Women's Outdoor Track opens 2011 campaign at Cincinnati Early Bird Invitational

CINCINNATI — The Ohio Northern women's track and field team opened its 2011 outdoor season at the Cincinnati Early Bird Invitational Saturday at Gettler Stadium.

The Polar Bears (4-2 overall) finished seventh of 12 teams overall and were third of seven NCAA Division II and III and NAIA schools with 37 1/3 points.

Cincinnati won the overall team title with 148 1/3 points, Wright State was second with 107 and Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne was third with 67.5.

Among small schools, Cedarville won with 55 points, Capital was second with 49.83 points and Robert Morris (Ill.) was fourth with 33 points.

Sophomore Vick Moga led the Polar Bears by finishing second in the high jump by clearing 1.53 meters.

Junior Brooke Bohanan finished fourth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 11:57.35.

The 4x400 relay team of junior Alyssa Reiter, junior Ashley Sottoway, senior Amanda Binkey and freshman Katie Klopp were seventh in 4:26.60.

Other Polar Bears to post top-10 finishes were junior Kelly Casanova, junior Mallory Bloom and freshmen Alyssa Fitzpatrick and Rachael Edeburn.

Casanova was ninth in the 5,000 in 18:33.92, Bloom was 10th in the 1500 in 5:04.90, Fitzpatrick was ninth in the long jump with a leap of 4.30 meters and Edeburn was 10th in the long jump with a distance of 4.10 meters.

Ohio Northern will return to action next Friday and Saturday at the Washington & Lee (Va.) Carnival.