Women’s Cross Country finishes 3rd at OAC Championships, lands 4 All-OAC honorees

Women’s Cross Country finishes 3rd at OAC Championships, lands 4 All-OAC honorees
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October 30, 2021

By Wes Mayberry

WILMINGTON — The Ohio Northern women's cross country team placed third at the Ohio Athletic Conference Championships on Saturday at the Wilmington Campus Course, marking the 19th straight season the Polar Bears have finished in the top five at the conference championships.

Northern (65-25 overall) scored 70 points, finishing behind OAC champion No. 26 John Carroll (35 points) and second-place Mount Union (69 points).

Baldwin Wallace (104 points), Otterbein (133 points), Heidelberg (174 points), Wilmington (194 points), Marietta (248 points), Capital (255 points) and Muskingum (274 points) rounded out the 10-team field.

Senior Tessa Pitcovich (Stow/Munroe Falls) led the way for the Polar Bears, crossing the finish line in second place of 120 runners with a time of 23:17.4.

Seniors Rue Whitmore (Mason) and Taylor Ellerbrock (Columbus Grove) placed 12th and 13th, respectively, with times of 24:09.3 and 24:12.5.

Sophomore Megan Vapenik (Strongsville) ran a time of 24:47.8 to place 22nd.

Pitcovich, Whitmore, Ellerbrock and Vapenik all earned All-OAC honors.

Freshman Olyvia Ashbrook (Johnstown/Northridge) placed 27th with a time of 24:56.0, and freshman Bailey Kreft (Sunbury/Buckeye Valley) was right behind in 28th place with a time of 24:58.7.

Sophomore Sydney Goodrich (Romeo, Mich.) ran a time of 25:08.4 to place 32nd, rounding out the top seven placers for ONU.

Baldwin Wallace's Hope Murphy won the meet, running a time of 23:01.0.

Following Pitcovich in second place, Mount Union's Brittany McCauley (23:19.8), John Carroll's Sydney Jenko (23:40.5) and Baldwin Wallace's Alyssa Laughner (23:44.1) rounded out the top five.

Next up for the Polar Bears is the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regionals, which are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 13, in Shelbyville, Ind.

Team Standings

1. #26 John Carroll 35, 2. Mount Union 69, 3. Ohio Northern 70, 4. Baldwin Wallace 104, 5. Otterbein 133, 6. Heidelberg 174, 7. Wilmington 194., 8. Marietta 248, 9. Capital 255, 10. Muskingum 274.

Top 20 Individuals

1. Hope Murphy (Baldwin Wallace) 23:01.0, 2. Tessa Pitcovich (Ohio Northern) 23:17.4, 3. Brittany McCauley (Mount Union) 23:19.8, 4. Sydney Jenko (John Carroll) 23:40.5, 5. Alyssa Laughner (Baldwin Wallace) 23:44.1, 6. Erica Esper (John Carroll) 23:47.0, 7. Cameron Bujaucius (John Carroll) 23:53.4, 8. Rory Vigrass (John Carroll) 23:55.5, 9. Jasmine Arnold (Mount Union) 23:57.3, 10. Sarah Weldon (John Carroll) 24:02.8, 11. Sydney Smith (Otterbein) 24:08.9, 12. Rue Whitmore (Ohio Northern) 24:09.3, 13. Taylor Ellerbrock (Ohio Northern) 24:12.5, 14. Moira Anderson (John Carroll) 24:15.3, 15. Marie Pinzone (John Carroll) 24:19.7, 16. Milena Wahl (Wilmington) 24:24.2, 17. Adriana Russell (Mount Union) 24:25.4, 18. Megan Wertz (Mount Union) 24:30.7, 19. Jennifer Massucci (John Carroll) 24:33.2, 20. Lorenza Savini (Otterbein) 24:42.1.

Ohio Northern Results

2. Tessa Pitcovich 23:17.4, 12. Rue Whitmore 24:09.3, 13. Taylor Ellerbrock 24:12.5, 22. Megan Vapenik 24:47.8, 27. Olyvia Ashbrook 24:56.0, 28. Bailey Kreft 24:58.7, 32. Sydney Goodrich 25:08.4, 34. Ashley Hockstock 25:14.6. 35. Anika Berrios 25:17.4, 37. Lexi Neff 25:20.0, 45. M.J. Zindars 25:56.5, 46. Sophia Thompson 25:58.1, 47. Larkin Warner 26:03.0, 53. Olesya Mertz 26:14.8, 55. Rachel Thompson 26:18.5, 56. Gabrielle Kowalczyk 26:18.9, 80. Aubrey Cable 27:48.1, 81. Grace Vega 27:58.0, 84. Summer Bouillon 28:33.9, 94. Karsen Bresnahan 29:11.7, 102. Lizzy Dingman 30:26.9, 108. Erica Mobley 31:10.5, 109. Kirsten Offenbaker 31:41.3.