Season Review: Women’s Cross Country finds ‘next level’ in 2019

By Bud Denega 

ADA — The Ohio Northern women's cross country team wanted to, excuse the pun, take the next step during the 2019 season. And while it may have taken a few meets to do so, the Polar Bears accomplished that feat when it mattered most.

"We spent all season kind of talking about trying to change levels," ONU head coach Jason Maus said. "… We talked about racing races and not running races and about believing in ourselves and having some confidence that we can be at that next level."

Northern ascended to that level at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Meet. The Polar Bears finished seventh as a squad in the 34-team meet.

"There was no pressure on us at regionals," Maus said. "I told them, 'We are not trying to make the national meet, we are trying to go have a good race, stick our nose in there like the conference meet and see what happens. We tried to take the pressure off in that aspect, and they really responded well."

The finish was highlighted by sophomore Tessa Pitcovich (Stow/Stow-Munroe Falls), who crossed 13th in a field of 233 runners to earn All-Region honors and punch her ticket to the national meet. At the national meet in Louisville, Kentucky, Pitcovich took 77th in a sea of 280 racers. 

Pitcovich gave ONU a representative at the national meet for the 15th consecutive season, and Maus enjoyed seeing the young sophomore find that next gear during the 2019 campaign. 

"To see somebody like Tessa grow, develop, really improve and see things click, that's really fun stuff," Maus said. "That's the stuff that gets you excited."

Pitcovich paced the Polar Bears in six of the eight meets in 2019. Her ninth-place finish at the Ohio Athletic Conference Championships earned her All-OAC honors and helped the Polar Bears place fourth as a team. Pitcovich boasted a career-best time of 22:25 at the Oberlin Rumble. 

Senior Kathleen Colvin (Hilliard/Bishop Ready) also earned All-Great Lakes Region and All-OAC recognition. She placed second on the team twice — one of those occurring at the conference meet where she finished 13th — and third in three more races. Colvin recorded a career-best time of 23:02 at the Oberlin Rumble.

Junior Megan Wright (Eaton/Twin Valley South) gave the Polar Bears three All-OAC honorees, placing 14th at the conference meet. She led the Polar Bears at the All-Ohio Championships and the Louisville Classic, and took second the team in two other races. Wright boasted a career-best time of 23:14 at the Oberlin Rumble.

Sophomore Rue Whitmore (Mason) and junior Kylie Vestal (Youngstown/Austintown-Fitch) rounded out ONU's top-five. Whitmore and Vestal both logged personal-best times of 22:25 and 23:36, respectively, at the Oberlin Rumble. 

Senior Taylor Fisher (Wapakoneta), junior Chaynne Retcher (Ney/Fairview), and sophomores Taylor Ellerbrock (Columbus Grove) and Sophia Thompson (Sparta/Highland) joined the aforementioned five runners, garnering Academic All-OAC distinction. 

With 80 percent of ONU's top-five returning in 2019, Maus is excited about what the future holds in Ada. 

"As long as we can stay healthy and continue to develop, there's some room to grow," Maus said. "It's going to be fun."