Schalois, Rupe lead Men's Track & Field to a second place finish at the OAC Outdoor Championships

By Ashley Birchmeier

WILMINGTON — The Ohio Northern men's track and field team finished 2nd of 10 teams Saturday at the Ohio Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships hosted by Wilmington College at the Beckett Track.

Northern saw four members garner OAC Champion honors, while 15 members earned All-OAC honors.

Junior Kase Schalois and senior Christian Rupe led the Polar Bears in the meet.

Schalois earned Outstanding Distance Runner of the Year, while Rupe earned Outstanding Sprinter of the Year.

Schalois won the 5,000-meter run in 15:09.41. He also won the 3,000 steeplechase in 9:22.48.

Sophomore Matt Molinaro earned OAC Champion and All-OAC honors in the 1,500-meter run, winning the event in 3:54.12. 

Molinaro also earned All-OAC honors in the 800-meter run finishing second in 1:53.21.

The 4x100-meter relay team of Rupe, sophomore Denorris Turner, sophomore Conner Karg, and senior Jojuan Fisher garnered All-OAC honors with a second place finish in 42.38.

Rupe also earned All-OAC honors in the 100-meter dash finishing second in 11.17 and the 200-meter dash finishing second in 22.36.

Junior Lucas Shumate garnered All-OAC honors in the hammer throw, finishing third with a toss of 52.39 meters.

In the high jump, sophomore Alexander Sibila claimed All-OAC honors finishing third with a height of 1.89 meters.

Junior Aaren Hemmelgarn finished third in the 5,000-meter run in 15:20.15, earning All-OAC honors. Junior Andrew Harden finished sixth in 15:27.97, followed by freshman Ian McVey in eighth in 15:35.71.

Sophomore Brandon Emert led the Polar Bears in the 400 hurdles finishing fourth in 55.66.

The 4x400 relay team of Karg, Emert, junior Ian McKee, and Molinaro claimed fourth in 3:26.29.

In the 1,500-meter run, senior Eric Wymer finished fourth in 3:59.57, while freshman Ian McVey claimed fifth in 3:59.75 and sophomore Bobby Borger took sixth in 4:02.49.

Karg finished fifth in the 400-meter dash in 49.79.

In the 800-meter run, McKee took sixth in 1:59.48, followed by senior Dan Sowa in seventh in 1:59.88.

Junior Zane Augustine claimed an eighth place finish in the hammer throw with a toss of 45.41 meters.

"Our men were really good all around," said head coach Jason Maus. "We needed a little help and just didnt get it, Mount Union was unbelievable. Rupe and Schalois were huge for us."