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 with a full head of steam. 

Two weeks ago, the Cardinals successfully defended their Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) championship, upending rival Mount Union by eight points.  Now the focus shifts to the regional championships, where, a season ago, Otterbein just missed earning the final qualifying spot for the NCAA Championships.

“Last year we had a good race, but it wasn’t the one we hoped for,” said Otterbein junior Mike Sawicki.  “Its great having so many guys back because we have been constantly remembering the feeling that we had when we found out we didn’t make it to nationals.  We have used that feeling as motivation to train harder and become better competitors.”

The Cardinals will be up against some of the best competition seen at any regional meet in the last couple of years.  Calvin College (MI), who is the defending NCAA champion and are currently atop the national rankings, eighth-ranked DePauw University (IN), and a very good team from Anderson University (IN), will be among the 32 schools competing for only two NCAA qualifying bids. 

“We will need to match the other teams’ intensity and focus, and put together our most determined effort thus far,” said Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland.  “With the men’s team running five seniors, it would be great to add another week to their last season.”

Running for the Cardinals will be seniors Bob Baers, Mike Cauley, Aaron Mack, Justin Milam and Nate Ritz, as well as junior OAC champion Mike Sawicki and sophomore Adam Walters.

“This will be a very challenging meet for our team,” Borland said.  “We are very excited about the opportunity to run this meet with a realistic chance of being one of the top two teams that qualify to the NCAA meet.”

The meet will be held at Alma College in central Michigan. The men’s race is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.  Otterbein last qualified for the nationals in 1996, which was also the last time the Great Lakes Regional was held at Alma.

Cards Win 2nd Straight OAC Championship
Written by Ed Syguda 10/30/04

Otterbein, placing three runners among the top ten, won its second straight, ninth overall, conference title today at the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Cross Country Championships hosted by Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea.

The Cardinals, under fifth-year head coach Ryan Borland, scored 49 points, eight points ahead of Mount Union, who finished second with 57 points.

Mike Sawicki, a junior from Ashtabula, took the individual title, running the 8,000-meter course in 25:49.74.

Also earning All-OAC honors for Otterbein by finishing in the top ten were Mike Cauley, a senior from Mechanicsburg, fourth (26:28.81); and Aaron Mack, a senior from Elyria, ninth (26:43.60).

Justin Milam, a senior from North Royalton, finishing 17th (27:41.68), and Bob Baers, a senior from Bremen, 18th (27:42.38), rounded out the Otterbein scoring.

The complete order of finish: Otterbein (49), Mount Union (57), Heidelberg (83), Ohio Northern (98), Baldwin-Wallace (122), John Carroll (171), Wilmington (174), Muskingum (203), Marietta (273), and Capital (314).

Cards Ready to Defend OAC Title
Written by Justin Milam 10/28/04  

Otterbein will look for its second-consecutive Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) cross country title when they head to Baldwin-Wallace for the OAC Championships Saturday in Berea.  The Cardinals last won back-to-back OAC crowns in 1994 and 1995.

“This is my favorite time of the year,” said Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland, who was named OAC Men’s Cross County Coach of the Year last season.

The outlook for this weekend’s championships is very optimistic as the Cardinals have all five of their all-conference performers running well, as well as three underclassmen who hope to leave their footprint on the conference.

Junior sensation Mike Sawicki, who is one of the nation’s finest distance runners, leads the way with his quest for his first conference cross country title.  Sawicki won the 10,000 meters and finished second in the 5,000 meters in OAC record-setting times at the 2004 outdoor conference championships.  So far this season, he has broken the 25-minute barrier twice, setting a personal record of 24:52 in the Loyala University Chicago race.

Following closely behind Sawicki will be seniors Mike Cauley, Nate Ritz, Bob Baers, Justin Milam and Aaron Mack, with underclassmen Adam Walters, Jared French and Gabe Deeds providing team depth.

“It has been a very successful year again this year and a conference championship would be great if our seniors could go out on top of the OAC,” Borland said.

At last season’s cross country championship, Otterbein edged Mount Union by just four points, 38 to 42, to capture its first conference championship since 1995.  Sawicki, Cauley, Ritz and Milam all earned all-conference honors by finishing in the top ten.  Mack earned All-OAC honors in 2000 and 2001.

Otterbein has won conference championships in 1980, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1995, and 2003.  The Cardinals have not finished any lower than third since 1979.

“It will be a very tough battle, but we are excited and looking forward to the challenge, Borland added.”

Cards Prep for All-Ohio--Sawicki Wins Again
Written by Justin Milam 10/05/04  

After bringing home two third-place finishes at the Loyola (IL) Lakefront Invitational and the Rio Grande Invitational, the men’s cross country team will compete at the All-Ohio Championships Friday afternoon 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 first among all competing NCAA Division III schools, and eighth overall among all 37 schools.  Kent State won the meet, scoring just 49 points.

Otterbein’s highest All-Ohio finish came in 1995 when the Cardinals placed fifth overall.  The men’s varsity race is set for 2 p.m. followed by the men’s open race at 3:30 p.m.

At last week’s Lakefront Invitational, Otterbein finished third out of 32 teams from around the country.  University of Wisconsin at Parkside and Carthage College both finished ahead of the Cardinals.

Otterbein junior Mike Sawicki continued his reign of terror on the cross country course as he ran away from the competition for his fourth-consecutive individual victory.  Sawicki completed the five-mile course in 24:52, another personal record, and 24 seconds ahead of second-place.

Senior Mike Cauley, who happened to miss the starting gun, worked his way up through the field of 313 student-athletes to place 12th in 26:07.  He was followed by senior Bob Baers and sophomore Adam Walters, who finished 27th and 28th, respectively, both running 26:31.  Senior Justin Milam finished 40th in 26:50 to round out the scoring.

“We experimented a little bit with our strategy for the race,” said Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland.  “But we still need to get our pack closer to the front of the race.  We just have to keep working to become a better team in the coming weeks.”

At the Rio Grande Invitational last Saturday, senior Aaron Mack was Otterbein’s top finisher at 16th place in 27:59.

Cards to Compete in Loyola's Lakefront Invite
Written by Justin Milam 09/29/04

The Otterbein men’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. 

“Chicago is going to be a great opportunity for us to see national caliber-type competition, which is going to give us a little bit more experience and will help us further down the road,” said Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland.  “The Rio Grande meet is a great chance to develop our younger runners, and also to gain some more confidence.”

The Cardinals won the Rio Grande Invitational last season, easily outdistancing second place Concord College by 41 points.

Last Saturday, Otterbein placed second in their home invitational, as 17th ranked DePauw (IN) beat the Cardinals by 23 points, 56 to 33, in the field of nine teams.

Junior Mike Sawicki won his third consecutive race in a course record time of 24:57.4 for the 8,000-meter distance.  Senior Mike Cauley placed fourth overall, running a personal record time of 25:42.

“The Otterbein Invite was a good test for us right now,” Borland said.  “We competed well as a team. We just need to improve our pack time and continue to improve.”

The gun goes off in Chicago at noon (CST), while the race at Rio Grande begins at 9 a.m.

Captains Set High Expectations for 2004
Written by Justin Milam 09/02/04

A season of high expectations awaits this year’s Otterbein men’s cross country team. 

Not only do the Cardinals seek to defend their Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) championship, they also hope to make their first trip to the NCAA Championships since 1995.  With ten lettermen returning, five of whom are all-conference performers, this team could accomplish its goals.

“The men’s team will be solid this year with the return of some key seniors,” said Ryan Borland, who is entering his fifth season with the Cardinals.  “Losing guys like Luke Peters and Ben Gadfield will be tough, but there a number of young guys who are looking forward to the challenge of stepping up and helping our team improve.

“We will be led by captains Mike Cauley, Aaron Mack, Justin Milam, Nate Ritz, and Mike Sawicki, who are among the finest leaders we have had recently,” Borland added.

Other top returnees include seniors Bob Baers and Josh Fitzwater, and sophomore Adam Walters.

Last season, Otterbein finished eighth at the All-Ohio Championships, first at the OAC Championships, and fourth at the Great Lakes Regional, one place short of qualifying for the NCAA Championships.

The Cardinals open the 2004 campaign Sept. 11 at the Otterbein Alumni Meet.  The men’s race is set to begin at 11 a.m. in Westerville.

Borland Named OAC Coach of the Year
Written by Ed Syguda 12/16/03

Ryan Borland was selected Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) men’s cross country coach of the year, the conference office released today.

Borland, in his fourth season at the helm of the Otterbein program, led the men’s team to the conference championship and a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional—just missing qualification for the NCAA Championships by one team place.

This is the second time that Borland, who also coaches the women’s cross country team, has earned this award. He was named men’s coach of the year in 2000.

Cards Take Fourth at Great Lakes
Written by Ed Syguda 11/15/03

Otterbein just missed qualifying for the NCAA Division III Men’s Cross Country Championship, finishing fourth at the Great Lakes Regional held today at Hanover College in Hanover, Ind.

The Cardinals, under fourth-year head coach Ryan Borland, scored 156 points, trailing meet winner Calvin, with 15 points, Albion, with 108, and Case Western Reserve, with 136. Only the top three teams in this 32-team field qualified for the NCCA championship scheduled for Nov. 22 at Hanover.

Scoring for Otterbein in this 8,000-meter race were Luke Peters, a senior from Eaton, 14th (25:58); Mike Sawicki, a sophomore from Ashtabula, 19th (26:17); Nate Ritz, a junior from Millville (Tallawanda High School), 35th (26:56); Mike Cauley, a senior from Mechanicsburg, 43rd (27:02); and Justin Milam, a junior from North Royalton, 45th (27:06).

Cards Win OAC Championship
Written by Ed Syguda 11/01/03

The Otterbein men’s cross country team, placing five runners among the top ten, won its eighth Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) championship in men’s cross country today at Wilmington College.

The Cardinals, under fourth-year head coach Ryan Borland, scored 38 points to edge Mount Union, who tallied 42 points to finish second in this 8,000-meter race. This marked Otterbein’s first conference championship since 1995.

Scoring for Otterbein were Mike Sawicki, a sophomore from Ashtabula, fifth (25:58.13); Luke Peters, a senior from Eaton, sixth (26:07.70); Mike Cauley, a senior from Mechanicsburg, eighth (26:20.53); Nate Ritz, a junior from Millville (Tallawanda High School), ninth (26:21.52); and Justin Milam, a junior from North Royalton, tenth (26:27.72).

All five runners earned All-OAC honors by finishing in the top ten.

The complete order of finish: Otterbein (38), Mount Union (42), John Carroll (98), Heidelberg (102), Ohio Northern (108), Baldwin-Wallace (161), Muskingum (193), Wilmington (215), Marietta (265) and Capital (315).

Cardinals Win Tight Race at Gettysburg
Written by Justin Milam 10/21/03

Otterbein continued its winning ways by claiming the Gettysburg Invitational Saturday in Gettysburg, Pa. 

The Cardinals edged Wheeling Jesuit (WV) by five points, 60 to 65, to take the team championship in the 20-team field.  This was the first time Otterbein has won the meet and is their fifth invitational win on the season.

Senior Luke Peters (Camden/Eaton) and sophomore Mike Sawicki (Ashtabula/Lakeside) led the charge for the Cards, finishing sixth and seventh overall.  The duo covered the muddy 8,000-meter course in 26:27 and 26:30.

Following Peters and Sawicki, was junior Nate Ritz (Millville/Talawanda) and senior Mike Cauley (Mechanicsburg/Mechanicsburg), who finished 10th (26:51) and 14th (27:04) overall.

Senior Ben Gadfield (Orrville/Orrville) and junior Justin Milam (North Royalton/North Royalton) finished 23rd (27:35) and 27th (27:37), and junior Josh Fitzwater (Zanesville/Tri-Valley) finished 31st (27:43).

Wheeling Jesuit placed four runners in the top 11, but its fifth scorer finished 43rd overall, giving the Cardinals a five-point victory.

“We did what we had to do to win, and I’m real proud of that,” said Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland.  “I’m real excited that Sawicki is getting his stride back and that our 5-6-7 runners made a big effort to close the gap from the top four.  We just have to continue to work on our focus and concentration during the middle of the race.”

The Cardinals will take a week off in preparation for the Ohio Athletic Conference Championships at Wilmington College Nov. 1.

Cardinals 8th Best in Ohio
Written by Justin Milam 10/15/03

Otterbein placed eighth of 37 schools and first among all NCAA Division III schools competing in the All-Ohio Championships held Friday in Delaware.  This was the team’s highest finish since the Cardinals placed fifth in 1994.

The All-Ohio Championships featured all of Ohio’s cross-country teams, including NCAA Divisions I, II, III, and NAIA.

The Cardinals finished ahead of three nationally ranked NAIA programs, including fourth-ranked Malone.  Otterbein (245) beat Case Western Reserve, ranked 26th in NCAA Division III, by 25 points in the overall standings and by six points in Division III scoring.

Kent State won the meet with 49 points, followed by Cincinnati (59), Youngstown State (127), Ashland (183), and Ohio State’s B-Team (209).

“We are excited about what we accomplished at All-Ohio,” said Otterbein head coach Ryan Borland.  “It was only the second time we have won the college division.”

Otterbein had their first four runners finish in the top 50, completing the 8,000-meter course within 18 seconds of each other.  Junior Nate Ritz (Millville/Talawanda) and senior Luke Peters (Camden/Eaton) finished 31st (27:00) and 37th (27:07), while sophomore Mike Sawicki (Ashtabula/Lakeside) and senior Mike Cauley (Mechanicsburg/Mechanicsburg) followed for 41st (27:11) and 46th (27:18), respectively. 

Junior Justin Milam (North Royalton/North Royalton) and senior Ben Gadfield (Orrville/Orrville) finished 90th (28:12) and 108th (28:31), respectively.

“Last season, Ritz finished 78th overall in 27:57,” added Borland.  “He was our top guy today and would’ve been second in the NCAA Division III race and first in our conference.  It just shows that all of our summer training is starting to pay off.”

“All-Ohio is a big meet and it’s easy to get caught up in all the excitement, but I think we did a great job of running our own race,” said Sawicki.  “It really paid off, we beat some great teams, and we are still getting stronger every week.”

This weekend the Cardinals will send half of their squad to Gettysburg, Pa. to compete in the Gettysburg Invitational on Saturday, 12:00 p.m.  The other half will compete in the Wilmington Fall Classic Friday, 5:15 p.m. 

Cards Win Fourth Straight Meet
Written by Justin Milam 10/7/03

Otterbein rolled to their fourth consecutive invitational team championship Saturday, winning the Rio Grande Invitational held at the University of Rio Grande.

The Cardinals dominated the meet, scoring 24 points, and capturing 12 of the first 20 spots. 

The team’s first nine runners finished just 69 seconds from each other.

“I am really happy with how we ran as a team,” said senior team captain Luke Peters (Camden/Eaton).  “We just have to keep working on packing it up and pulling our fourth and fifth runners in front of other teams’ second and third runners.  Then we’ll have something that will make some heads turn.”

Peters led the charge and earned his second individual title of the season.  He covered the 8,000-meter course in 26:46, and just barely edged out runners from Pikeville and Concord colleges.  Peters won the meet as a freshman.

Following Peters was the trio of sophomore Mike Sawicki (Ashtabula/Lakeside), junior Nate Ritz (Millville/Talawanda) and senior Mike Cauley (Mechanicsburg/Mechanicsburg), who took fourth (27:03), fifth (27:13) and sixth-place (27:22) honors.

“This was an excellent win for us and a big confidence booster,” said fourth-year head coach Ryan Borland.  “The goal was to run with good packs, so it was exciting to achieve that.  Tighter packs make the team stronger.  Luke (Peters) ran a great race to comeback and win it in the last mile.”

“It’s nice to have an individual win and to be a part of a team that is consistently winning,” continued Peters.  “It helps us look forward to the upcoming meet.”

Friday, the Cardinals will travel to Dornoch Golf Club in Delaware to do battle with every college in Ohio at the All-Ohio Championships.

“We’re looking for a top ten finish this year and we’re excited to see how we add up against all the schools in Ohio,” added Borland.  “We are going to welcome the challenge and look forward to an exciting meet on Friday.”

Last season, Otterbein finished 11th out of 39 teams, and placed second among NCAA Division III schools.  The men’s varsity race is set to go off at 2:45 p.m., with the men’s open race at 4:15 p.m.

Otterbein Wins Home Meet by One Point
Written by Justin Milam 9/30/03

The Otterbein men’s cross country team won their third straight meet with a victory in their home invitational Saturday in Westerville.  The Cards have not won their own invite since 1995.

Otterbein battled defending Ohio Athletic Conference champion Mount Union for the team title and came out on top by just one point.

The Cardinals edged the Purple Raiders 30 to 31 in the five-team meet.

The meet came down to the last scorers on each squad.  Otterbein junior Justin Milam (North Royalton/North Royalton) finished just two-seconds ahead of Mount Union’s fifth runner, which was good enough for an eleventh-place finish in 28:24.

Both teams placed their first four runners among the top ten overall finishers.

Sophomore Mike Sawicki (Ashtabula/Lakeside) led the Cardinals with a fourth-place finish, covering the 8.5-kilometer course in 27:36.  Senior Luke Peters (Camden/Eaton) and junior Nate Ritz (Millville/Talawanda) followed for fifth and seventh-place finishes, running 27:48 and 27:51, respectively.  This was just the second time in Peters’ college career that he had been beaten by a teammate.

“I think everyone ran well considering that the course was sloppy and boring,” said senior Mike Cauley (Mechanicsburg/Mechanicsburg), who finished eighth overall in 28:08.  “Even with those elements, being a little too excited about the race, and letting that excitement take us out too fast to start the race, we still beat a very good Mount Union team.  In the future, we’ll just need to stick to our game plan and we will be fine.”

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,” said Otterbein head coach Ryan 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.  Both teams handled the course change very well.”

The Cardinals move their record to an impressive 21-2 mark, with their only losses coming to Ohio State and Ashland in the season’s first meet.  Ohio State is currently ranked 11th in NCAA Division I.

Otterbein will be back in action Saturday when they head south for the Rio Grande Invitational.