September 30, 2011
By: Jordan Hill, sports information assistant

CEDARVILLE, Ohio - Rain and high winds dominated the course as teams across Ohio from NCAA Division I, II, III, and NAIA met for the All-Ohio Championships, hosted by Cedarville University on Friday, Sept. 30. In the Division III category, the Bluffton women placed 19th overall while Oberlin College took first. The Bluffton men placed 21st while Ohio Northern University won the men's title.

Leading the Bluffton women in the 5k race was sophomore BRANDI DOMINIQUE (Wauseon) with a personal-best time of 20:35.84. Rounding out the women was senior HEATHER SMITH (Elkhart, Ind./Concord) with a personal-record time of 21:35.96, sophomore LYNDSEY DARROW (Pioneer/North Central) with a personal-best time of 21:58.45, junior ALISON JANZEN (Whitewater, Kan./Remington) with a time of 22:28.79, and junior KATY HEFFNER(Troy) with a time of 23:22.80. Displacing the field for the Beavers was sophomore ASHLEY HILLER (New Philadelphia/Tuscarawas Valley) with a season-best time of 28:00.26.

Leading the Bluffton men in the 8k race was senior ANDY CHAFFEE (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston) with a season-best time of 28:51.79. He was followed by freshman RYAN SCHADEWALD (Lima/Bath) with a time of 30:29.89, junior CHRIS ARNOLD (Fort Wayne, Ind./Canterbury) with a time of 33:22.86, and freshman MIKE GRAY (Ulysses, Penn./Northern Potter) in 34:56.70. Rounding out the men's score was junior JEREMY KIDDER (New Carlisle) with a season-best time of 36:10.07.

"Once again I am proud," said Head Coach Karen Brandt. "We had rain and high winds. On a day like this we should not have seen a reduction in times, but despite the bad conditions we saw improvements. Today was a testament to the hard work these athletes are doing and how committed they are to achieving their goals. Again, an opposing coach complimented the team on their improvements. One of the team's main goals is to be seen as something different and that is what they are doing."

The Beavers return to action in two weeks when they travel to Oberlin on Saturday, October 15, to compete in the pre-regional meet hosted by Oberlin College.

-BEAVERS-