Season Review: Women's Cross Country posts 15th consecutive upper division finish in 2016

By Caleb Scott

ADA — The Ohio Northern women's cross country team posted its 15th consecutive upper division finish at the Ohio Athletic Conference Championships is 2016. 

The Polar Bears (49-49 overall) finished fourth at the OAC Championships and saw two members earn all-conference accolades, as junior Emily Richards (Delaware/Hayes) and sophomore Ashlie Baumann (Sterling Heights, Mich./Stevenson) each earned honors.

Richards led the Polar Bears across the finish line as she finished second of 125 runners in 22:09 and earned First Team All-OAC honors for her efforts. 

Baumann notched Second Team All-OAC honors after finishing 11th overall in a career-best time of 22:38.

The duo also earned All-Great Lakes Region honors after leading the Polar Bears to a 13th place team finish.

Richards finished 19th of 232 runners in 22:27.9, while Baumann finished 34th in 22:54.9.

Both earned All-Great Lakes Region honors after posting top-35 finishes.

Eight members were also named Academic All-OAC in 2016.

Seniors Elizabeth Martin (Buckland/Wapakoneta), Maggie Kimmel (Kenton), Nikki Huber (Findlay) and Morgan Rouch (Ada), Richards, and sophomores Elizabeth Steele (Tempe, Ariz./Corona del Sol), Kristina Myers (Grove City/Central Crossing) and Angie Sullivan (Medina) each earned the honor.

Myers, a Biology/Biochemistry major, was named Academic All-OAC for the first time in her career.

The sophomore appeared in three races this season and had a season-best time of 27:44.

Martin, an Exercise Physiology major, earned her second Academic All-OAC award.

She appeared in five races this year, finishing in the top-7 once for Northern and running a career-best time of 24:56 at the OAC Championship Meet.

Kimmel is a Political Science major who earned her first Academic All-OAC honor.

Her career-best time of 28:39 came at the Michigan State Spartan Invitational.

Huber received her second Academic All-OAC award as a Biology-Pre P.A. major.

The senior finished in the top-7 for the Polar Bears on five occasions. At the OAC Championship Meet, she ran her career-best time of 23:32. 

Rouch, a Biology-Pre P.A. and Spanish double major, earned her first Academic All-OAC recognition.

The senior battled injuries throughout the season, but ran a season-best time of 26:48.

Richards, a Chemistry major, received her second Academic All-OAC award.

She led the Polar Bears with a second place finish at the OAC Championship Meet in a season-best time of 22:09. Richards was also the top finisher for ONU at the Bluffton Invitational and the NCAA Regional Meet. She was the OAC Runner of the Week for the week of September 6.

Steele, a Exercise Physiology major, earned her first Academic All-OAC honor.

The sophomore appeared in five races for Ohio Northern, recording a career-best time of 26:08 at the OAC Championship Meet.

Sullivan, a sophomore Civil Engineering major, received her first Academic All-OAC award.

She finished the year with four top-7 finishes for the Polar Bears, including a career-best time of 24:23 at the OAC Championship Meet.

"It took some time for us this year to gel and find our way. We had some key people out and some of us had to step up into new roles," said head coach Jason Maus. 

Northern opened the season with a second place finish at the annual Bluffton 5k Invitational, where Richards won the event for the second consecutive year.

The Polar Bears followed the impressive start with a second place finish among Div. III schools at the Michigan State Spartan Invitational.

After a top-10 team finish at the All-Ohio Championships and a 26th place finish at the Wis.-Oshkosh Invitational, ONU got back on track and posted a fourth place team finish at the OAC Championships.

We got better every week and by the end of the season we were really clicking," said Maus. "Our best races of the season were definitely the last two. We return the core of or team, many of which have varsity experience, so we're looking forward to improving next year."

Ohio Northern wrapped up the season under 8th-year head coach Jason Maus after finishing in the top half of the field at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional meet and posting a 13th place finish.