Men Capture Fourth OAC Title

Wilmington, Ohio – October 31, 2009 - The nationally ranked Heidelberg University men’s cross country team ran away with the 2009 Ohio Athletic Conference Championship. Paced by seven All-OAC honorees, Heidelberg won the program's fourth title. Its victory joins its titles from 1998, 1999 and 2000. Wilmington College hosted the event.
 
Heidelberg finished with 42 points,  topping nationally ranked  foe Ohio Northern University (49). Mount Union College took third place with 79 points followed by Otterbein College (117) and Baldwin-Wallace College (122).
  
Earning First Team All-OAC honors with top-nine finishes was Devin Butcher (Bowling Green, Ohio / Bowling Green) who crossed the finish line with a time of 25:23.95 for third place and Jordan Karnes (Edgerton, Ohio / Edgerton) who finished with a time of 25:42.36 good for sixth place.
 
Finishing in the top-10, while earning second team All-OAC honors was Jamie Martin (Wooster, Ohio / Triway) who finished in 25:55.26 for 10th place. Right behind Martin was John Gogle (Sunbury, Ohio / Big Walnut) (25:59.68) and Scott Lasch (Huron, Ohio / Huron) (26:04.45) who each captured second team All-OAC honors with an 11th and 12th place finish, respectively.
 
Also rewarded second team All-OAC with their performances was Jake Lemon (Oak Harbor, Ohio / Oak Harbor) (26:05.93) and Bobby Over (Wadsworth, Ohio / Wadsworth) (26:12.66).
 
Overall eight runners for Heidelberg finished in the top-20. Second year coach Keith Roberts said the team showed what they are capable of doing when high stakes are on the line. “[OAC] is one of the toughest conferences and beating out another nationally ranked school (ONU), it speaks volumes about our program,” Roberts said. “When you have eight runners finishing in the top-20, it shows that hard work pays off.”
 
Heidelberg races next in the NCAA Great Lakes Regionals, in Terre Haute, Ind. on Saturday, November 14 at 11:00 a.m.