Category: Sports

By Jesse Sailer, Sports Editor

Ohio Wesleyan men’s track and field won their fourth consecutive all-ohio championship with Ohio Wesleyan women’s finishing in an impressive third place.

The men’s team won the meet with 116½ points. Otterbein followed with 97 points. Case Reserve finished third with 90 points, followed by Heidelberg (74), John Carroll (71), Capital (54½), Denison (43), Baldwin Wallace (39) and Wilmington with (38).

On the women’s side, Oberlin won the meet with 124 points above Otterbein’s 114. Ohio Wesleyan finished with 100½ points. Ohio Northern finished fourth with 74 points, followed by Baldwin Wallace (71½), Capital (58), John Carroll (49), Case Reserve (47) and Heidelberg (44).

Senior Nate Newman and sophomore Mike Heeschen won events to lead Ohio Wesleyan to the team title at the All-Ohio Division III championship meet, hosted by Ohio Wesleyan last Saturday.

Newman won the decathlon at last week’s multi-event portion of the meet, scoring a total of 6226 points to win his third All-Ohio decathlon title.  

Heeschen won the javelin with a throw of 175-10, his second consecutive All-Ohio title in the event.

“I can’t give enough credit to the people who have helped me get here, it’s something i’m immensely proud of and it’s something i’m going to keep in my sights for next season,” Heeschen said.

Sophomores Megan Sievers and Cirrus Robinson both won key events that earned Ohio Wesleyan points at the All-Ohio meet.

Sievers won the long jump with a leap of 18-9¾ as well as aiding the 400-meter relay team to a victory, combining with junior Alyssa Acevedo, senior Emily Brown and sophomore Jaliyah Atkinson to break the tape in :48.88.

Robinson won the high jump by clearing 5-5. It was her second consecutive All-Ohio title in the event.

For the men’s team, All-Ohio honors went to freshman Cade Richeson who was second in the shot put and third in the discus, junior Darcy Isaiah who placed second in the 800-meter run, and sophomore Ryan Lesmez who finished third in the 1500-meter run.

“We put in the work, and time after time it pays off in meets like these,” senior Justin Reznick remarked, “It’s about going out there and wanting to show how much work you’ve put into your event.”

The Bishop 400-meter relay team of junior Delontaye Morrow, junior Tommy Davis, sophomore Nate Minic and senior Griffin Peyton also won All-Ohio recognition with its second-place finish.

On the women’s side, All-Ohio laurels went to junior Cait Culberg who placed second in the 10,000-meter run, sophomore Tiffany Moore who was second in the high jump and senior Amanda Clay who placed second in the long jump.

Brown, who was third in the heptathlon at last weekend’s multi-event competition and finished fourth in the triple jump, fifth in the 200-meter dash, and sixth in the long jump, was also recognized as well as Acevedo, who finished third in the long jump.

By Jesse Sailer, Sports Editor

The Ohio Wesleyan softball team raised close to five thousand dollars towards cancer research during their annual StrikeOut Cancer game.

OWUs softball game against Denison wasn’t just any regular season game, it was chosen to be the softball teams StrikeOut Cancer game that helps raise money and bring awareness to cancer.

Attendees were able to purchase a 50/50 raffle ticket or buy a ticket to win a 55” TV or grill.

There was also an opportunity to color ribbons in honor and recognition of those closest to you that might be affected with cancer.

This was the softball teams fifth year partnering with the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) to host a StrikeOut Cancer game

After its creation more than 10 years ago, NFCA’s goal through the StrikeOut Cancer program is to “help increase cancer education and promote healthy living through awareness efforts and fundraising activities.” (https://nfcaevents.org/docs/strikeout-cancer/strikeout-event-information.pdf)

“The strikeout cancer game was more than a game to everyone,” freshman outfielder Madison Bridger said, “It was greater than ourselves and i am super blessed to be a part of a team that was able to raise so much money for the cause.”

Last year, OWU women’s softball raised $3,726 and were recognized as one of the top individual fundraisers for that years NFCA and American Cancer Society annual StrikeOut Cancer initiative.

This year, softball set a goal for $4,500 and have since passed it, predicting a number closer to $5,000 by the time all the donations come through.

“It’s the first time i’ve ran it specifically with such a big goal in mind, we are very excited that we beat our goal by a long shot,” assistant coach Chloe Shell said.

Last saturday’s doubleheader against Denison was also one for the record books.

Senior captain Erin Ferguson became OWUs career home runs leader after she blasted a home run to left center in the bottom of the sixth.

The home run was the 14th of her career, breaking the previous record of 13 set by Taylor Dickinson 17’.

Bridger tied a school record by going 4-for-4 for Ohio Wesleyan, tying the school record for hits in a game. It marked the fourth time this season that the Bishops have tied the single-game hits record

The victory was split, with Ohio Wesleyan winning the first game 9-2 and Denison winning the second 13-10.

Freshman Baylee Small remarked that “Being able to use my god given talents and play the game that i love to help raise money to find a cure for cancer was incredible, and i can’t wait to do it again.”

By Jesse Sailer, Sports Editor

DIII Week kicked off this past Monday with the goal of highlighting the impact student-athletes have on and off the field.

The week long event encourages every Division III school to conduct outreach activities that relate to academic accomplishment, athletic experience or leadership/community service/campus involvement.

“It’s definitely a positive opportunity for all athletes associated with Division III to observe and recognize what each other has accomplished on campus and in the surrounding community.” said junior football player Joe Yurik.

DIII week is part of Division III’s “Identity Initiative” which was created back in 2010. The idea was to gain an understanding and effectively explain why schools and conferences prefer to compete at the DIII level.

The initiative has described Division III as “A place where student-athletes can follow your passions and develop your potential within an approach that combines rigorous academics, competitive sports and an opportunity to pursue other interests.”

“It speaks directly to what OWU is all about,” said junior football player Colten Harvey, “competing in a sport as well as pursuing a liberal arts education is exactly why DIII has so much more to offer.”

The North Coast Athletic Association (NCAA) also partnered to promote Mental Health Awareness as an initiative that ties in with DIII Week. Information was given about resources and counseling services here on campus.

Activities to celebrate DIII Week have been  planned and put together through the Ohio Wesleyan Athletic Committee (OWAC). OWAC is comprised of OWU student-athletes, and led by the women’s assistant field hockey coach Lauren Thomas.

“It gives us an opportunity to formally recognize and honor our athletes for everything they do both on the field and academically and in the community,” said OWU athletic director Doug Zipp.

At a student tailgate and cookout held for student-athletes of OWU, athletes were given emblems that asked the question, why DIII? Individuals filled them out and hung them all over Hamilton-Williams.

Students will be tabling all week to raise money for Life Bank which is happening conference wide in the form of a change war.

2018 Division III Week runs from April 2 through April. 8, 2018.

By Jesse Sailer, Sports Editor

Richard D. Gordon, a pioneer of intercollegiate athletics and a man who gave 64 years of his life to the Ohio Wesleyan community, passed away last thursday at the age of 89.

Gordon, who was an OWU graduate in ‘52,  returned to his alma mater in 1954 after getting his masters at The Ohio State University.

Gordon coached at OWU for 39 years and remained active in the Ohio Wesleyan and golf communities for another 25 years.

He started off as head coach of the soccer, swimming and golf teams.

He was head coach of the men’s soccer team when it returned to varsity status in 1955 and coached its first All-America selection that season.

Gordin served as the Battling Bishops’ men’s golf coach from 1955-93, with a 39-season run marking the longest coaching tenure in OWU history at the time.

Out of the 25 teams he coached, he led 22 of them to the NCAA Division III or College Division tournaments. OWU won a total of 12 league titles in five different decades under Gordin. His teams won seven Ohio Athletic Conference championships and five North Coast Athletic Conference crowns.

Gordin was named NCAA Division III Coach of the Year in 1987 and 1993.

“His accomplishments were stellar, and we will forever remember him as one of the giants who helped to make the University what it is today.” President Rock Jones said.

Gordin became Ohio Wesleyan’s athletics director in 1977, and during his tenure Ohio Wesleyan opened the Branch Rickey Center, Edwards Gymnasium and Pfeiffer Natatorium.

During Gordin’s first seven years as athletics director, Ohio Wesleyan won the OAC’s coveted all-sports trophy three times.

Dr. Jay Martin, who had succeeded Gordin as athletics director in 1985, said, “Dick Gordin set the standard for coaching and athletic administration at Ohio Wesleyan. He had the foresight to act toward achieving gender equity before it was ever an issue.”

Gordin also helped develop the North Coast Athletic Conference, the first intercollegiate athletic conference in the country to treat men’s and women’s sports equally at its inception, with Ohio Wesleyan becoming a charter member in 1983.

Gordin was inducted into the Ohio Wesleyan Athletics Hall of Fame in 1993.

The Ohio Wesleyan athletics department annually bestows the Dr. Richard Gordin Award, which recognizes the highest cumulative grade point average among senior male student-athletes, as well as hosting the Gordin Collegiate Classic, a fall tournament that includes 12 of the best NCAA Division III teams.

By Jesse Sailer, Sports Editor

Nate Axelrod claims yet another title as he is named the NCAA National Player of the Year.

It was announced by D3hoops.com that Axelrod was named NCAA Division III Player of the Year as part of the D3hoops.com All-America teams.

“It’s a huge honor and really means a lot,” said Axelrod, “this really reflects all the work I’ve put in over the past 21 years of my life, and I’m really grateful.”

Axelrod, the Battling Bishops’ point guard, was a first-team All-America select, as well as a second-team All-America pick by D3hoops.com in 2017 and 2016.

It was just last month that Axelrod was named NCAC Player of the Year for the third year in a row, making him the first men’s basketball player in conference history to do so.

“I’m definitely happy with way my college career has played out. I’ve had a lot of success as a player and have to give my teammates and coaches a lot of credit for helping me do it,” Axelrod said.

Axelrod also became the first Ohio Wesleyan athlete to receive the Jostens Trophy, which recognizes the most outstanding NCAA Division III men’s basketball player.

It’s given to an athlete who not only succeeds on the court, but in the classroom and community as well.

“Nate is a role model for every student-athlete that walks on campus,” said Ohio Wesleyan athletics director Doug Zipp.

Off the court, Axelrod is active with Big Brothers/Big Sisters as well as in service to the Delaware community through his fraternity, Phi Delta Theta.

“Nate Axelrod epitomizes the values of the scholar-athlete at the Division III level,” said Ohio Wesleyan President Rock Jones.

He led the NCAC in scoring (19.2 points/game) and assists, becoming the first player in conference history to lead the league in scoring and assists in a season.

He finished his career as the second Ohio Wesleyan men’s basketball player and the fourth in NCAC history to surpass the 2000-point mark, and is Ohio Wesleyan’s all-time leader in assists (655) and consecutive games started (114).