McVey named OAC Men's Runner of the Year, ONU earns Coaching Staff of the Year
By Caleb Scott
ADA — Junior Ian McVey (Stow/Munroe Falls) has been named the Ohio Athletic Conference Men's Cross Country Runner of the Year, while the men's coaching staff earned OAC Coaching Staff of the Year honors for the 2017 season.
McVey claimed the honor for the second consecutive season and became the second men's runner in school history to earn the honor in two consecutive seasons. Former Polar Bear standout Jimmy O'Brien earned the honor during the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
The junior is the fifth runner in school history to claim the OAC Championships Individual Title after leading the men's cross country team to its third consecutive OAC Title in 2017, the first time ONU has won the title in back-to-back-to-back years.
After claiming the OAC title, McVey would go on to win the Div. III Great Lakes Regional Individual Title and earn Great Lakes Region Male Runner of the Year honors, before being named an All-American with a 10th place finish at the 2017 NCAA III National Championships.
The Polar Bear coaching staff of head coach Jason Maus and assistant coaches Casey Gantt, Nathan Rosenbaum and Cully Gordon were named the OAC Men's Coaching Staff of the Year for the third consecutive season.
Maus and his staff guided the Polar Bears to their school-record third consecutive OAC Championship in 2017.
Northern posted its second consecutive top-20 finish at the 2017 National Championships as it finished 19th overall and wrapped up its season with a 126-37 record.