Senior All-American Ian McVey and senior thrower Tia Harris set new school records; 10 student-athletes represent Ohio Northern at GVSU Holiday Invite, 2018 Oiler Open

By Blake Moore

| GVSU Holiday Open Results (.pdf) | 2018 Oiler Open Results |

ALLENDALE, Mich. & FINDLAY, Ohio — Senior All-American Ian McVey (Stow/Munroe Falls) and senior thrower Tia Harris (Newton Falls) rewrote the Ohio Northern track and field record books this weekend, headlining the efforts of 10 ONU men's and women's track and field student-athletes who competed at the GVSU Holiday Open and the 2018 Oiler Open on Friday and Saturday, respectively, to kick off the new indoor season.

On Friday evening, McVey shattered his own 5,000-meter run indoor record inside the Kelly Family Sports Center at Grand Valley State (Mich.), trimming the school standard by 12 seconds with a career-best 14:20.45 clocking. Due to his efforts, the senior standout would finish sixth overall in a multi-divisional field and ended first among all NCAA Division III competitors.

In addition, the All-American's performance now ranks as the fastest time overall in program history within the discipline, having also topped former student-athlete Mike Becraft's 5,000-meter run outdoor standard of 14:22.90 set back in 1980.

On Saturday, Harris led six members of the Ohio Northern women's track and field program at the 2018 Oiler Open, hosted by NCAA Division II institution Findlay. She would heave the shot put 12.87 meters during the preliminary rounds to best her own school record of 12.71 meters set last season. Her toss would wind up fifth overall in an 18-competitor interdivisional field.

Meanwhile, junior sprinter/jumper Taylor Lavey (New Baltimore, Mich./Findlay) earned the highest overall individual finish for the women's squad, placing second in the 60-meter dash in 8.07. She would edge out sophomore Stella DeWitt (Weston/Cardinal Stritch Catholic), who wound up sixth in 8.42 after both athletes appeared in the event finals.

DeWitt would go on to compete in the women's long jump event, ending fourth in a 12-person field with a 5.15 meter leap.

Senior Sydney McCluer (Columbus Grove) and junior Melinda McIntosh (Farmersville/Valley View) also made appearances in an event final over the weekend. The tandem would qualify for the finals in the 60-meter hurdles with the former finishing fifth in 9.72 and the latter crossing the tape immediately after in 9.74. Both athletes would register career-best times with their performances this weekend.

Freshman thrower Victoria Ramage (Wakeman/Western Reserve) started her Ohio Northern career this weekend as well, competing in the women's weight throw competition. She would toss the 20-pound weight 11.44 meters to end 20th overall. 

On the men's side, junior Bradley Russelberg (Bellbrook) and sophomores Matt Bradshaw (Cleveland/Norton) and Alexander Sube (Wadsworth/Highland) each competed in the weight throw competition at the Oiler Open.

Bradshaw topped the trio's efforts, posting a career-best toss of 14.62 meters to finish 16th in the 29-man field. Russelberg ended 21st overall with a 12.77 meter effort while Sube established a new personal-best with a 12.54 meter heave.

"This was a pretty productive weekend for our small group," head coach Jason Maus stated following the weekend's performances. "Meets in December are an opportunity to establish a benchmark and find out where our athletes stand. It is also an important opportunity to meet some conference qualifying marks. Breaking two school records this weekend is a great accomplishment. We're off to a great start and have built some good momentum moving forward."

The Ohio Northern men's and women's track and field program will first compete as a team at the Tiffin Dragon Open following Christmas Break. The event is slated for Saturday, January 19.