Women's Cross Country opens 2017 season with victory at the 9-team Bluffton 5k
By Tim Glon
BLUFFTON — The Ohio Northern women's cross country team opened its 2017 season with a victory at the 9-team Bluffton 5k on Friday at the Bluffton Nature Preserve.
The Polar Bears (8-0) finished with 61 points, Findlay was second with 72 and Ohio Christian was third with 86 points.
Junior Ashlie Baumann (Sterling Heights, Mich./Stevenson) led Ohio Northern across the finish line in fifth place of 90 runners in a career-best 18:48 which ties her for 10th all-time at Ohio Northern.
Sophomore Zoe Schilling (East Sparta/Canton Central Catholic) was ninth in a career-low 19:33 and junior Colleen Grainger (Hilliard/Bradley) was 14th in a career-best 19:54.
A team of Polar Bear alumni finished seventh in the race.
"We are really exited about our women's team," said head coach Jason Maus. "They looked great today and really raced hard and were very competitive. I think they definitely took a big step in the right direction today. Our upperclassmen had a great showing and a lot of the younger girls got a good taste of what to expect this seaosn. Overall, I'm just very pleased with the way they competed today."
The Polar Bears will return to action Sept. 9 at the Calvin (Mich.) Invitational.
Team Standings
1. Ohio Northern 61, 2. Findlay 72, 3. Ohio Christian 86, 4. Bluffton 95, 5. Indiana-Kokomo 108, 6. Heidelberg 125, 7. Ohio Northern Alumni 209, 8. Defiance 221, 9. Tiffin 224, 10. Lourdes 246.
Top 5 Invididuals
1. Raven Arrellano-Young (OCU) 18:15, 2. Taryn Thor (IUK) 18:22, 3. Taylor Bolinger (UF) 18:37, 4. Rachel House (Berg) 18:40, 5. Ashlie Baumann (ONU) 18:48.
Ohio Northern Individual Results
5. Ashlie Baumann 18:48, 9. Zoe Schilling 19:33, 14. Colleen Grainger 19:54, 16. Megan Wright 20:04, 17. Chyanne Retcher 20:05, 18. Avery Ewing 20:06, 20. Lauren Turner 20:11, 21. Kristina Myers 20:24, 24. Kathleen Colvin 20:28, 25. Angie Sullivan 20:30, 26. Janelle Posthuma 20:35, 27. Madeleine Routhier 20:36, 33. Michaela Fox 21:10, 35. Kylie Vestal 21:22, 41. Makayla Hoying 21:39, 48. Mia Johnson 21:50, 49. Jocelyn Reinhart 21:51, 52. Elizabeth Steele 21:54, 55. Danielle Sutter 22:15, 66. Kelsey Commager 23:02.
Ohio Northern Alumni Results
23. Genevieve Marchese 20:27, 31. Lindsey Maus 20:53, 69. Nikki Huber 23:34, 70. Catie Huber 23:34, 76. Samantha Escobedo 24:19, 77. Julie Puvogel 24:19, 79. Paige Giessler 24:34, 82. Maggie Sorg 25:38, 87. Renee Kraft 28:28, 88. Mary Hailer 28:46.
