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Will the Purple Raiders and Cardinals repeat in 2008? Those questions will be answered this weekend when the Ohio Athletic Conference Track and Field Championship unfolds at Wilmington College. The meet starts at noon on Friday.

Mount Union’s men captured their 26th overall OAC title a year ago, while the Otterbein women took home their fifth OAC title.

Mount Union will return six of its standout performers from 2007. Sophomore Cecil Shorts returns after placing second in the 400-meter hurdles (53.71) a year ago. Third-place finishers include senior Kyle Basista  in the 5,000-meter run (15:04.67), junior Justin Meeson in the 10,000-meter run (33:24.84) and senior Mike Lemponen in the 400-meter hurdles (55.25).

Sophomore Kris Claros, senior  Bishmi Bradshaw  and Short were members of the second-place 4x400 relay squad (3:21.59). Bradshaw and Shorts also were members of the 4x100 relay team that placed third (43.01).

Raider head coach John Homon and his staff were named the 2007 Men’s Coaching Staff of the Year for the second straight time. Ohio Northern junior Jimmy O’Brien was named Men’s Distance-Runner-of-the-Year. O’Brien picked up the 1,500-meter individual title in a time of 3:59.19, defended his 800-meter title with a time of 1:54.47 and anchored the winning 4x800-meter relay team a year ago. Heidelberg junior Cory Beebe earned his second straight Most Outstanding Sprint Athlete honor. Beebe won the 400-meter hurdles in 53.33, finished second in the 400-meter dash (49.85) and third in the 110-meter hurdles (15.14).

Returning for the Otterbein women will be junior  Allyson Tobin, who won the shot put with a throw of 45-10 1/2 to shatter the former school record of 44-11. Tobin was named Co-Most Outstanding Field Athlete.

Junior Lauren Rausch captured the 100-meter hurdles last year in 14.64, tying the Otterbein school record. Junior  Anna Yonker won the 800-meter run (2:17.62), while senior Ashley Suffel finished second (2:18.05). Senior Katie Homan won the discus (122-6) and finished second in the shot put (39-5 3/4).

Among the members of the winning 4x800 were Suffel, sophomore Nicole Reese and Yonker.

Members of the second-place 4x100 were sophomore Natalie Yost, Rausch and Yonker, and members of the second-place 4x400 were Yonker, junior Stacey Schall, sophomore Danielle Vickers and Suffel.

Otterbein Head Coach Doug Welsh and his staff earned  2007 Coaching Staff of the Year honors  for their efforts.

Wilmington sophomore Callen Martin ran the 100 meters in 12.07, and then set her second OAC Championship record with a 25.07 in the 200-meter dash. Martin was named the 2007 Most Outstanding Sprint Athlete.

The top three relays and individuals in each event earn All-OAC honors.

Story by OAC Information Director Lindsay Rickel