4 ONU swimmers on all-academic team
Senior Kierra Watson (Brownsburg, Ind.), junior Katelyn Koebel (Port Clinton) and sophomores Avery Manbeck (Aldie, Va./Champe) and Sydney Johnson (Crown Point, Ind.) were named Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference in women's swimming and diving for 2018-19.
The award winners must be a sophomore or higher in class standing, maintain varsity status and have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.50.
Watson is studying biology and has been named Academic All-OAC three times.
She won OAC Championships titles in the 100 and 200 back and earned All-OAC honors in six events in 2019.
Watson's 90.5 points at the OAC Championships led the team and were the most for an ONU individual since 2016.
For her career, Watson contributed 299 points to the Polar Bear OAC Championships efforts and is a 16-time All-OAC honoree in the 100 back, 200 back, 200 I.M., 200 medley relay, 200 free relay, and 400 free relay.
Koebel is majoring in pharmacy and received Academic All-Conference honors for the first time.
She finished seventh at the 2019 OAC Championships in both the 100 and 200 breast, en route to scoring 26 total points.
Koebel has provided 56 points for ONU in the OAC Championships over three meet appearances.
Manbeck is a second-year athletic training student and earned the accolade in her first year of award-eligibility.
Competing in the 100 and 200 back, she scored nine points at the 2019 OAC Championships.
Manbeck, a 2018 All-OAC honoree in the 500 free, now has 38.5 career OAC Championships points.
Johnson is majoring in nursing and garnered Academic All-Conference honors in her first year eligible.
She placed at the 2019 OAC Championships in both the 50 and 100 free and has five career OAC Championships points.
Ohio Northern was 4-4 overall and finished second in the OAC with a 3-1 conference record. The Polar Bears placed third at the OAC Championships under first-year head coach Austin Veltman.
Stories Posted This Week
Monday, September 21, 2026
Sunday, September 20, 2026
- Charmaine M. Spradlin, 74, worked for Associated Plastics
- Bulldog boys soccer win vs. Old Fort
- How Dillinger robbed a Bluffton bank
- Ada School Board recap: School fees waiver estimate is $57K, intervention and after-school program report
- Ada Barnyard Farmers results from 2026 Hardin County Junior Fair
- Rodeheffer awarded Choice One Engineering scholarship
Saturday, September 19, 2026
- Bulldog golf 3rd at final BVC tourney, 2nd overall
- Bulldog football win vs. Perry
- N. Main St. arrest and drug seizure on August 18
- Christian Nationalism poses problems for American democracy
- Weekend Doctor: When should you see an endocrinologist?
- Letter: Background regarding public meeting on data center moratorium
Friday, September 18, 2026
Thursday, September 17, 2026
- Bluffton Icon headlines, September 17
- Bulldog girls soccer 0-0 tie vs. Riverdale
- Bulldog boys soccer loss vs. Riverdale
- Roundhead poet publishes third book
- Bulldog volleyball wins in four vs. Riverdale
- Sept. 15 Ada Council: Impact of big ticket pool repair, public urination ban goes into effect
- Hall named 2026 OMLA Regional Administrative Assistant of the Year
- Play Bingo with Officer Penny at the Ada Public Library
- Adult Book Group books available at APL
- Ada Schools exceed state standards on 2025-2026 Ohio Report Card
- Oct. 6 ONU Trike-A-Thon will raise funds for St. Jude's
- Antibiotic resistance: More to learn