Brickner, who was the OAC Championship Meet individual champion and placed 24th at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Region Meet to earn All-OAC and All-Region accolades, capped an outstanding senior season. She led the Yellow Jackets at four of eight meets this fall and had a best time of 18:52 at the September 15 Calvin (Mich.) College Invitational Meet. At the 2007 OAC Championship Meet on the Highland Hills Golf Course in Mayfield, Ohio, Brickner finished first of 102 runners with a time of 23:19 overall. At the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Region Meet hosted by Calvin, Brickner was 24th of 213 runners in 22.34.85 overall.

 

Historically, Brickner is the 11th Yellow Jacket woman to be named as the Women’s OAC Runner of the Year. Brickner shared this year’s award with Otterbein’s Niki Reese.

 

Taraschke, who is in his 24th season of coaching and teaching at B-W, has led 45 of his cross country (11 women’s champions) and track teams (33 women’s and one men’s ) to OAC titles. This marks the 35th time that he and he and his staff have earned the OAC Coach of the Year or OAC Coaching Staff of the Year award. Virgilio, who came to B-W last fall, assists Taraschke with both the cross country team in the fall and indoor and outdoor track teams in the winter and spring and helps with recruiring.

 

FOR MORE B-W SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 or via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu. Head Coach Bill Taraschke can be reached by telephone at 440-826-3322 or via e-mail at wtarasch@bw.edu.