Johnson, Gedert, Merk named All-OAC in Women's Golf for 2010-11

By: Tim Glon

ADA — Three Ohio Northern players were named All-Ohio Athletic Conference in women's golf for 2010-11 in voting conducted by the league's nine head coaches.

Senior Ashley Johnson and junior Emily Gedert were First Team All-OAC honorees, while freshman Lizzy Merk earned Second Team All-Conference kudos.

Johnson is just the third Polar Bear to earn All-Conference honors four consecutive seasons and is the first player to be a three-time 1st Team honoree, earning the honor each of the past three seasons.

She was also named Honorable Mention All-Conference as a freshman in 2008 and was named the OAC Women's Golfer of the Week five times in her career.

Johnson led the Polar Bears in scoring each of the past three seasons and averaged a career-low 83.0 for 20 rounds this year, giving her three of the six lowest single-season averages in school history.

Her career average of 85.1 for 72 rounds is the second-lowest in program history.

Gedert is a three-time All-Conference award winner after being named Second Team All-OAC in her first two seasons.

She was second on the team this year with an 84.8 average for 19 rounds and her career average of 86.2 for 57 rounds  is the third-lowest in school history.

Merk was third on the team in scoring, averaging 86.2 strokes per round for 17 rounds. Her average is the eighth-lowest single-season mark in program history.

The Polar Bears had another outstanding season in 2010-11, going 59-21-1 overall and finishing third at the OAC Championships under first-year head coach Jess Viertlboeck.