Women’s Cross Country: Ohio Northern (0-0 Overall) at Bluffton 5k
Friday, August 31, 2018 @ 6 pm – Bluffton Nature Preserve in Bluffton, Ohio
ONU Race Notes: A new season of Ohio Northern women's cross country kicks off Friday, August 31 when the team opens the 2018 campaign at the annual Bluffton 5k meet at the Bluffton Nature Preserve located in Bluffton, Ohio … The women's 5k race will start the evening at 6 pm while the men are scheduled to compete in a 6k race beginning at 6:45 pm … This year's field also includes Bluffton, Lourdes, Findlay, IU-Kokomo (Ind.), Ohio Christian, and an Ohio Northern alumni team … During the 2017 season, the Polar Bears posted an impressive 94-37 overall record and wound up fourth at the Ohio Athletic Conference Championships, marking their 16th consecutive upper-division finish within the conference … Tenth-year head coach Jason Maus will welcome back nine former varsity letter winners among a list of 13 returning student-athletes in 2018 … Ohio Northern was projected to finish fifth in the OAC this season, receiving 58 total points in the OAC Coaches Preseason Poll released on August 15 … Seniors Avery Ewing (Kokomo, Ind./Eastern), Colleen Grainger (Hilliard/Bentley), Kristina Myers (Grove City/Central Crossing), Angie Sullivan (Medina), and Janelle Posthuma (Ada, Mich./Forest Hills Northern) have each lettered during their time with the program and will be called upon to provide leadership for this year's team … Juniors Kathleen Colvin (Hilliard/Bishop Ready) and Madeleine Routhier (West Unity/Hilltop) and sophomores Chyanne Retcher (Ney/Fairview) and Megan Wright (Eaton/Twin Valley South) also rejoin the program looking to make significant contributions to the team's success after receiving varsity letters in previous seasons … ONU has been crowned the Bluffton 5k team champions three times in the past five seasons, including their most recent title won in 2017.
Head Coach Jason Maus: Maus enters his 10th season as head coach of the women's cross country team … He has coached three women's cross country teams to Ohio Athletic Conference titles … He sports an overall win-loss record of 781-353 over his first nine seasons, good for a winning percentage of .689 … Maus is also the all-time winningest coach in Ohio Northern women's cross country history after surpassing former coach Brian Cole's mark of 748 wins during the 2017 season.