The Ohio Northern men's basketball team nearly pulled off a huge upset, trailing by just two points in the final three minutes before falling 72-62 in an exhibition game at NCAA Division I foe Toledo on Tuesday evening at Savage Arena.
The Rockets improve to 2-0 on the season. The game counts as an exhibition contest for the Polar Bears because the official season starting date for NCAA Division III schools is Nov. 15.
Senior Nate Burger (Dayton/Alter) poured in 23 points and junior Ryan Bruns(Chickasaw/Marion Local) had a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds to lead ONU.
Tre'Shaun Fletcher had 27 points and 10 rebounds for Toledo.
The Ohio Northern men's cross country team fell eight spots to No. 26 in the eighth weekly United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll, released on Wednesday.
The Polar Bears (113-19 overall) received 58 points in the poll. Northern has now been ranked in seven of the nine national polls, including the preseason poll.
The Polar Bears will compete in this weekend's Div. III National Championships after placing third at the Great Lakes Regional meet and earning an at large bid to the Championships.
Senior Emily Richards (Delaware/Hayes) and junior Ashlie Baumann (Sterling Heights, Mich./Stevenson) were named All-Great Lakes Region after posting top-35 finishes to lead the Ohio Northern women's cross country team to a ninth place finish at the NCAA III Great Lakes Regional meet on Saturday afternoon.
The Polar Bears finished ninth of 35 teams with 292 points, improving their record to 94-37 overall.
Junior Pete He (Mason) and sophomore Nolan Huey (Fort Collins, Colo./Fossil Ridge) posted three first place finishes each to lead the Ohio Northern mens swimming and diving team to a 172-89 dual meet victory over Wilmington on Friday evening.
The Polar Bears improve to 1-0 with the victory, while the Quakers fall to 0-1.
Huey claimed first place in the 200-meter free and 100 back in 2:05.20 and 1:01.28, respectively, before teaming up with juniors Justin Chapman (Springboro) and Thomas Golba (Dayton/Alter) and freshman Zach Ayres (Chillicothe) to win the 200 freestyle relay in 1:41.09.
In its first dual meet of the season, the Ohio Northern women's swimming and diving team posted a convincing 203-59 victory over Wilmington on Friday evening at the Wilmington Natatorium.
The Polar Bears improve to 1-0 on the season, while Wilmington falls to 0-1.
Northern finished first in all 14 events during the meet.
The Polar Bears opened the evening with a first place finish in the 200-meter medley relay as the team of junior Kierra Watson (Brownsburg, Ind.), senior Sydney Veon (Riverside, Ill./Riverside-Brookfield), sophomore Lauren Halle (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton), and freshman Abby Leatherwood (Loveland/Milford) won the event in 2:09.37.
Ohio Northern seniors J.J. Fortner (Maumee/Anthony Wayne), Chris Garbig(Wilder, Ky./Highlands) and Mac Thompkins (Fairview, Pa.) were named First Team Academic All-District in men's soccer for 2017 by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
All three men will now advance to the Academic All-America ballot, which will be announced on Dec. 5.
The Polar Bears finished the 2017 season with a 12-6-2 record and tied for third in the OAC with a 5-3-1 league record under 20th-year head coach Brent Ridenour.
