Sports – Page 9 – The Transcript

Men’s lacrosse hopes for another promising season

David Fradkin, Transcript Reporter

Ohio Wesleyan men’s lacrosse team is coming off one of their best seasons in the program’s history in 2015. This year, they are ranked 11th in the preseason USILA Division III coaching polls for the upcoming season.

The Battling Bishops finished with an overall record of 18-1. They lost to Gettysburg in the quarterfinal of the Division III NCAA tournament.

The Bishops won the NCAC conference and recorded their first undefeated regular season finishing 14-0.

A total of nine OWU seniors are returning from last year’s team, one of which is senior captain and defender Jordan Carlson.

“I know that we can be as good if not better this year. We have a lot of guys from last year’s team [who] were contributing to our success,” Carlson said.

The team is looking to recover after losing 10 seniors who were major contributors to last year’s team, including some who were All-American and All-Conference players. But Carlson said he was optimistic that the incoming freshman class can fill that void.

“This year’s freshman class is very talented and a lot of them are going to be playing for us at some point this season,” Carlson said.

Players express their excitement for the season to begin when they play Augustana College on Feb. 20 at home in Selby Stadium. The next game will be on the road at Otterbein on Feb. 24.

“The team’s goals for this year are the same as they are every year,” said junior defenseman Justin Smith. “We want to win the NCAC regular season, win the NCAC tournament, make the NCAA National Tournament and win a National Championship.”

This year, the team will have six coaches. Head Coach Mike Plantholt returned along with assistants Trey Keeley and Jesse Lawrence.

Joining the coaching staff is Keith Long, Ryan Sullivan and Tommy Minkler. Minkler was a senior and starting captain on last year’s team.

The art of the OWU relay

Julia Snyder, Transcript Reporter

Running in a relay is considered an honor in track and field at Ohio Wesleyan University.

Kris Boey has been the head coach of the track and field team for the past 14 years. He said that having a strong relay team says a great deal because it shows the depth and quality of the team.

“Relays are fun, they’re exciting and they’re something that, as a team, we put a premium on because it makes a strong statement of your team and the culture should be that you earn your way onto a relay,” Boey said. “It’s a desirable thing. We take pride in that.”

There are several different relay events for outdoor and indoor track, but the same distances and strategies are used for the boys and girls.

There are three different relays in outdoor track: a 4×200-meter relay, 4×400-meter relay and a distance medley. There are only two relays for outdoor track: a 4×100 and 4×400-meter relay.

“The 4×100 is a pure sprint. It’s the trickiest because a hundredth of a second matters and exchanges have to be perfect,” Boey said. “It’s an extremely exciting race.”

Junior Colin McShane said, “The 4×4 is the most fun event for me because it’s the very last event of the track meet, and usually big meets come down to whoever wins the 4×4. To be a member of that relay is special because the whole team is watching you and depending on you guys to run well and basically win the meet.”

A distance medley consists of four runners who run 1200 m, 400 m, 800 m and 1600 m, respectively.

“The distance medley is unique because of the four different distances. The exchanges can be a little tricky because runners are coming in at different speeds,” Boey said. “It becomes really strategic on where you put your people.”

There are many variables that go into choosing runners for a relay. Boey said that he wants the type of person who wants to have the baton in their hand, someone who is very team-oriented.

Both McShane and senior Sara Johnson agree that running a relay is less pressure and more fun.

“For a relay, I don’t get nervous,” Johnson said. “You’re not in the blocks, you’re like chasing someone and it’s with three other girls, so it’s more fun that way.”

McShane said, “When you’re on a relay, it really brings in the team aspect of the sport. I always run better in a relay because you feel like the guys depend on you more. My other roommate, Adam [Turner], has run the 4×4 with me since I was a freshman. It makes it more fun to do a relay with somebody you’re really good friends with.”

Sophomore Griffin Peyton is new to the team.

Peyton said, “Running a relay really establishes our team motto, ‘we stand alone, together,’ which is nice. I like that.”

Barnes, Schaefer finish careers as All-Americans

Evan Walsh and Olivia Lease, Transcript Reporter and Online Editor

Ohio Wesleyan men’s soccer announced last week that two of its seniors, Brian Schaefer and Lonnie Barnes, were named (as) d3soccer.com All-Americans.

Barnes plays midfield and Schaefer plays forward for the team. Neither anticipated they’d receive recognition for one of college soccer’s most prestigious individual awards. Schaefer said it would not have been possible without the support of their teammates and coach, Jay Martin.

To be nominated for the award, Coach Martin said each school’s team nominates its players according to their team’s record. The names go into a pool and all the coaches in the division told to pick their top three (but they are not allowed to vote on their own players).

Since the men’s team had a strong record this past season, the coaches were eligible to nominate five guys, instead they only sent three.

Photo courtesy of Sarah Blake — Photo courtesy of Sara Blake

“I try to stay true to process, I know a lot of coaches who take advantage and do the full amount but to be honest with you, we didn’t have five All-Americans on the team,” said Martin.

Martin praised both having great technical skills and for being competitive but most importantly, for being good leaders.

“We had some of the best leadership we’ve ever had, at least in my 39 years, this past season and those two guys were apart of that leadership group,” he said.

Barnes said he remembered looking at the plaques of previous winners on the the wall when he was a freshman. “It’s cool to have that recognition,” he said.

“I was mostly playing to win games and help the team out as much as possible,” Schaefer said.

While neither sees themselves playing competitively in the future, their passion for the game has only grown during their time at OWU. “I love soccer … I think my career is done at this point but I may keep playing in some men’s leagues,” Schaefer said.

When asked if he had any advice for fellow college athletes, Schaeffer said, ““Just try your best honestly, and put in the work.”

In regard to post- grad plans, Martin said, “I hope they can carry over the high level of motivation they had on the soccer field to what they choose to do in their professional life.”

Barnes is from Illinois and majoring in geography. Schaefer is from New Jersey, and majoring in accounting and minoring in management economics. Off the field, both are brothers of Phi Gamma Delta.

This past season the men’s soccer team ended the 2015 with a record of 16-5-2.

Mixed results for OWU’s basketball teams

Leia Miza, Transcript Reporter

A bittersweet note was left at Branch Rickey Stadium on Jan. 24 as Ohio Wesleyan University’s women’s team was defeated and the men’s team triumphed over Denison University.

The women’s team went first against Denison and kept the score close throughout.

By the end of the game, the team faced challenges, which resulted in a loss.

“I was pleased with our rebounding effort in the first half, but they just wore us down in the fourth quarter,” said Stacey Lobdell, coach of the women’s team at OWU.

Rylie Pittard, a freshman on the women’s team, said, “throughout the game it was pretty even for both teams, we would score and then they would counter it.”

The players forced 21 turnovers and 13 steals, but the defensive effort still resulted in a 58-42 loss for the Battling Bishops.

Immediately after the women clashed, the OWU men’s basketball team came onto the court and began warming up. The stands filled with more fans and foot-stomping and chanting filled the stadium.

The scores between both teams remained close throughout the first half. But near the end of the game, there was a major turning point.

“The team went down by seven points with five minutes left in the game and we went on scoring run, took the lead and won the game,” said senior team captain Claude Gray.

This was a good test for the team as it gave it a chance to “show we have heart,” Gray said.

“I was just glad me and the team could pull together and do the things needed to be done to win the game. I’m looking forward to seeing the team keep improving.”

OWU track team sweeps triangle meet

Freshman Kevin Jones receives a baton from junior Colin McShane (pic- tured left). Photo by Leia Mizas.

Ross Hickenbottom, Sports Editor
Friday night was a successful one for the Ohio Wesleyan indoor track teams as they swept the OWU Triangular meet, where they hosted Mount Vernon Nazarene and Muskingum University.

The men’s track team, led by senior Adam Turner’s first place finishes in both the 300-meter dash and the 500-meter run, dominated the meet with their 180.5 points as compared to Mount Vernon Nazarene’s 84.5 and Muskingum’s 66.

A long list of first place finishers for the men include sophomore Nate Newman in the high jump, senior Aaron Port in the shot-put, junior Colin McShane in the 60-meter dash, senior Houston Smith in the 800-meter run, sophomore Nick Horton in the mile run, senior Nathan Madonich in the 3000-meter run, freshman Quentin Broomfield in the 60-meter hurdles, sophomore Westin Short in the pole vault and senior Ahmed Abdel Halim in the triple jump.

Sophomores Nate Newman and Griffin Peyton as well as freshman Tommy Davis all feel as if the meet went as planned, if not better.

“We really exceeded expectations,” said Newman, a multi-event athlete.

As for the women’s team, the results are just as dominant as their male teammates.

Led by senior Sarah Alflen’s two gold medals in the shot put and the weight throw, the ladies took the meet with their 176 points, compared to 109 for Muskingum and a mere 26 for Mount Vernon Nazarene.

Another long list of gold medalists contributes to the team success, consisting of sophomore Emily Brown in the triple jump, sophomore Amanda Clay in the 60-meter dash, senior Sara Johnson in the 60-meter hurdles, sophomore Rachell Resnik in the mile run, senior Abbey Warth in the 800-meter run, freshman Alyssa Acevedo in the long jump, sophomore Nicole Rozsa in the pole vault and JaMilla Holland who won the 200-meter dash.

Meg Teitelman, a sophomore multi-event athlete, contributed the “great team win” to the freshmen stepping up to their calling. In specific, Alyssa Acevedo, who took gold in the long jump, as well as finishing second in both the 60-meter dash and the 60-meter hurdles.

Acevedo said the team was expected to “destroy them, and that’s what we did.”

Both teams look to continue their dominance in their upcoming NCAC Quad at the College of Wooster on Saturday the 23rd.

Bishops third in NCAC all-sport championship, trailing DePauw, Denison

By: Ross Hickenbottom, Transcript Correspondent

All seven fall sports NCAC championships have been decided, placing DePauw University in first, Denison University in second and Ohio Wesleyan trailing the pack in third. The Tigers of DePauw captured their first-ever NCAC title in women’s soccer and took second place in both field hockey and football, while placing third in men’s soccer; women’s cross country and volleyball, wrapping up the fall sports season with a total of 56.5 points, a nine-point lead over Denison (47.5) and a ten and a half point lead over OWU (46.0).

Denison, with a half-point lead over Ohio Wesleyan, earned top five finishes in six fall sports, including women’s soccer placing second for the Big Red’s top team finish of the season. Ohio Wesleyan placed two teams, men’s soccer and volleyball, in second place in the conference for the season to gain a four-point lead over the fourth place team, Kenyon.

OWU Athletics Director Roger Ingles explained that Denison, DePauw and Ohio Wesleyan are a typical top three in the NCAC All-Sports Championship race approaching the winter sports season, but has confidence in teams such as the men’s basketball squad to pull out another conference championship, rearranging the order, and hopefully placing OWU on the top of the podium at the end of the winter sports season.

In the history of the NCAC, OWU leads the pack in terms of total conference championships, with 145, Denison in second (130) and Allegheny falling behind in third (113), but in fact, has not won an all-sports title, outright, since the 2007-08 season. The past several years, DePauw and Denison have teetered the title.

Returning starter, and Freshman of the Year in the NCAC men’s basketball poll, Nate Axelrod has ‘high expectations’ for the team this year, and believes they can repeat, adding to the All-Sports race effort, but explained, “we just need to take it one game at a time and stay focused to reach our goal.”

Looking forward to spring, Doug Sanders, a dual-sport athlete and junior, playing both football

and baseball, has high hopes for the baseball team, believing they can bring a championship back to Delaware.

“I believe this team has the hunger and drive in order to win the NCAC Tournament, as well as making some noise in the NCAA tourney. It should be a great year for Ohio Wesleyan baseball,” he said.

With that, OWU athletes look to turn the race results around with the winter and spring sports seasons, surpassing DePauw and Denison.

Women’s rugby continues to grow and prosper

By: Ross Hickenbottom, Transcript Reporter

The OWU rugby logo for both the men’s and women’s teams. Photo courtesy of Facebook.

The Ohio Wesleyan women’s rugby club continues to expand and excel as an organization after recording a successful season, finishing 4-2 for the season.

The team competes in a league consisting of Wittenberg University, Hiram College, Kenyon College, Denison University and Oberlin College, but competed for the title of best in the OVWRC with teams such as Findlay University, Tiffin University, Ashland University and Ohio Northern as well.

Under coach Josh Longenbaker, the organization “really grew” this year, said junior rugger Robyn Madrishin. With a team consisting of 26 ruggers, only six were veterans, meaning a lot of new players were introduced to the team and its success.

A lot of women try rugby for the first time once they enroll at OWU, and considering that, Madrishin, who has played for the past two years, said, “The new players came to every practice ready to learn and the veteran players were always ready to teach.”

As a new rugger, freshman Logan Garber tasted this sport for the first time this year, along with the toughness it takes to play it.

“I had never played rugby before OWU,” said Garber, “but after my first hard hit on a girl in my first game against Wittenberg, I knew that rugby was something I’d be trying to play for as along as my body could take it.”

The team contributed its success to the willingness to learn a new sport and play it to your full potential that the new ruggers showed all season, from the first practice to the last game and also, the “passion that our organization has,” said Madrishin.

Senior N’Toia Hawkins, who just finished her last fall season with the Bishops felt as if the team served as a “home away from home,” and she “loved spending time with them because I trust and love all of them with my life.”

As far as an old program, the lady Bishops do not have one, but a passion is something they do have. The ladies look to not only improve current players’ ability to play rugby at a high level, but also to recruit new players who enjoy trying new sports and building camaraderie among teammates to impact the future of this young and overlooked program.

Women’s soccer coach resigns

Ohio Wesleyan’s women’s soccer coach resigned Tuesday.

Bob Barnes coached the Bishops for 19 seasons, leading the team to back-to-back NCAA Division III championships in 2001 and 2002. His team also set a NCAA Division III record with a 60-game winning streak.

In an article on battlingbishops.com, Barnes said, “Leaving Ohio Wesleyan is the toughest thing I’ve ever had to do. I appreciate my time at Ohio Wesleyan as a student-athlete and then as a coach for 19 seasons — it has been an amazing journey.”

“I think the current team, along with another recruiting class, will accomplish great things, and I look forward to watching their development into a conference contender.”

Assistant Coach Nicole Ross will take over as interim head coach until a permanent replacement is found.

Bishops finish football season with a flurry

By: Brian Goldaber, Transcript Correspondent

It’s not how you start, but how you finish.

The Ohio Wesleyan football team finished its season on Nov. 14 with a 59-28 win against the College of Wooster. The blowout win marked the culmination of an up and down season that fills the Battling Bishops with anticipation for next fall.

The win against Wooster raised OWU’s record to 55. While a .500 record may not seem impressive, those close to the football program think otherwise.

After losing three of their first four games, the team rallied to win three of its last four behind some stellar offensive and defensive performances.

“It took us a little while to get rolling, but once we found our groove and started playing good football, we got really tough to beat,” junior quarterback Dom Orsini said.

The Battling Bishops also faced the toughest part of their schedule at the beginning of the season. They opened the season with difficult losses to Mary Hardin-Baylor, who was ranked third in the nation and the perennially tough conference rival Wittenberg University.

The season finale was also a great way to send off some of the seniors on the team. Finishing the season on a strong note was satisfying for the graduating seniors to finish their football careers.

“A win like this was a great way to go out,” senior captain Zain Kieffer said. “Even though we got off to a bad start to the season, we knew we didn’t suck. It feels good to beat up on teams in front of my whole family. Couldn’t have asked for a better end to football.”

The team has 11 seniors, but the majority of the team will be back next fall.

“The end of this season leaves us all hungry for next fall,” Orsini said. “We’re keeping most of our offense and a lot of key contributors on defense. Now that we have a whole season under our belts, the sky’s the limit.”

This off season promises to be a productive one for the Battling Bishops, as head coach Tom Watts has placed the team on a strict workout plan. The players must keep up with strength training, conditioning and speed and agility drills until next fall to ensure that they come back ready to win.

Anything but a break

Thanksgiving break is a time for students to unwind with family, eat unhealthy amounts of pumpkin pie and see high school friends. For most students that means going home. For others, it means staying on campus to sweat and work hard with teammates.

The Ohio Wesleyan University men’s and women’s basketball and swimming teams put in extra practice time for games over break, making Thanksgiving anything but a break.

The swim teams competed Nov. 21 and 22 in the Corbiere-Merion Invitational where the men finished second of five and the women first.

OWU men’s basketball had three games over break. Between games and practice, the players were busy. Sophomore Will Orr believes the break brings the team closer together.

“It is a little weird to be on a college campus with only your team there, but it’s also kind of nice that it’s only your teammates on campus. It brings us together as a team.”

“It is not required to stay on campus if you live close enough, but it’s not worth it to go home everyday,” Orr said. “Usually everyone just stays on campus until we get a little break.”

Women’s basketball played Nov. 21 in Holland, Michigan, and Nov. 24 back in Delaware. For sophomore Kayla Richard, being on campus over break has both positives and negatives.

“I am pretty sure I am the only person left on my floor, and being in my room without my three roommates is really weird,” Richard said. “I miss coming back to our room and getting to talk about our days.”

The team plans activities to make the break more enjoyable and relaxing for everyone.

“The team eats the majority of our meals together, we went to go see Mockingjay Part 2 and we are are volunteering at FEED Delaware. We thought it would be a great idea to do good and give back to those who are less fortunate to remind us of all that we should be thankful for.”