Season Review: Polar Bears notch 15th consecutive winning season and 7th straight top-2 finish in OAC

By Tim Glon

The Ohio Northern men's cross country team posted its 15th consecutive winning season in 2012.

The Polar Bears posted a 109-30 overall record and finished second at the Ohio Athletic Conference championships under fourth-year head coach Jason Maus.

This marks the seventh consecutive season that ONU has finished in the top two teams at the OAC meet.

Northern had four runners earn All-Conference accolades with a top-18 finish at the OAC     Championships, led by junior Mark Berton.

Berton finished sixth in 26:03 for the 8,000-meter course.

Junior Evan McKee was eighth in 26:08, joining Berton as First Team All-OAC honorees.

Sophomore Nathan Rosenbaum was 13th in 26:18 and senior Michael Simmons was 17th in 26:22 as the duo earned Second Team All-OAC kudos.

All four runners earned All-OAC honors for the second consecutive year.

Berton also earned All-Region honors with a 21st place finish at the NCAA III Great Lakes Regional Championships, leading ONU to a seventh place team finish.

Berton led Ohio Northern with a season-best time of 25:19 at the Calvin (Mich.) Knight Invitational, making him the 12th-fastest runner in ONU history for 8,000 meters.

He was also named the OAC Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week on Sept. 10 and again on Sept. 24.

Rosenbaum posted a career-best 25:48 effort at the All-Ohio Championships, which makes him the 18th-fastest runner in ONU history for 8k.

The Polar Bears opened the season by winning the ONU Invitational.

Ohio Northern also finished second at the All-Ohio Championships, marking the program's ninth straight top-four finish at the state-wide meet.

ONU posted top-10 finishes in six of its seven meets on the season.