Three individuals, Women’s Cross Country team named All-Academic by U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association

January 28, 2022

By Wes Mayberry

ADA — The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association awarded All-Academic status to the Ohio Northern women's cross country team and named seniors Tessa Pitcovich (Stow/Stow-Munroe Falls), Taylor Ellerbrock (Columbus Grove) and Rue Whitmore (Mason) as 2021 All-Academic Athletes.

The Polar Bears were named an All-Academic Team for having a cumulative GPA north of 3.1 on a 4.0 scale. Ohio Northern recorded a cumulative team GPA of 3.21 and was one of 163 teams honored.

In order to qualify as an All-Academic Athlete, runners must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.30 on a 4.0 scale and finish in the top 25% of their respective regional championship meet. There were a total of 203 student-athletes from 105 different institutions that earned the honor.

Pitcovich, an accounting major, finished a team-best fifth place out of 266 runners in a career-best time of 22:08 at the NCAA III Great Lakes Regional Championships this past season, qualifying her for the NCAA III Championships for the second time in her career.

Pitcovich, who holds the fourth-fastest time in program history for 6,000 meters, posted a time of 22:41 at the national championships to finish 139th out of 293 runners.

Pitcovich also earned the NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country Elite 90 award, which is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's 90 championships. She is the first female student-athlete, and fourth overall, at ONU to earn the distinction.

Ellerbrock, a medical laboratory science major, joined Pitcovich as an All-Region honoree in 2021, placing 20th at the regional meet in a career-low time of 22:43 to move into 11th place on the program's all-time list.

Whitmore, a nursing major, posted a time of 23:34 to place 62nd at the regional meet.

The trio of Pitcovich, Ellerbrock and Whitmore also earned All-Ohio Athletic Conference and Academic All-OAC accolades for the 2021 season.

The Polar Bears closed the season with a seventh-place finish out of 37 teams at the regional meet, finishing with an overall record of 95-31 under 13th-year head coach Jason Maus.