The Ohio High School Athletic Association has announced the football regions and schedule format for the 2017 playoffs. New in 2017, all playoff games during the first four rounds will be played on Friday nights.
The Ohio Northern baseball team posted its fourth consecutive winning season during the 2017 campaign under sixth-year head coach Gene Stechschulte.
The Polar Bears finished the season 21-19 overall and 7-11 in the Ohio Athletic Conference.
Over the last four seasons, Northern has posted the second most wins in program history, tallying 100 victories and falling just three short of the all-time record.
For the 12th season in a row, the Ohio Northern softball team posted an upper division finish, finishing fifth in the Ohio Athletic Conference standings under first year head coach Jackie Mangola.
The Polar Bears finished 25-13 overall and finished fifth in the OAC standings after posting a 9-9 record in conference play.
Northern saw two athletes earn All-OAChonors.
Senior Kirsten Lightel (Tallmadge) led the list as she earned her third All-OACaccolade in as many years, and was named First Team All-OAC for the second time in her career.
Ohio Northern junior Emily Richards (Delaware/Hayes) has been named to the District 7 CoSIDA First Team Academic All-District team for the 2017 season.
The junior Biochemistry major from Delaware, Ohio is a 5-time National Champion and 7-time All-American, and earned this honor for the first time in her career.
As a First Team honoree, Richards advances to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team ballot, where first, second and third team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.
I was pretty nervous heading into the 800," said Richards. "I just ran the 1,500 pretty hard right before the 800 and my legs were a little tired."
For the second time in 2017, junior Emily Richards (Delaware/Hayes) claimed two titles at the same NCAA Div. III Championship meet to lead the Ohio Northern women's outdoor track and field team at the 2017 NCAA Div. III Outdoor Track & Field National Championships at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio.
