Women's Indoor Track and Field picked to finish third by OAC coaches

By Wes Mayberry

| OAC Coaches Poll (.pdf) |

ADA — The Ohio Northern women's indoor track and field team was picked to finish third in the 2024 Ohio Athletic Conference Coaches Preseason Poll, the league announced on Friday.

The Polar Bears, under 15th-year head coach Jason Maus, received 64 points in the poll.

Two-time defending champion Mount Union was picked to win the league with 81 points and nine first-place votes, and John Carroll was picked second with 73 points and the remaining first-place vote.

Baldwin Wallace was picked fourth with 57 points.

ONU placed third behind Mount Union and John Carroll at the 2023 OAC Indoor Championships, finishing the season with a record of 24-2.

The Polar Bears return 27 letter winners to the 2024 roster, which is headlined by junior Izzy Burman (Benton Ridge/Liberty Benton), who is the defending OAC champion in the shot put and weight throw.

Northern opened its 2024 season with a small group of student-athletes competing at the Findlay Oiler Opener on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. Juniors Chloe Gibson (Ostrander/Buckeye Valley) and Hannah Friend (Luckey/Eastwood) and sophomore Claire Schweller (Paulding) posted career-best marks in the long jump, shot put and pole vault, respectively. Each of their marks rank within the top nine all-time at ONU in their respective events.

The Polar Bears return to action on Jan. 19 hosting the fifth annual Larry Cole Invitational at 5 p.m.

2024 OAC Women's Indoor Track and Field Coaches Poll