Women's Track & Field lands eight Conference Champions en route to a second place finish at the OAC Outdoor Championships

By Ashley Birchmeier

WILMINGTON — The Ohio Northern women's track and field team finished 2nd of 10 teams at the 2016 Ohio Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships hosted at Beckett Track in Wilmington.

The Polar Bears saw eight members garner Conference Champion honors, while 16 earned All-Conference honors.

Northern was led in the meet by sophomore Emily Richards and junior Allie Gast.

Richards was named the Outstanding Distance Runner of the Year for the second consecutive season, while the coaching staff of head coach Jason Maus, assistants Casey Gantt, Kyle Armstrong, Stephan Johnson and Nate Rosenbaum earned Women's Coaching Staff of the Year.

The sophomore won the 1,5000-meter run earning OAC Champion and All-OAC honors with an OAC meet record time of 4:37.57. She also won the 800-meter run in 2:17.79.

Richards also teamed up with junior Meagan Ellinger, senior Michelle Mosler, and senior Kristine Wagner to win the 4x400 relay with a school record time of 3:55.69. 

In the 100 hurdles, Gast earned All-OAC honors finishing second in 15.05.

Junior Kelsey Commager won the triple jump with a leap of 11.42 meters, garnering All-OAC honors. 

The 4x100-meter relay team of Gast, Wagner, Ellinger, and Mosler earned All-OAC honors with a third place finish in 49.03.

Senior Rebekah McCutchen claimed a third place finish in the 1,500-meter run in 4:47.53, garnering All-OAC honors.

Gast also earned All-OAC honors in the 100-meter dash finishing third with a school record time in 12.76. She earned a fifth place finish in the 200-meter dash in 26.65.

Freshman Avery Ewing finished third in the 800-meter run earning All-OAC honors in a time of 2:22.26, while junior Nicole Huber took sixth place in 2:24.28.

Freshman Stephanie Walton finished third in the triple jump earning All-OAC honors with a leap of 10.90 meters. Junior Dianna Johnson-Ward claimed fourth with a jump of 10.88 meters, while junior Rebecca Carman claimed seventh with a jump of 10.45 meters.

In the 400-meter dash, Ellinger claimed a fourth place finish in 58.47.

Freshman Tia Harris finished fourth in the shot put with a toss of 12.11 meters.

Junior Rebecca Olashuk led ONU in the hammer throw finishing fourth with a toss of 43.98 meters, followed by senior Michaela Dramis in fifth with a throw of 43.90 meters.

Carman finished fifth in the 100 hurdles in 15.95, followed by Wagner in seventh in 17.12.

Wagner finished eighth in the 100-meter dash in 13.12.

"Women overachieved this weekend," said head coach Jason Maus. "I'm proud of their efforts and they competed well all around."