Men's Track & Field claims fourth-straight OAC Indoor Championship title

BEREA — The Ohio Northern men's track & field team recorded 160 points to place first at the 2011 OAC Indoor Track & Field Championships Saturday afternoon at Baldwin-Wallace College. The team title is the program's fourth straight.

Additionally, Northern walked away with eight event championship titles and 21 All-OAC finishers. The ONU men's staff in head coachJason Maus and assistant coach Michael Scott were named men's staff of the year, while junior Dan Smith was named Most Outstanding distance athlete.

 Smith won the 3,000-meter run Friday night and followed up on Saturday with a win in the 1,000-meter run in 2:31.73 and a second place finish in the mile run in 4:17.21.

Also earning individual titles were senior Jacob Schwab in the 400-meter dash in 49.37; and junior Cory Bailey in the 800-meter run in 1:59.41.

The 4x400 relay team of seniors Garrett Brown and Shane Huntley and along with Schwab and Bailey took that event title in 3:24.38.

All-OAC athletes included sophomore Ben Ankrom in the 1,000 (third in 2:34.70), Heyman in the 400 (second in 50.03) and freshmanEvan McKee in the 800 (second in 2:00.87).

Seniors Ryan Fleming and Huntley, Schwab and freshman Francisque Pierre-Jerome earned All-Conference status with a second place finish in the 4x200 relay in 1:31.70. Fleming and Pierre-Jerome also took second and third in the 55-meter dash. Fleming finished at 6.50 while Pierre-Jerome finished in 6.51.

"One word comes to mind to describe today: unbelieveable," Maus says. "Beginning to end, our performance in every event was solid. We have high expectations and aim to put the best effort in every event and that's what happened today."

Several athletes have NCAA provisional qualifying times for the 2011 Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships in March. The team looks forward to seeing who will make the trip to Capital University next month.

Beyond that, the Polar Bears turn to focus on the outdoor season, which begins March 19 at the University of Cincinnati Early Bird Meet.