Women's Outdoor Track and Field dominate day one of OAC Championships, winning four of seven events, to grab a 59-point lead

TIFFIN — Ohio Northern dominated on the first day of the 2024 Ohio Athletic Conference Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hoernemann Stadium on Thursday.

The Polar Bears won four of the seven finals events and had 10 All-Conference performances to hold a commanding 59-point lead through seven of the 21 events.

| OAC Championships Site |

The Basics

• Record: Ohio Northern (27-0 Overall)
• Venue: Hoernemann Stadium - Tiffin, Ohio.

Meet Results

• The meet consisted of finals for seven of the 21 events in the two-day meet and prelims of the five sprint/hurdle events.
• Ohio Northern is in first place of 10 teams with 106 points.
• Mount Union is second with 47 points, John Carroll is third with 35 points, Otterbein is fourth with 28 points and Heidelberg is fifth with 25 points.
• There are 10 teams competing.

Top ONU Performers

• Juniors Hannah Friend (Luckey/Eastwood) and Sami Sellers (Van Wert/Lincolnview) finished 1-2 in the discus with heaves of 43.05 meters and 40.16 meters, respectively, earning All-OAC honors. Junior Izzy Burman (Benton Ridge/Liberty Benton) was right behind in fourth place with a toss of 37.85 meters.
• Sophomore Claire Schweller (Paulding) won the pole vault by clearing 3.82 meters.
• Sophomore Ellie Ford (Upper Arlington) and senior Olivia Ogg (Hebron/Lakewood) were fifth and sixth in the pole vault, as each cleared 3.17 meters. 
• Junior Jaclyn Boardman (Franklin, Ind.) and freshman Katie Floyd (Swanton) finished 1-2 in the javelin with tosses of 34.95 meters and 33.27 meters, respectively. Junior Tarrah BeVier (Johnstown/Northridge) was eighth in the event at 30.04 meters.
• Freshman AnnaSophia Gower (Perrysburg) won the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 11:49.95.
• Sophomore Kennedy Rader (Mason), senior Megan Vapenik (Strongsville) and junior Ashley Hockstok (Westerville/Central) finished 2-3-4 in the 10,000. Rader was second in 38:11.34, Vapenik was third in 38:21.34 and Hockstok was fourth in 38:45.65.
• Rader and Vapenik earned All-OAC honors.
• Junior Chloe Gibson (Ostrander/Buckeye Valley) earned All-OAC honors in the long jump by finishing third with a jump of 5.58 meters.
• The 4x800 team of sophomores Samantha Roth (Brunswick) and Kaitlin Prusnek (Findlay), freshman Isa Ramos (Tipp City/Tippecanoe) and senior Olesya Mertz (Johnstown) finished 5th in 9:59.84.

Notables

• The top three finishers in each event earn All-Conference honors.
• Schweller completed the sweep of the pole vault in the OAC this year, as she also won the OAC Indoor title in the event.
• Gibson's 5.58 in the long jump was a PR. It also moves her into a third place tie on ONU's all-time career list.
• Friend's 43.05 tied her career best, while Sellers toss ot 40.
• Both Boardman and Floyd set personal-best marks. Boardman moved up eithth all-time in ONU history in the javelin.
• Gower set a PAR in the steeplechase at 11:49.95.
• Vapenik's time in the 10k was a PR despite the early evening heat.
• Head Coach Jason Maus is in his 15th year at Ohio Northern and is 481-173-3 for women's outdoor track and field for a winning percentage of .734.
• He is 991-341-4 in both the indoor and outdoor seasons in ONU women's track and field.

Up Next

• The Polar Bears will return to action on Friday with the second and final day of the Ohio Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships at Heidelberg.