Wilmington Set to Host OAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships

4/18/2012 12:00:00 AM

Austintown, OH-Wilmington will host the 2012 Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Friday-Saturday, April 27-28. Friday’s competition will start at noon and Saturday’s will begin at 10 a.m. All ten OAC schools will compete for the league title. The top three relay teams and individuals earn All-OAC honors for the 2012 season.

Mount Union swept both the men’s and women’s championship titles a year ago. The Mount Union men won their record 28^th title with 151 points, followed by Baldwin-Wallace with 126.50 points. Ohio Northern placed third with 123 points, followed by Heidelberg with 99 points, Marietta with 84 points, Otterbein with 62 points, Muskingum with 60 points, Wilmington 50 points, John Carroll with 37 and Capital 25.50.

Mount Union was tabbed as the favorite in both the men’s and women’s poll during preseason voting by the OAC track and field coaches. The Purple Raiders are guided by second year head coach, Kevin Lucas and his staff, who garnered OAC Men’s and Women’s Coaching Staff of the Year honors.

Returning for Mount Union will be senior Tim Kelly (Lakewood), who placed second in the 1,500-meter run (1:56.24) and third in the 800-meter run. Senior Sean Denard (Naperville, Ill/Naperville North) will return to defend his title in the shot put (55-02.75).

Baldwin-Wallace will return junior Mitch Supan (Medina/Walsh Jesuit), who placed first in the discus with an NCAA automatic qualifying throw of 174’8” and placed second in both the hammer with a throw of 173’0” and shot put with a NCAA qualifying throw of 53’6.25”. Supan was named the Sparky Adams Field Athlete of the Meet.

Marietta will look to junior Ryan Householder (Frazeysburg/Tri-Valley), who was named the Harrison Dillard Most Outstanding Sprint Athlete. Householder captured first place in both the 100-meter (10.95) and 200-meter (22.01) dashes, while also helping the team win the 4x100m relay and take second in the 4x400m relay.

Ohio Northern senior Dan Smith (Avon) will return to defend his 5,000-meter run title (15:00.85) and improve upon his fourth place finish in the 1,500-meter run (3:59.20). Smith was named the Jim Wuske Co-Men's Distance Athlete of the Meet his efforts.

On the women’s side, the Purple Raiders secured their second-straight title with 159 points, followed by Baldwin-Wallace with 147 points. Marietta place third with 105 points , followed by Otterbein with 99 points, Capital with 92 points, Heidelberg with 71 points, Ohio Northern with 68 points, Wilmington with 35 points, John Carroll with 26 points and Muskingum with 16 points.

Leading the way for Mount Union will be junior Mary Mahoney (Ashtabula/St John-St. Paul) who was named the Marcia French Sprint Athlete of the Meet for winning 400-meter dash in an OAC-record time of 56.10 and the 200-meter dash in 25.52. Senior Aubree Jones (Falconer, N.Y./Falconer) will look to improve upon her third place finish in the shot put (40’06”) and javelin (118’9”). Senior Kelsey Shonk (Columbus/Bishop Hartley) will look to defend her discus title (144’01” feet).

This season, Capital returns junior Emily Sheets (Gahanna) who was selected the Guido and JoAnn Ricevuto Field Athlete of the Meet for her performance in the high jump (5’05.25”).