Women's Cross Country opens 2022 season with win at Polar Bear Invitational
By Brandt Marshall
ADA — The Ohio Northern women's cross country team opened its 2022 season with a victory at the Polar Bear Invitational on a beautiful Saturday afternoon on the ONU campus.
Senior Taylor Ellerbrock (Columbus Grove) led the Polar Bears (1-0 overall) across the finish line in 19:43 for the 5,000-meter course, as she was third out of 45 runners overall.
ONU won the team title with 22 points, Trine (Ind.) was second with 37 points and a team of ONU alumni was third with 75 points.
Freshman Kennedy Rader (Mason) was fourth for ONU in 19:59, sophomore Ashley Hockstok (Westerville/Westerville Central) was fifth in 20:05, junior Olesya Mertz (Johnstown/Johnstown-Monroe) was sixth in 20:06 and junior Megan Vapenik (Strongsville) was ninth in 20:14.
Lydia Randolph of Trine won the individual title in 18:28.
Northern returns to competition Sept. 10 at the Wittenberg Invitational.
Team Standings
1. Ohio Northern 22, 2. Trine (Ind.) 37, 3. Ohio Northern Alumni 75.
Top 5 Individuals
1. Lydia Randolph (Trine) 19:13, 2. Isabel Chasney (Heidelberg) 19:24, 3. Taylor Ellerbrock (ONU) 19:43, 4. Kennedy Rader (ONU) 19:59, 5. Ashley Hockstok (ONU) 20:05.
Ohio Northern Results
3. Taylor Ellerbrock 19:43, 4. Kennedy Rader 19:59, 5. Ashley Hockstok 20:05, 6. Olesya Mertz 20:06, 9. Megan Vapenik 20:14, 13. Olyvia Ashbrook 20:39, 14. Natalie Armbruster 20:56, 18. Bailey Kreft 21:18, 19. Sarah Gilbert 21:23, 20. Aubrey Cable 21:24, 24. Kaitlin Prusnek 21:47, 25. Dani Widmark 22:05, 27. Lynncoln Tynan 22:18, 28. M.J. Zindars 22:21, 29. Abby Matthews 22:33, 31. J.J. Herron 23:04, 42. Victoria Kempton 26:21, 44. Lizzy Dingman 27:55.
