Women's Indoor Track and Field wins seven events to take annual Joe Banks Invitational title

Women's Indoor Track and Field wins seven events to take annual Joe Banks Invitational title
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January 30, 2026

ADA — The Ohio Northern Women's Indoor Track & Field team won seven events en route to the team title at the annual Joe Banks Invitational on Friday.

The Basics

  • The Polar Bears finished 1st of 10 teams with 188 points.
  • Record: Ohio Northern (23-4 Overall).
  • Saint Francis (Ind.) and Otterbein tied for second with 80 points each and Central State was fourth with 76 points.
  • Venue: ONU Sports Center — Ada, Ohio.

Top ONU Performers

  • Senior Claire Schweller (Paulding) jumped a career-high 3.97 meters to win the pole vault.
  • Senior Natalie Armbruster (Cincinnati/Mount Notre Dame) won the 3000 run, finishing in 10:32:18.
  • Sophomore Avery Baker-Schlendering (Freeport, Maine) remained undefeated this season in the high jump, winning by clearing 1.63 meters.
  • Junior Katelyn Wagner (Sycamore/Wynford) won the shot put at 12.97 meters.
  • Sophomore Allie Locke (Lancaster) threw a personal best 15.10 meters to win the weight throw.
  • Freshman Allyson Schultz (Copley/Revere) won her first career track event in the 800-meter run, finishing in 2:32:27.
  • ONU's distance medley relay team of Junior AnnaSophia Gower (Perrysburg), Sophomore Grace Chomic (Westerville/Columbus School for Girls), Freshman Allison Woodruff (Arlington/Riverdale), and Senior Samantha Roth (Brunswick) won unopposed in 13:02:52.

Notables

  • Schweller's jump of 3.97 meters is the 2nd-best in ONU history. This also places her 2nd nationally this season.
  • Freshman Danika Denman (Fremont/Ross) was second in the 200 dash in :26.81, which places her 7th all-time in ONU history in the event.
  • Locke's weight throw of 15.10m moves her up to 8th place in ONU history in the event.
  • Baker-Schlendering has now won all four of her high jump competitions this season.
  • The event included three OAC teams: Bluffton, Heidelberg, and Otterbein.
  • Head Coach Jason Maus is in his 17th year at Ohio Northern and is 624-180-1 in women's indoor track and field for a winning percentage of .774. He is ONU's all-time winningest coach in track and field history.

Up Next

  • The Polar Bears will return to action Friday when they travel west for the Trine (Ind.) Invitational and the Indy Fairgrounds Meet.