The History of Ohio Wesleyan Athletics

1870-1919 | 1920-1939 | 1940-59 | 1960-69 | 1970-79 | 1980-89 | 1990-99 | 2000-09

1990

Juli Althoff '91 places third in the indoor high jump at the NCAA Division III championship meet to become Ohio Wesleyan's first female 2-sport All-American. Althoff would finish third in the outdoor high jump and earn GTE Academic All-America® laurels the following year.

Golfer Barry Pry '91 finishes second at the NCAA Division III tournament, the best ever by an Ohio Wesleyan linksman. The Bishops tie for second in the team standings, then the best finish ever by an Ohio Wesleyan golf team.

Keith Rucker '92 wins the NCAA Division III outdoor shot put championship. He would go on to win 2 more shot put titles and a discus crown and accumulate a total of 7 All-America citations in the 2 events.

The football team's 9-1 mark sets a school record for regular-season wins. Ohio Wesleyan leads the nation in rushing defense and is ranked among the top 20 in the Division III polls for the second straight year. The Bishops' only loss was a last-minute, 14-10, decision to conference rival and eventual national champion Allegheny.

Roy Rike Field hosts the NCAA Division III semifinals and championship game for the first time. The Bishops tie Glassboro State, 1-1, in the championship game but Glassboro takes the national championship on penalty kicks.

Midfielder Leigh Sears '91 is a third-team All-America selection, Ohio Wesleyan's first in women's soccer.

1991

Jen Schiller '91, Catie Butt '91, Juli Althoff '91 and Molly Kuhlman '94 combine to tie for sixth in the 400 freestyle relay at the NCAA Division III championship meet, the best finish ever by an Ohio Wesleyan women's relay team.

Mary Parker steps down as women's lacrosse coach after the team wins a school-record 12 games. She continues as head volleyball coach.

Nose guard Keith Rucker '93, who spearheaded the football team's defense, becomes the first NCAA Division III player invited to compete in the Hula Bowl all-star game and goes on to win a starting berth with the NFL's Phoenix Cardinals. Rucker would play five-plus seasons in the NFL, also suiting up for the Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins and Kansas City Chiefs.

The women's soccer team makes its first NCAA Division III playoff appearance.

The men's soccer team advances to the NCAA Division III semifinals for the second straight season. Jay Martin is named NCAA Division III Coach of the Year.

1992

The men's soccer team reaches the NCAA Division III championship game for the second time, but Kean hands the Bishops a 3-1 loss. Ohio Wesleyan sets school and NCAC records with its 22 wins.

The women's basketball team sweeps the NCAC season and tournament championships, Ohio Wesleyan's first league titles in the sport. The Bishops go on to make their first NCAA Division III playoff appearance, losing to Muskingum. Krista Jacobs '92 finishes her career as Ohio Wesleyan's all-time leading scorer and is a rare 4-time first-team All-NCAC selection.

The football team opens the season with 8 straight wins, matching the longest season-opening streak in school history, but finishes 8-2 after a last-second loss to Allegheny and a tough NCAC title showdown at Wittenberg. The Bishops set a school record by scoring 315 points.

1993

Cameron Dovgan '95, Bob LeRoy '93, Thad Ingersoll '93 and Rob Fellinger '95 combine to finish fourth in the 800 freestyle relay at the NCAA Division III championship meet, the best finish ever by an Ohio Wesleyan men's relay team.

Under third-year head coach Lelan Rogers, the men's lacrosse team returns to the NCAA Division III championship game. Unfortunately, the title game turns out the same way the first 3 did -- with a loss to Hobart.

The golf team wins 5 tournaments, including the NCAC championship, and places second in the NCAA Division III tournament. Gordin is named NCAA Division III Coach of the Year for the second time.

Gordin steps down as golf coach after 39 years, the longest coaching tenure in Ohio Wesleyan history.

Erin Foley '94 is the first Battling Bishop field hockey player to be named All-America and GTE Academic All-America® in the same season.

1994

Rob Fellinger '95 places fourth in the 200 individual medley at the NCAA Division III championship meet, the best finish ever by a male Ohio Wesleyan swimmer.

Cynthia Holliday takes over as volleyball coach and Ohio Wesleyan wins its first NCAC championship in the sport, defeating Allegheny in a 5-game thriller in the finals of the league tournament.

The men's soccer team finishes the regular season unbeaten and untied. Its 20-game winning streak establishes school and NCAC records.

1996

Gene Mehaffey wins his 500th game, becoming the 11th men's basketball coach in NCAA Division III history to reach that mark.

Kristen Sherrill '96 and Shelly Smart '96 become Ohio Wesleyan's first All-Americans in women's tennis. Sherrill advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division III singles tournament, while the duo moved into the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III doubles tournament.

Fullback J.R. Kidd '99 rushes for 1000 yards, becoming the fourth Bishop football player to reach that figure. Kidd was one of 3 Bishops who received GTE Academic All-America® laurels that season, joining linebacker Craig Anderson '97 -- a 3-time first-team selection -- and defensive end Josh Sanders '97.

1997

Soni Lloyd '97 wins the NCAA Division III championship in the 200-meter dash.

Marv Frye retires after 37 years as head coach of men's track and field. Assistant coach Fred Barends ascends to the head coaching position.

Jon Whithaus '91 takes over as golf coach and Bob Barnes '89 takes over as women's soccer coach.

1998

The baseball team leads NCAA Division III schools in batting (.397), slugging and scoring. Eric Heise '98 is the first Battling Bishop baseball player to be named All-America and GTE Academic All-America® in the same season.

Lacrosse attacker Darren McGurn '99 is named the Division III Player of the Year, the first such honoree for Ohio Wesleyan. McGurn was a 4-time All-America selection and joined linemate Dave Maguire '98 as a 3-time first-team All-America choice.

Under second-year head coach Bob Barnes '89, the women's soccer team posts a 19-3 record after going 10-8 in 1997, the fourth-best improvement in NCAA Division III history. Forward Katy Sturtz '02 sets an NCAA Division III playoff record by scoring all 4 goals in a 4-3 win over Olivet. Later that week, she tied the NCAA Division III playoff record with 3 assists in a 6-5 loss to Washington in the regional title game.

The men's soccer team wins the NCAA Division III championship, defeating Greensboro, 2-1, in overtime before a partisan crowd at Roy Rike Field. Forward Mike Campbell '00 scores the game-winning goal in the first overtime period. Midfielder Jason Chadima '99 sets up both Battling Bishop goals in the championship game. Midfielder Martin Forman '99 scored the game-winning goal in the national semifinal game against Williams and is named GTE Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year, a first for Ohio Wesleyan. Jay Martin is named NCAA Division III Coach of the Year for the second time.

1999

Mike DeWitt '87 takes over as men's basketball coach. He is the first Ohio Wesleyan graduate to hold the position since Branch Rickey's last season as men's basketball coach during the 1908-09 campaign.

Golfer Ian Miller '99 ties a school record by firing a 67 at Penn State.

Competing in his first season of intercollegiate track, Tyler Stillman '00 wins the NCAA Division III outdoor championship in the 400-meter dash. Stillman would successfully defend his title the next year, as well as take All-America honors in the indoor 400-meter dash.

Ohio Wesleyan becomes the 10th NCAA Division III football program to win 500 games. Defensive end Ike Reid '00 signs a free-agent contract with the NFL's Indianapolis Colts but was among the team's final cuts before the beginning of the season. Reid later signed with the Barcelona Dragons of NFL Europe.

A fully-enclosed press box and new bleacher seating and a new building housing locker rooms and offices complete a 3-part reconstruction of Roy Rike Field. A state-of-the-art irrigation system and new lights and standards were installed as the project's first 2 phases.

The men's soccer team wins the NCAC championship, becoming the first team to win 9 NCAC games in a season.

The women's soccer team finishes the regular season unbeaten and untied. Its 19-game winning streak sets school and NCAC records.

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1870-1919 | 1920-1939 | 1940-59 | 1960-69 | 1970-79 | 1980-89 | 1990-99 | 2000-09