Season Review: Women's Cross Country posts 25th consecutive winning season in 2015

By Caleb Scott

ADA — The Ohio Northern women's cross country team finished with a winning record for the 25th consecutive season, finishing the 2015 campaign with a 95-38 mark.

The Polar Bears also finished in the upper division of the Ohio Athletic Conference for the 14th consecutive year under seventh-year head coach Jason Maus.

Sophomore Emily Richards and freshman Ashlie Baumann led the Polar Bears by earning First Team All-OAC honors.

Richards was the individual winner at the OAC Championships, finishing in a career-best 21:56 and running the second fastest 6,000-meter time in ONU history.

She was also named OAC Runner of the Week in consecutive weeks for the weeks of September 8 and 14.

After finishing eighth at the NCAA III Regionals, Richards qualified and competed in the NCAA III Championships in Winneconne, Wis., where she finished 112th in 22:25.

Richards also earned All-Region honors for her 8th place finish at the NCAA III Regionals.

Baumann earned her first All-OAC accolade after finishing 9th at the OAC Championships in 22:56.

She finished in the top-7 in six races this season.

Junior Genevieve Marchese was named second team All-OAC for her efforts at the OAC Championships. Marchese finished 14th overall in a career-best 23:14.

Northern landed five runners in the Academic All-OAC list in 2015.

Seniors Kara Sosinski, Margaret Sorg, junior Elizabeth Martin and sophomores Nikki Huber and Richards all made the list.

The Polar Bears opened the season by winning the Bluffton Invitational for the third time in four years.

Ohio Northern finished in the top half of the field in all seven of its meets this season.