Review: Young Women's Track & Field team triumphs through challenging 2011 season

Review: Young Women's Track & Field team triumphs through challenging 2011 season
May 31, 2011

By:Brandy Wilson

 

ADA —The Ohio Northern women's track team and field team faced its share of challenges in 2011. From winning the conference indoor team championship in 2010, the Polar Bears had a bit of a down season, finishing the indoor portion of the schedule at 24-24 overall.

One of the team's highlights of the indoor season was a top finish at its own finishes this season came while hosting the Polar Bear Invitational in early February, in which it placed first out of five teams.

First place finishers for ONU included Ashley Sottoway in the 400 dash in 1:03.89 and Alyse Fitzpatrick in the long jump event at 4.47 meters.

At the end of the season, the Polar Bears would place sixth at the OAC Indoor Championships, hosted by Baldwin Wallace. SophomoreAlison Steinbrunner set two ONU records and repeated as OAC champion in the 3,000 and 5,000 races. She was also notched an NCAA automatic qualifying time of 17:08:87 in the 5,000 race.

Sophomore Lydia Weaver took an All-OAC nod by finishing third in the mile run and shared All-OAC by placing second in the Distance Medley Relay, along with Steinbrunner, junior Ashley Sottoway and seniorAmanda Binkey.

The Polar Bears started the outdoor season strong at the Cincinnati Early Bird Invitational. ONU placed third of seven Division III teams with 37.33 points. Sophomore Vicki Moga led the Polar Bears with a second-place finish in the high jump by clearing 1.53 meters, while junior Brooke Bohanan finished fourth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 11:57.35.

Northern's momentum would not carry throughout the season and the team finished 16-21 overall, and finished seventh at the OAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Mount Union.

ONU did notch two more outdoor OAC champions in 2011 in senior Courtney Zupancic and junior Mallory Bloom. Zupancic took the top spot in the hammer throw with a toss of 152-4, while Bloom earned the 10,000-meter run in 37:35.96.

Steeplechase participants Bohanan and junior Kelly Casanova finished second and third, respectively, to earn All-OAC accolades, while Weaver finished second in the 1,500-meter run for All-Conference kudos as well.

During the season, Moga marked an NCAA provisional height at 5-5 and finished thirdin the high jump at the conference championship at 5-3.75.