Ian McVey earns third OAC Runner of the Week accolade of 2018 season

By Blake Moore

ADA - Former All-American and current senior men's cross country runner Ian McVey (Stow/Munroe Falls) has been tabbed the Ohio Athletic Conference's Runner of the Week for the third time this season, the league office announced Monday afternoon.

The senior was crowned the All-Ohio Championships NCAA Division III individual champion for the second straight season on Saturday, September 29 at Silver Creek Metro Park in Norton, Ohio. His new career-best time of 24:23.8 eclipsed the NCAA Division III field by 11 seconds, placing him fourth overall against a multi-divisional field including NAIA and NCAA Division I, II, and III institutions.

McVey's time ranks as the second-fastest 8,000 meter finish in school history, trailing just Mike Becraft's program record of 24:12 set in 1978.

Due in large part to his efforts, the Polar Bears would finish fourth out of 18 teams in the NCAA Division III race while the senior finished first for the team in his 14th consecutive race dating back to 2016.

The honor marks the third time this season that McVey has garnered the accolade, having received the award on September 4 and September 10 previously. It is also the sixth weekly conference award he has received in his career at Ohio Northern.

The Polar Bears are scheduled to return to action on Friday, October 12 when they wrap up their pre-OAC slate with a trip to the Wilmington Invitational. The race is currently slated to begin at 5 p.m.