Baker-Schlendering sets ONU, OAC record as Women's Indoor Track and Field finishes second at OAC Championships
February 28, 2026
TIFFIN — Sophomore Avery Baker-Schlendering (Freeport, Maine) had a record-breaking performance to lead the Ohio Northern Women's Indoor Track & Field team to a 2nd place finish at the OAC Championships at Heidelberg.
The Basics
- ONU finished in 2nd place with 178.5 points.
- Mount Union won the team title with 197 points, while Otterbein took 3rd with 84 points and Baldwin Wallace was fourth with 83 points.
- The two-day championships took place over the course of Friday and Saturday at Heidelberg.
- Record: Ohio Northern (30-5 Overall).
- Venue: Frann's Fieldhouse - Tiffin, Ohio.
Top ONU Performers
- Baker-Schlendering cleared an ONU and OAC record height of 1.79 meters to win the high jump.
- Senior Samantha Roth (Brunswick) finished 2nd in the 3000 meters in 10:26.98 to claim All-OAC honors.
- ONU's 4x200m relay team of sophomore Tatum Walsh (Lima/Bath), sophomore Alex Vargo (Lorain/Steele), freshman Mia Trusso (Willoughby Hills/Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin) and sophomore Kendyl Stone (Ashland) finished 3rd in 1:47.21, to earn All-OAC accolades.
- Senior Claire Schweller (Paulding) took 3rd in the triple jump, clearing 10.98 meters, to earn All-OAC honors.
- Junior Anna Brady (Sidney) placed 3rd in the shot put with a throw of 12.83 meters to earn All-OAC accolades.
- Sophomore Je'Leycia Procter (Dayton/Early College) finished 3rd in the 60 hurdles in 9.23 seconds to grab All-OAC kudos.
Notables
- Baker-Schlendering's jump of 1.79 meters is a new OAC Championship record, and she also shatters her own ONU record of 1.72 meters.
- She was also named the Phil Gordon OAC Indoor Field Athlete of the Meet.
- The two-day championships consist of 19 events with 10 running events, six field events, and three relays.
- Saturday consisted of 12 events with 3 field events, 7 running events, and 2 relays.
- The top three finishers in each event earn All-Conference accolades.
- Schweller's triple jump of 10.98 meters is now the 4th best in ONU history.
- Freshman Danika Denman (Fremont/Ross) placed 6th in the 200 in :26.36, which is now the 4th best in ONU history.
- She is also now ninth in the 60 hurdles after her sixth-place finish in :09.36.
- Senior Ellie Ford (Upper Arlington) took 4th in the triple jump with a leap of 10.90 meters, which is now the 6th best in ONU history.
- Procter is now the fourth-fastest in the 60 hurdles at ONU.
- Vargo was fifth in the 60 hurdles in :09.32, moving her into fifth place all-time in the event.
- Sophomore Grace Chomic (Westerville/Columbus School for Girls) is now sixth at ONU in the 800 after finishing fifth in 2:22.34.
- Roth's run of 10:26.98 now ranks as the 9th best in ONU history.
- Head Coach Jason Maus is in his 17th year at Ohio Northern and is 631-181-1 in women's indoor track and field for a winning percentage of .776. He is ONU's all-time winningest coach in track and field history.
Up Next
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The Polar Bears will return to action on March 7-8 when they host the Polar Bear Final Qualifier.
