ONU senior Emily Richards (Delaware/Hayes) has been named the Div. III All-Ohio Female Runner of the Year for the 2017 season.

Richards was named the Runner Up at both the OAC Championships and at the Div. III Great Lakes Regional meets, before going on to be named an All-American at the 2017 Div. III National Championships. She earned the OAC Runner of the Year honor for the first time in her career.

The senior posted a ninth place finish at the National Championships in a career-best time of 21:02, two seconds off of the school record of 21:00 by Alison (Steinbrunner) Kwiat in 2012.

Richards led the Polar Bears (94-37 overall) to their 16th consecutive upper-division finish in the OAC this season.