The Ohio Northern women's indoor track and field team was selected to tie for fourth in the preseason coaches poll released Friday. The Polar Bears garnered 55 points, the same number of points as Baldwin Wallace.
John Carroll was tabbed as the favorite, reeling in 79 points and seven of the 10 first-place votes. Mount Union was picked second, collecting the other three first-place votes to go alongside 70 points. Otterbein rounded out the top three with 69 points.
Northern has already competed once this season at the Findlay Invitational last weekend. The Polar Bears are back in action when they host the Larry Cole Friday Nite Invite Jan. 24.
By Cort Reynolds
VAN BUREN - Host Van Buren jumped out to a 20-point halftime lead and defeated Ada 69-29 in a non-conference girls basketball contest Monday evening.
The Bulldogs dropped to 2-5 with the loss, while the Lady Black Knights improved to 5-2 following the win.
VB put four players in double figures, led by Sophia Reineke and Mady Parker with 12 points apiece. Agnes Durliat and Reese Recker each netted 11 points.
Freshman guard Courtney Sumner topped Ada with eight points. Junior posts Miranda Wills and Megan Light added six and five points, respectively.
Wills had missed the previous two games with a broken nose.
The Ohio Northern women's basketball team dropped its first game of the season Saturday. The Polar Bears lost at Capital 53-38, falling to 6-1 on the season and 2-1 in Ohio Athletic Conference play. The Crusaders improved to 5-3 overall and 2-1 in conference play.
Senior Emily Mescher (Maria Stein/Marion Local) boasted a career-high 21 points on 9-for-13 shooting to pace Northern. Her previous career high was 18 points. Junior teammate Emily Brock (Akron/Revere) and freshman Brynn Serbin (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) chipped in six points apiece.
By Cort Reynolds
ADA - Speedy visiting Perry wore down Ada to win their non-conference boys basketball contest 78-49 Saturday night.
After trailing the hot-shooting Bulldogs 18-17 following the first quarter, Perry's full-court pressure took a toll on Ada. The Commodores outscored the Bulldogs 43-18 over the middle quarters, many on transition baskets, to build a big lead and cruise to the win.
The Commodores improved to 5-1 with their fifth straight victory, while the Bulldogs fell to 1-5 after their fourth loss in a row versus tough competition.
By Cort Reynolds
MIDDLE POINT - Ada senior Reece Evans won the 160-pound individual title at the 11-team Lincolnview Lancer Invitational Saturday to pace a strong showing by the four-man Bulldog contingent.
Evans defeated Roman Graber of Hicksville by a 10-3 decision to win the 160 lbs. first-place match. Evans won his first four matches, three by pin and one by a 14-6 decision, to reach the championship bout vs. Graber.
Ada's Colton Beiderman (120) took second in the 120 lbs. bracket. He lost to Collin Fokine of Parkway 8-6 in the title match.
Beiderman posted four straight victories by pin to reach the final round.
By Cort Reynolds
BLUFFTON - Host Bluffton ran out to a sizeable halftime lead and posted a 61-44 win over local rival Ada in the Northwest Conference boys basketball opener for both teams Friday night.
The Pirates improved to 3-0 and 1-0 in league play with the victory, while the Bulldogs fell to 1-4 and 0-1 with the defeat.
Bluffton extended a six-point first period lead to 15 at halftime with a 19-10 second period outburst. The Pirates essentially maintained that lead the rest of the way to win by 17.
