Firedogs throw to second place finish

The Ohio Wesleyan Men’s Ultimate Frisbee Team took second place in a frisbee tournament over spring break.
The Firedogs were invited to the Hightide Frisbee Tournament, which went on from March 13 to March 16.
They competed with 36 teams from across the country.
The tournament took place in St. Simons, Ga. The team made it to the finals and then lost to Dickinson College, 9-8.
Junior Todd Hershberger, captain of the firedogs, said he was very pleased with how the team played at the tournament.
“(It) being our first trip to Hightide, nobody knew what to expect, but we all came ready to play,” Hershberger said. “Everybody had the mindset that we could beat any team that we got to play. It was great to see that kind of confidence.”
Sophomore Ryan Klein said he was surprised that the Firedogs did so well. Also, because it was the first time they were invited to play at Hightide.
“Everyone played well and with confidence,” Klein said. “We were surprisingly not nervous since it was the first time at Hightide.
“Everyone knew their role and we worked together very well. Nobody was trying to be a hero down there.”
The tournament lasted three days, and 18 men on the Firedogs played three games a day.
On the final day, they played everything up from the quarterfinals to the championship game.
Junior Wesley Barnes said he could feel the pressure in the final round of the tournament.
The pressure “was on from the get-go,” Barnes said. “We knew what we had to do, and we did that well,” Barnes said. “We all were somewhat eager and maybe even a little nervous about playing, but I think that those emotions were the reason why we played so well.”
The Firedogs will be heading to sectionals in mid-April according to Hershberger.
“This tournament was a great growing experience that will help us prepare for sectionals in April,” Hershberger said.
“Going 8-1 and finishing second overall was a great way to cap off a fun spring break with (the) Firedogs.”

Goalie saves game

With a mix of good offense and even greater defense the Bishops doubled St. John Fisher’s score, 10-5 on March 7 at Selby Stadium.
“Our goalie played a phenomenal game,” said sophomore midfielder Spencer Schnell.

hio Wesleyan senior Jesse Lawrence faces off with St. John Fisher Cardinal Ryan Freije at Selby Stadium. OWU beat St. John Fisher 10-5 on March 7.

Ohio Wesleyan’s goalie, Ryan McMahon, denied the St. John Fisher’s Cardinal’s repeated scoring attempts with a season high of 21 saves.
The Cardinals repeatedly navigated past OWU’s defenders and shot, but McMahon, OWU’s goalie and last line of defense, consistently prevented the Cardinals from scoring.
OWU’s defensemen put so much pressure on Cardinals’ senior Mike Byrnes in the third period that he tripped over himself twice (without any outside contact) while cradling the ball.
In the first period, freshman Tommy Minkler and Schnell started the scoring with two goals in first 30 seconds.
“We really focus on coming out hot and making a statement,” Schnell said. “In practice we start right off the bat with upbeat drills and competition. I think that helps a lot with getting on the board early.”
At halftime, the Bishops led the Cardinals 10-1, with the Cardinals scoring elusive goals in the later half.
In one goal in the fourth period, a Cardinal attacker went stick to stick with McMahon, eventually faking him towards the bottom left of the goal, then he quickly tipped the ball in over McMahon’s head.
“This game showed that we are good team this year and have the ability to beat good opponents,” Schnell said. “Hopefully this and other quality wins this season will lead to some more national recognition.”

Equestrian Team trots, jumps and gallops for relaxation, competition

The Equestrian Team at Ohio Wesleyan is not only a club for veteran riders to refine their skills, but it is also a unique opportunity for novice riders to learn horseback riding.
The Equestrian Team consists of 14 members with a mix of experience, according to senior Kassel Galaty, president of the Western Equestrian Team.
The team practices once a week, for a total of 10 training sessions per semester at Dare Equestrian Center in Hilliard, Ohio, according to senior Hairong Jiang.
The team’s coach, Linda Dare, owns the barn and provides horses for members to ride. Dare works around each student’s schedule, so the team practices at different times a week, said senior Kaitlin Tiefenthal, president of the Eastern Equestrian Team.
“Every rider learns so much from (Dare),” Tiefenthal said. “We have students that have never even touched a horse on our team, to people that have been riding even longer than me.”
Tiefenthal said she has been horseback riding since she went to a summer camp at age ten.
She said the Equestrian Team is not like most teams, because the whole team does not meet as one very often. She said she takes the opportunity to connect with her horses.
“Once a week I am able to get away from campus and just focus on horses for a bit,” Tiefenthal said.
Jiang said she joined the Equestrian Team in the spring of her sophomore year. She said she had always been interested in horses but did not have the chance to learn how to ride horses until joining the team.
Jiang said horseback riding has been a good tool for her to relax.
“For me, being on the Equestrian Team is more of a relaxation after all the college work,” Jiang said. “I enjoy riding, and I’m really happy that I had the chance to learn how to ride.”
Freshman Caitlin Bobb said the Equestrian Team competes in various Intercollegiate Horse Show Association events throughout the year. However, there are no more competitions scheduled for this semester, Bobb said.
Bobb said she has been involved with horses all her life. She said she has trained horses, taught horseback riding lessons and competed in horse shows since she was a kid.
“Possibly the most rewarding thing besides training horses would be teaching lessons and working in therapeutic riding camps,” Bobb said. “It is definitely rewarding and inspiring to see how each student progresses.”
Currently, the Equestrian Team is not a varsity sport. However, Bobb said the team is just as good as other colleges who have varsity equestrian teams.
Bobb said the team would benefit from becoming a varsity sport, but funding makes it difficult because it limits the amount of competitions the team can participate in. She also said some do not believe equestrian is not a true sport.
“It is a common misconception that equestrian sports do not require hard work and that they aren’t even sports at all,” Bobb said. “However, guiding a 1000 pound animal through a jump course, or through a Western pattern is no easy task and should be considered a serious varsity sport.”
Sophomore Megan Buys said that because the Equestrian Team is not a varsity sport, there is not as much pressure to perform. This gives novice riders a better chance to learn how to ride, she said.
Senior Lauren Zupsic said people have the choice in the club to participate in competitions or just ride for enjoyment.
“I think it works well not being varsity,” Zupsic said. “It allows more people to join for whatever reason they want.”

Women’s lacrosse dominates with big win

Women’s Lacrosse beat Albion College 22-9 on Sunday, March 18, in Selby Stadium. Junior Molly Curry scored a career high of 5 goals.
The match was the third game played during spring break for the Bishops. The two previous games were split 1-1 in a tournament played in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Head Coach Margaret Grossman said she was a little concerned about the team losing focus.
“It is a lot to travel, play some great competition, have fun away from campus and then to come back and be thrown into a Sunday afternoon game,” she said. “We learned how to refocus ourselves and get back into playing ‘our game’ and not letting the level of the other team dictate how we are going to play. While I was a little concerned, I knew that by the end we were going to come out stronger and more mentally tough than when we started the game.”
Despite Grossman’s initial concern, the Bishops came out strong on Sunday. Curry scored within the first 12 seconds of the game followed by a goal 40 seconds later from freshman midfielder Abbie Love, giving the Bishops a 2-0 lead in the first minute of play.
Within the first five minutes of play, the Bishops led 6-1. Albion College (Britons) rallied back in the first half with leading scorers Melissa DiRado and Ashley Glenn. Their effort wasn’t enough to fight off the Bishops coming out of the half with 4 straight goals, which extended their lead to 21-6. OWU went on to win, 22-9.
The team got a running clock in the first half of play. A running clock occurs when the game timer continues after a goal is made. When one team is ahead by 10 or more points, it is started.
This is the team’s second running clock game of the season. Grossman said this is never the goal, but it really builds the team confidence and morale.
“Running clocks were something this team was accustomed to last season, so for them to be on the other end of that is exciting,” she said. “It shows their hard work and determination to never stop.”
Sophomore midfielder defender Theresa Wolfgang said she disagreed with Grossman. Grossman said a running clock was not the goal from a coaches perspective. Wolfgang said as a player it was.
“We had two goals as a team,” Wolfgang said. “One was to get a running clock and two, was to score 21 points for Molly (Curry’s) birthday.”
Curry opened the game with a score and was the second leading scorer. She said it was a great team win.
“It was a great feeling to win by that much on my birthday,” she said. “I think the team came together and realized what needed to be done right at the start of the game. We will see more competitive teams when we start playing our conference, but I think if we focus and play together like we have been, we will be successful.”
Swanson led the Bishops with 6 goals and 2 assists and junior midfielder Meredith Wholley added 3 goals and 2 assists.
The Bishops are now 4-1 in pre-conference play.
They have two more games before their first conference match against Alleghany College.
“We have played competitions at all levels. (It) is just helping us get better,” Grossman said. “(It) help(s) us gain confidence and be more prepared for the conference portion of the season. If we improve our level of play each game we will be ready for Allegheny and the rest of the conference.”

Women’s Ultimate team shares family bond

Female students looking for a unique, club sport experience on campus can find it in the women’s Ultimate Frisbee team. These women who make up the team call themselves“Yetis.”
The back story on the name of the team is described as follows:
“One day an OWU woman was on a spirit quest in the Himalayas. She journeyed to the highest point of the highest peak in order to project optimal yodeling when she encountered her spirit animal, the Yeti. The Yeti advised her to return to her homeland and spread the word of Ultimate Frisbee in order to extend peace and good times.”
The Yeti’s story is found on the team’s website.
Since it was founded, the group has grown significantly and competed in multiple events.
“We have around 15-20 girls that consider themselves Yetis,” sophomore Alex Kerensky said. “We go to a lot of tournaments, usually around five a semester.”
Kerensky said that while the Yetis compete in both the fall and spring semesters, the fall semester competition is not as demanding as the spring.
“The fall semester tournaments are more laid back,” Kerensky said. “They are not sanctioned with USA Utimate, but they are still competitive. Their purpose is to help the new players really understand the game and give everyone an opportunity to play some awesome Ultimate.
“In the spring, the tournaments are sanctioned and our scores are factored into a ranking system that will determine placement in sectionals in April.”
Last year, the Yetis won sectionals and continued on to the regional tournament. They performed well despite the absence of many upperclassmen who attended graduation that weekend.
“(I)t was really awesome,” Kerensky said.“We went to Regionals … Still, with a mainly underclassman team, we competed and gave the other teams a run for their money.”
Junior Amanda Fawcett said the team has developed chemistry that helps them to perform collectively and successfully.
“There is something about the chemistry of our team that is indescribable,” Fawcett said. “There is so much love and respect on and off the field, and we have an awesome time playing together.
“Although we have gotten more serious about our game over the past couple of years, we maintain the outlook that as long as we play our hearts out, we are satisfied no matter what the outcome of the game is.”
Kerensky said the team schedules practices to work with each teammate’s obligations and commitment level.
“Practice times are currently changing to meet people’s busy, busy schedules and the commitment is totally up to you, but there is a more expected commitment in the spring semester,” Kerensky said.
“Honestly, the sport is so awesome…you grow to love it and commitment comes naturally,” she said.
The team is always looking for new members and Kerensky said the team provides a unique balance between competing and liking the sport.
“We are really open and always inviting new members to come play with us,” Kerensky said. “We have a great balance between having fun and being competitive. Lots of girls find it very refreshing compared to their ultra competitive and aggressive team sports in high school or even college.”
Fawcett agreed with Kerensky and said it is the attitude of the team that balances having fun with being competitive.
“I’m actually currently studying abroad in Heidelberg, Germany, and although I’m having the time of my life, playing Ultimate with the Yetis is what I miss the most,” Fawcett said. “That’s part of what makes being a Yeti so enjoyable. There is so much room to have fun, and we always manage to do so.”

Women’s lacrosse extinguishes Comets

Women’s Lacrosse beat Olivet College 16-2 on Saturday, Mar. 2 at Selby Stadium.
The game marked the second pre-season non-conference match of the year for the Lady Bishops.
Less than a minute into the game, junior attacker Annie Swanson scored, giving the Bishops a 1-0 lead. Ohio Wesleyan kept up this momentum going on a 9-0 run. The Comets did not score until 10:38 left in the first half.
The Bishops rallied back quickly with 3 more goals, leading the way 12-1 going into half time. The Comets would only score once more in the second half; it was not enough to fight off the Bishops, who went on to win 16-2.
Swanson led the team with 4 goals and 2 assists.
“We worked together in a way that I have yet to see out of this team in my two previous seasons playing lacrosse at OWU.”
Head Coach Margaret Grossman said the win was a team effort. There were eight different players who scored and six players who added assists. Freshmen Abbie Love scored the first three goals of her career and Saige Bell scored her first two as well.
“Everyone worked well together,” Grossman said. “It did not matter what combination of players was on the field. They all worked together and contributed for the entire 60 minutes.”
Once a 12 goal differential is reached in the 2nd half, a running clock will begin. The clock is not stopped for timeouts or referee calls, according to the NCAA Lacrosse rulebook.
Junior Meredith Wholley, who had two goals and an assist, said this running clock was one outcome the team hoped to achieve.
“Our goal for this game was to get a running clock because we did understand that the other team was not as skilled,” she said. “What made us so successful was focusing on making good plays, and then showing our sportsmanship at the end by not scoring when we were up.”
Swanson said the running clock really validated the team’s hard work.
“It felt great to have our first running clock game of the season,” she said. “I think it proved a lot to ourselves that we are better than we were last year and will continue to improve. It meant that the talent is there and our hard work in the preseason is paying off and will continue to do so if we keep up the same intensity.”
Grossman said the team is constantly improving.
“Overall we did exactly what we had planned to do (to) get better.” she said. “We are going into every game with the mentality that win or lose, we are going to get better.”
The Bishops next game will be in West Balm Beach Fla. against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Grossman said after the win she has a good outlook on the rest of the season.
“If this continues and we stick with the plan to control the tempo of every game as well as continue to get better with every practice and every game, I foresee the rest of the season shaping up to be the successful season that all of us want,” she said.

Men’s basketball lose in final minutes of NCAA tournament

Editor’s Note: Coverage of this game is based off of a live video stream.
The Bishops tentative dominance over the Hobart Statesman was apparent from the beginning. After overcoming a small, 4-point Senator lead, the Bishops were on top almost the entire game—except for when it mattered. At the end.
With 47:02 seconds in the game to go, the Bishops still had a 4-point lead. By 24:40 seconds, they were down by 1 point. And, by the end of the game, with a last ditch timeout, the Senators finished their 10-point streak and took the game from the Bishops, pushing the final score to 64-60.
The Bishops may have been upsetted in the last few minutes, but their plays still packed heat.
With over six minutes left in the first half, senior wing Tim Brady gets the court to himself, and hammers in a slam dunk.
Later, after halftime, junior guard Andy Winters and Spalding work together to dunk another basket.
With under two minutes to go in the second half, Winters tries to save a ball for the Bishops, goes beyond the court, and lands on an NCAA table, startling staff officials and ripping off the table’s covering.
Junior post Greg White said that OWU had a decent strategy–to not give Hobart any possessions. He said executing that strategy was the hardest part of the game.
“Coach Dewitt has consistently mentioned that we need to play for 40 full minutes and not take any possessions off, but we let a few possessions get out of our hands and did not convert some key shots and did not convert some key defensive plays,” he said.
White said this about the game, the team overall, and its future:
“Regardless of the outcome, and knowing that we fell short of our goal to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament, it has been a good season for our basketball team and we look to carry our momentum and experience over to next season, and work on our individual and team weaknesses in the off-season. We will have everyone back on our team but our graduating leading scorer, Tim Brady, who will be greatly missed, as his offensive game and leadership will be a challenge to replace.”
Coach Michael DeWitt said the season was successfull overall.
“In the last three minutes, we simply didn’t continue to do the things we had done all game,” he said. “We made some mental mistakes, and a good team like Hobart will take advantage of those mistakes. It was a disappointing end to an excellent season. We overcame a lot of obstacles and deficiencies to have success because of our great effort and team chemistry.”
Winters said the team was not concentrated. “We lost focus the last few minutes,” he said. “We had the lead the entire game and all it took was a couple of back to back plays to get them the lead. We fought very hard for the majority of the game but did not close it out and it cost us. As a captain of the team I feel responsible for (the) outcomes of our games … A great thing about the guys on our team is no one points fingers for any loss … I wouldn’t ask for a better group of teammates and people to be with this year.”
This matchup concluded OWU’s men’s basketball season. The Bishops went 11-5 in their conference matchups and 20-8 overall.

Water polo club being restarted, new captains to bring sport to the Midwest

Two students are reviving the OWU water polo club and said they hope to spark an interest in the sport on campus.
Freshmen Marcus Ramirez and Matthew Mahoney, both members of the swim team, are in the process of reviving the water polo club as a way to continue a sport they both played in high school and stay active in the off season.
“It’s a way to cross train and provides a constructive way to stay in shape,” Mahoney said.
“It provides students an opportunity who played before college another chance to play.”
Ramirez, who is from the West, and Mahoney, who is from the East, bring different perspectives on the sport because they have learned different styles of the sport.
Ramirez, who played in high school in California, said it also gives other students at the school an opportunity to participate in a new and different sport that they may have never played before.
“It is very popular on the East and West Coasts, but there isn’t enough interest in the Midwest,” Ramirez said.
However, the sport is popular enough for there to be other college club teams in the central Ohio area to play.
The club does face some issues with attendance.
There are currently only 10 members in the club, which is under the amount that Ramirez and Mahoney would like.
Ramirez said that a regulation team needs seven players in the water, but more are needed for substitutions and practice scrimmages.
“We want more (members) to join to have substitutes and different skill and experience groups for practice,” Ramirez said.
Member participation and time was an issue with the club before it momentarily dissolved.
Senior Anne McComas, the president the last time the club was around, attributed lack of member participation at practice times and starting the club right up after swim season to be difficult for the club’s reputation.
However, McComas is positive about Ramirez and Mahoney’s attempt to revive the club.
“There are a few people who are very excited about starting the club which gives it a much better chance of being successful,” McComas said. “I left the club due to swimming related injuries.”
“There weren’t enough people to keep the club going,” she said. Hopefully there will be enough people that show up to practices to make the club a continuing success.”

Men’s, women’s track clinch NCAC combined events

The Ohio Wesleyan men’s and women’s track and field teams each earned a first and third place finish in last weekend’s indoor NCAC combined events championship at Gordon Field House.

Men’s Heptathlon

Sophomore Andrew Diehl builds up speed in the pole vault at the men’s NCAC combined events on Sunday at Gordon Field House. Diehl won the combined events scoring just 11 points higher than freshman Jack Leibovitz from DePauw
Sophomore Andrew Diehl won the men’s indoor heptathlon with a score of 4465. He scored just 11 points higher than second place freshman Jack Leibovitz from DePauw. Freshman Matt Hunter placed third in the heptathlon with a score of 4426.
The men’s indoor heptathlon was a two-day event on Saturday and Sunday. It consisted of seven events: 60-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, 60-meter hurdles, pole vault and 1000-meter run.
This is Diehl’s second consecutive win in indoor combined events.
He won the 2011 indoor pentathlon and is the first athlete in conference history to win two consecutive years in a row, Diehl said.
Diehl said the competition this weekend was good, but he credits his teammates for his accomplishments.
“This weekend was great,” Diehl said. “It was awesome to have five fellow teammates there. We all supported and helped each other out. I would have not been able to accomplish what I did today without them. It was great to win but it was also great to see my teammates do as well as they did.”
Diehl said he is pleased with his performance this weekend. Despite falling just short of qualifying for nationals, Diehl said he set personal bests in the 60-meter dash, 60-meter hurdles and the 1000-meter run.
Hunter said he is hopeful that his performance in last weekend’s combined events will carry him through the NCAC championships.
“Personally my result gives me a lot of confidence in how I have progressed though the season,” Hunter said. “I showed myself I was able to perform when it counted.”
The Bishops will compete in the NCAC championship this weekend at Wabash College. Diehl said his performance last weekend will assist the Bishops in reaching their goal of winning the conference championship, but the performance of the rest of the team will be just as important.
“Our track and field team is looking strong,” Diehl said. “We are ultimately trying to win the conference championship this weekend at Wabash College.
“We lost it last year after three consecutive years of winning it. We are looking to regain our spot at the top of the conference.”
Hunter said he is excited for the NCAC championships this weekend. He said the team has broken records and hopes to continue their streak going into the NCAC championships.
“Our cross country team had a fantastic season and have highlighted the indoor season so far by breaking the school record in the distance medley relay multiple times,” Hunter said. “The sprinters are getting faster with every race and the field events are all coming together just in time for conference.”
Diehl said he will be competing in the long jump, high jump and pole vault at this weekend’s NCAC championship.
Sophomore Erik Wall, and freshmen Ethien Morales and Jon Overstreet also competed in last weekend’s heptathlon.
Women’s Pentathlon
Junior Emily Amburgey won the women’s indoor pentathlon on Sunday with a score of 2732. Junior Clare Duffy placed third with a score of 2666.
The women’s pentathlon consisted of the 60-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump and 800-meter run.
Junior Clare Duffy pushes herself on the last lap of the 800-meter run on Sunday at the women’s NCAC combined events championship at Gordon Field House

The Bishops swept the 60-meter hurdles with sophomore Sarah Bechtel placing first with a time of 9.61 seconds, Duffy in second at 9.68 seconds, and Amburgey in third at 9.69 seconds.
Bechtel also won the long jump with a leap of 15’7”.
Amburgey said the women’s team anticipates the multi-event competitions because they get to compete in a range of events that they normally do not get to participate in.
“The competition is very friendly,” Amburgey said. “Usually it’s the same girls from the same schools every year, so we get to know each other pretty well. I like that we can have good camaraderie with the other competitors because it makes it a lot more fun.”
Amburgey said she had an Achilles tendon injury that kept her from reaching her full potential in the high jump and long jump, but made up for it in the other events to win the pentathlon.
Amburgey credits the rest of her team for her success.
“I think our team’s strong point is our closeness; we are like a family,” Amburgey said. “I know that I would not have done as well as I did yesterday if it weren’t for the other multi-eventers and my teammates that came to support. The support really does go a long way, and it means a lot to us.”
Duffy said she hopes to carry her momentum from last weekend’s multi-events to the NCAC championship this weekend.
“This is the best I’ve placed in the multi-events in the past three years so it’s a great start to this coming weekend and the rest of the conference meet,” Duffy said.
Duffy said the women’s team is in great shape to bring home the NCAC championship this weekend.