ADA - Ryan New has been named head coach for both the Cross Country and Track & Field programs at Ohio Northern.

New comes to Northern after spending the past three years as an assistant coach at Centre (Ky.) and running for the program from 2001-2004.

The 2004 graduate earned his dual degree in classical studies and history from Centre.

New was a sprinter for the Colonels, competing in the 100-meter, 200-meter and 400-meter dashes as well as the 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relays.

ADA — The Ohio Northern men's cross country team will open its 2008 schedule Sept.6 at the Hanover (Ind.) Invitational.
Hanover will also host a Pre-National meet on Oct. 4 and will host the NCAA III Championships on Nov. 22.

Ohio Northern has qualified for the last two NCAA Championships meets and looks to make a third consecutive appearance this year.

The Polar Bears will also travel to Calvin (Mich.), the University of Minnesota and Oberlin and will run in the annual All-Ohio Championships at Ohio Wesleyan.

ADA — Four members of the Ohio Northern cross country teams earned United States Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic honors as announced Wednesday afternoon.

Juniors Paul Lewis, Thomas Adam and sophomores Alan Bowsher and Rachel Smith each earned individual honors while both the mens and womens received team honors.

The men’s team made a second straight trip to the NCAA Championships in 2007 and also claimed its first OAC Championship crown. Both Adam and Bowsher earned All-Region honors while all three men garnered All-OAC honors.

Jason Maus named Ohio's DIII Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year

ADA — Junior Jimmy O’Brien (Pemberville/Eastwood) continues to rake in the awards as he was named Ohio’s Division III Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Year as well as OAC Male Runner of the Year in voting conducted by the Ohio head coaches.

In addition to O’Brien, ONU Cross Country coach Jason Maus was named the Ohio Division III Men’s Coach of the Year along with the OAC Men’s Coaching Staff of the Year.

NORTHFIELD, Minn. — Junior Jimmy O'Brien became the second Ohio Northern men's cross country runner to earn All-American honors, with a 34th-place finish at the 2007 NCAA III Cross Country Championships, Saturday afternoon at St. Olaf.

As a team, the Polar Bears finished 17th in the 32-team field, the best finish in school history. This was the second straight trip to the NCAA III Championships for ONU, who finished 32nd in 2006.