The Ohio Northern men's golf team will look to post its fourth consecutive winning season in 2017-18 under the guidance of fifth-year head coach Chad Bucci.
The Polar Bears posted a 49-33-1 record during the 2016-17 campaign and finished fourth at the Ohio Athletic Conference Championships.
Bucci welcomes back nine letterwinners to the team in 2017-18.
"It's going to be tough filling what was the heart and soul of this team for four years," said head coach Chad Bucci. "Blaine [Ricketts] and Tyler [Anderson] were part of many school records and were a big part of our success."
Ohio Northern opens its 2017 football season on the road at Adrian, Michigan, on Saturday in a 6 p.m. non-conference game.
By Tim Glon
Optimism is running high for the Ohio Northern football program entering the 2017 season.
Despite posting just a 5-5 record a year ago, 14th-year head coach Dean Paul is excited about where the Polar Bears are as a program and are encouraged that the gap between expectations and on-field results are not far off.
Paul and his staff welcome back 12 starters and 35 lettermen from last year's squad that posted its 20th upper division finish in the Ohio Athletic Conference in the past 21 seasons in 2016.
The Ohio Northern men's cross country team made its debuted in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association preseason coaches poll at No. 17 in the country.
The Polar Bears posted their second best finish in school history at the NCAA Championships in 2016 after finishing 14th overall.
Northern returns five letterwinners, all of which are 2016 All-Ohio Athletic Conference honorees.
The Polar Bears open the season Friday, Sept. 1 under the guidance of ninth-year head coach Jason Maus as they compete in the annual Bluffton 5k Invitational.
SPENCERVILLE - Host Spencerville led Ada 2-0 in a Northwest Conference girls soccer match that was called off due to lightning 10 minutes into the second half Monday evening.
The game was thought to be official since roughly 50 of 80 minutes were completed, but a final ruling is yet to come.
"We let them control the ball," said Lady Bulldog head coach Doug Poling.
Ada was limited to four shots, all in the shortened second half.
Senior keeper Anney Archer made 15 saves in goal for the purple and gold.
ADA - Despite a record-setting performance by senior Melina Woods, the Ada volleyball team lost a tough four-setter to visiting Ben Logan Monday evening.
The Lady Bulldogs dropped to 3-3 with the 29-27, 18-25, 25-16, 25-14 non-league defeat. Traditional power BL improved to 3-1 with the win.
Woods broke her own school single-match record for kills with 38 vs. the Raiders. She had set the previous mark of 35 last year against rival Allen East in only three sets.
ADA - The host Ada girls soccer team was shut out 3-0 by Marion Harding Saturday morning.
The Lady Bulldogs drop to 1-2 after suffering a second consecutive shutout defeat. They trailed 1-0 at intermission.
Ada senior Anney Archer made 15 saves in goal.
"We controlled the ball the majority of the game," said Bulldog first-year head coach Doug Poling.
"We shot the ball 26 times, we just couldn't find the back of the net," he continued. "We changed our formation a little to try to strengthen the defense. It helped, but we still have some work to do."
