SPENCERVILLE - Rain and lightning interrupted the Ada cross country team at the Spencerville Invitational Saturday morning.
The boys race, started in pouring rain, was cancelled about a third of the way into the 3.1-mile run by lightning. The boys had to sprint back to the finish line because lightning caused an early end to the race.
"They had fun running in the torrential rain; it made for an interesting meet," said first-year head coach Josh Klein.
No. 18-ranked Ohio Northern opened its 2016 season with a tough 34-30 loss at Utica (N.Y.) on Saturday afternoon at Gaetano Stadium.
The Polar Bears (0-1 overall) were in control for most of the afternoon and led 30-13 with seven minutes left in the game.
But the Pioneers (2-0) scored 21 points in the final 6:35, including an 8-yard TD pass with 15 seconds to play, to post the improbable win.
Northern had one final chance as sophomore Will Freed completed a 35-yard pass to junior Chad Rex to put the ball at the 25-yard line with three seconds left.
TIFFIN - The visiting Ada boys soccer team convincingly defeated Tiffin Columbian Thursday evening, 5-2.
The Bulldogs improved to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the North Central Ohio Soccer Association with their third consecutive victory.
Terry Sheridan scored two goals and dished out a pair of assists to pace the winners. Noah Pinkney and Chris Reyes each netted a goal and passed out one assist.
Logan Williams added the other Bulldog goal.
Keeper Ace Gamble was credited with four saves in goal.
Ada has outscored its opposition 39-14 so far in six matches this season.
The Ohio Northern women's cross country team finished second at the Bluffton 5k as junior Emily Richards defended her title and won the 5k for the second consecutive year.
The Polar Bears (5-1) placed three runners in the top-10.
Richards, who ran the fourth fastest 5k time in Polar Bear history, won the event in 18:22.82, sophomore Ashlie Baumann finished eighth in 19:40.80 and freshman Zoe Schilling finished tenth in 20:07.29.
Findlay won the race with 46 points, Northern finished second with 47 points and Heidelberg finished third with 73 points.
The Ada volleyball team lost a pair of straight-set matches at Hardin Northern Saturday.
The non-league losses dropped the Lady Bulldog record to 3-5.
Ada lost 25-17, 25-17 to tough Arlington. Junior Melina Woods led the Bulldogs with 10 kills, six digs, one block and one ace. Classmate Maddie Gossard passed out eight assists and served two aces.
Seniors Alyssa Vore and Haley Wyss each knocked down five kills. Junior libero Olivia Alexander came up with 10 digs, while junior Kaiti Newland added five digs.
In their next match, Ada fell to county foe HN 25-19, 27-25.
