Weininger, Heitkamp place 1-2 in the high jump as Women’s Outdoor Track and Field finishes third at OAC Championships
By Wes Mayberry
ALLIANCE — Freshmen Lindsay Weininger (Upper Sandusky) and Riley Heitkamp (Fort Loramie) took the top two spots in the high jump on Friday to lead the Ohio Northern women's outdoor track and field team to a third-place finish in the OAC Championships at Kehres Stadium.
Weininger and Heitkamp were the final two competitors remaining in the high jump and battled it out at the final height before finishing with the same mark of 1.61 meters.
Weininger was awarded the conference championship with Heitkamp placing second. Their mark of 1.61 meters was a personal-best for each of them, and it is tied for 10th all-time at ONU.
"That was really special," ONU head coach Jason Maus said of Weininger and Heitkamp taking the top two spots in the high jump. "Those are two freshmen that really stepped up and handled that atmosphere and battled some stiff competition. That was an awesome experience and really lifted us up for the rest of the day."
ONU fared well in the high jump, taking four of the top six spots. Sophomore Toria Ingalls (Tiffin/Columbian) placed fifth with a mark of 1.58 meters, and freshman Ellie Ford (Upper Arlington) was sixth with a mark of 1.55 meters.
The Polar Bears (28-5 overall) finished the meet with 151 points, placing third in the 10-team field.
"It's frustrating to be as good as we were all meet long and come up third, but our women knocked it out of the park. I'm not sure we could've done much better," Maus said. "Our kids competed hard and were enthusiastic, and there were very few events that we didn't score in. They do such a good job of representing our program. I couldn't be prouder of them."
Mount Union won the team title with 213 points, and John Carroll was second with 183 points.
The top three finishers in each event earned All-OAC honors, and the top eight scored team points.
In addition to Weininger and Heitkamp, the Polar Bears earned two other All-OAC accolades.
Sophomore Chloe Gibson (Ostrander/Buckeye Valley) finished second in the triple jump with a personal-best mark of 10.97 meters, which ranks fifth all-time at ONU.
Gibson joined sophomore Kendra Krichbaum (Ashland), freshman Haley Cannon (Oregon/Clay) and senior Anna Schatzle (Brookville, Ind./Franklin County) to finish third in the 4x100 relay in :49.04.
Northern added 14 other top-eight finishes on the day.
Sophomore Olyvia Ashbrook (Johnstown/Northridge) was fourth in the 400-meter hurdles in 1:06.44, and senior Tessa Pitcovich (Stow/Stow-Munroe Falls) was fourth in the 5,000 meters in 17:43.58.
The 4x400 relay team of Ashbrook, senior Lexi Neff (Northfield/Walsh Jesuit), junior J.J. Herron (Miamisburg) and freshman Rachel Ruggles (Mogadore/Field) finished fourth in 4:12.80.
Freshman Lauryn Wolters (Anna) was fifth in the triple jump with a mark of 10.69 meters, and sophomore Izzy Burman (Benton Ridge/Liberty Benton) was fifth in the hammer throw with a mark of 45.73 meters.
Junior Rosie Schroeder (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) placed fifth in the 100-meter hurdles in a personal-best time of :15.35, which ranks sixth all-time at ONU, and she was sixth in the 400 hurdles in 1:08.97.
Ashbrook added a sixth-place finish in the 100 hurdles in a personal-best :15.43, which ranks 10th all-time at ONU.
In the shot put, Burman was seventh with a mark of 11.41 meters, and sophomore Sami Sellers (Van Wert/Lincolnview) was eighth with a mark of 11.26 meters.
Senior Taylor Ellerbrock (Columbus Grove) placed seventh in the 1,500 meters in 4:53.03, and Herron was seventh in the 400 hurdles in 1:09.09.
Krichbaum placed eighth in the 100 meters in :12.63, and sophomore Hannah Friend (Luckey/Eastwood) finished eighth in the hammer throw with a personal-best mark of 44.18 meters, which ranks eighth all-time at ONU.
Following the meet, ONU's coaching staff of Maus and assistants Molly Amidon, Jason Fisher, Will Buelsing and Emily Richards, along with athletic trainer Rachel Graham, was named the OAC Women's Outdoor Track and Field Coaching Staff of the Year for 2023.
"That's a big credit to our staff," Maus said of the award. "The effort, time and commitment that our staff puts in is tremendous. That is a true team award, and my staff makes me look good. They do a fantastic job. I couldn't ask for a better staff."
The Polar Bears return to action next weekend for the Baldwin Wallace Dillard Twilight on Friday and the St. Francis (Ill.) Last Chance on Friday and Saturday.
