Women's Track & Field lands nine on Academic All-OAC list
By Caleb Scott
ADA — The Ohio Northern women's track and field team saw nine athletes recognized on the spring Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference list, released on Tuesday morning.
This marks the fourth consecutive season the Polar Bears have had at least nine athletes recognized on the list.
The award winners must be a sophomore or higher in class standing, maintain varsity status and have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.50.
Seniors Emily Richards (Delaware/Hayes) and Mallory Weininger (Upper Sandusky), juniors Elizabeth Steele (Tempe, Ariz./Corona del Sol), Kristina Myers (Orient/Central Crossing), Angie Sullivan (Medina), Taylor Fisher (Wapakoneta) and Sydney McCluer (Columbus Grove), and sophomores Allison Stevens (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central) and Maggie Krause (Chagrin Falls/Kenston) all earned the honor for Northern.
Richards, a Chemistry major and mid-distance runner earned the honor for the third time in her three years of eligibility.
The senior is also a CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American and a United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Scholar Athlete of the Year. She is a 7-time National Champion and 11-time All-American and currently leads the nation in the 800-meter run and 1,500-meter run.
She was named USTFCCCA All-Great Lakes Region in four events during the outdoor season and was a 4-time USTFCCCA All-Great Lakes Region honoree indoors. She was also an OAC Champion in seven events between the indoor and outdoor seasons.
Richards will look to wrap up her collegiate career by sweeping the 800 and 1,500 races for the third consecutive time and will look to claim two national titles in the same championship meet for the fourth consecutive time.
Weininger, a Civil Engineering major, earned the honor for the second consecutive season and second time in her career.
The high jumper leads the team with a team-best jump of 4' 11.5" this season.
Steele, an Exercise Physiology major and distance runner, is now a 2-time Academic All-OAC honoree, earning the honor in each of her first two seasons of eligibility.
The junior is also a cross country runner for Northern and ran a career-best time of 21:11.85 in the 5,000-meter run this season during the 2018 Polar Bear Final Qualifier.
Myers, a Biology and Biochemistry dual major, is now a 2-time Academic All-OAC honoree and is a distance runner for Northern.
The junior owns a top-3 time for ONU in the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter runs.
She ran a career-best time in the 10,000-meter run this season, finishing ninth overall at the outdoor OAC Championships. She is also a member of Northern's cross country team.
Sullivan, a Civil Engineering major, earned the honor for the second consecutive season, becoming a 2-time Academic All-OAC honoree.
Also a distance runner and member of ONU cross country team, Sullivan ranks third on the team this season in the 10,000-meter run. Her time of 42:29.25 in the event is a career-best mark.
Fisher, a Pharmacy major, is now a 2-time Academic All-OAC honoree.
The junior is a member of the school-record holding 4x400-meter relay team and will make her second consecutive appearance at the National Championships as the ONU 4x400-meter relay team competes at the championships this weekend.
Fisher is a 3-time OAC Champion and 6-time All-OAC honoree for ONU.
She was also named All-Great Lakes Region in two events during the outdoor campaign and once during the indoor campaign.
McCluer, a Nursing major, is now a 2-time Academic All-OAC honoree after earning the honor for the second consecutive season.
McCluer owns top-3 times for ONU this outdoor season in five different events.
The junior sprinter and hurdler posted career-best times in the 100-meter hurdles (:16.07) and 400-meter hurdles (1:08.57) at the 2018 Outdoor OAC Championships.
Stevens, a Pharmacy major, earned Academic All-OAC status for the first time in her career.
The sophomore pole vaulter is one of four vaulters for ONU to finish in the top-8 in the pole vault at the 2018 Outdoor OAC Championships this season.
Stevens' season-best vault of 10' 11.75" came at the 2018 Outdoor OAC Championships.
Krause, a Biology major, also earned her first Academic All-OAC honor this season.
The sophomore will make her second consecutive appearance at the National Championships this weekend as she holds the sixth best vault nationally entering the meet.
Krause is a 2-time All-OAC honoree in the pole vault after finishing second and third, respectively at the 2018 Outdoor and Indoor OAC Championships.
Northern wrapped up its season with a 48-7 mark and will send six athletes to the 2018 Outdoor NCAA Div. III National Championships this weekend.