Sports
UF Swimming and Diving teams improve ranking and records
By: Dylan DeWitt
Twitter: @dd_witt
Email:dewittd@findlay.edu
The Oiler Swimming and Diving teams have begun the season by making history and doing it with quite a splash. The men’s and women’s teams have put together a year of tremendous accomplishments over the past month, including setting 10 new school records this past weekend at the Calvin Winter Invitational in Grand Rapids, Mi.
Whether national rankings, Great Midwest Swimmer of the Week awards, or sweeping Ashland’s program for the first time ever, the teams are making the most of their opportunities. The early success of the women’s team has earned them a ranking of 19 according to Collegeswimming.com, with the men ranked at 23.
On the women’s side, records and accomplishments have been nothing out of the ordinary. Junior Amanda Stiegel became the first ever National Swimmer of the Week for the Oiler’s program. Stiegel also broke the 200 yard freestyle record and teamed up with Emma Barnes, Julia Snell, and Ashton Klopp to break the 800 yard freestyle relay record this weekend at the Calvin Winter Invitational in Grand Rapids, Mi. The previous mark was set in 2015. The team also set a new 400 yard freestyle record.
In other news, Sophomore Sydney Zimdars was able to etch her name on the record board with a program best swim in the 1650 yard freestyle by over four seconds. The women’s team has also had a Great Midwest Swimmer of the Week in Sophomore Hanna Cedarholm this November.
On the men’s side, records and awards have been coming the Oilers way all season. Senior Janko Radmanovic has made another strong impact in the water this year. Along with being named Great Midwest Swimmer of the Week four times, and National Swimmer of the Week, he has helped break new records as well as his own. Radmanovic recently broke the program records for the 100 and 200 yard freestyle events, and teamed up with Ben Rath, Mark Bilieaud, and Trae Gulgin to set a record in the 800 yard freestyle. The 200 and 400 freestyle relay, and 200 medley relay records were also broken this weekend.
The teams are gearing up for their training trip in Boca Raton, Fl. during winter break, and will continue to compete on the road until Friday, Jan. 19 when they host Wayne State at home.
The Oiler Swimming and Diving teams are not only claiming victories, but also rewriting the records board as well. With the continuation of success, the Oilers will look primed and ready for Championship Season.
UF Football season comes to a close
By Dylan DeWitt
Twitter: @dd_witt
Email: dewittd@findlay.edu
The Oilers entered the Round of Sixteen eager to take on Assumption College on Saturday, Nov. 25. The Oilers battled tough all game against a competitive Assumption Football Team, but a few late kick returns proved to be just enough in the game.
The Oilers concluded their season as one of the sixteen teams in Division II football after a 45-26 defeat. The Oilers’ season is one to go down in the history books without a doubt.
The game began with Assumption scoring first with a field goal, putting them up 3-0. The score would remain the same throughout the quarter, but within the first few minutes of the second quarter, Assumption completed a drive with a touchdown to add to their lead.
The Oilers battled back and with a trick play with Jason Moore catching a screen pass, and throwing a pass of his own to an Oiler player down field. This would set up a field goal that was converted. At the sound of the first half horn, the Oilers entered the locker room down one possession, 10-3.
As both defenses were showing great abilities in the first half, the second half was a story of the offenses. Back and forth, both teams scored with big plays of their own. With fourteen minutes left to play in the game, the Oilers were down seven with a score of 17-24. However, a kick return for a touchdown by the Greyhounds would move the score to 31-17.
Just like the Oilers have been all season, they bounced right back with another touchdown to pull within a touchdown after an onside kick. Another field goal, and the Oilers were down just five with roughly ten minutes to play.
Once again, an Assumption kick return for a touchdown would put the Oilers back again at 38-26. The Oilers attempted to battle once more to give it another shot, but came up short. The historic season ended in a 45-26 defeat.
The Findlay Oilers Football Team were able to put together one of the best seasons the program has ever had thanks to an all-around effort from the coaching staff and players. The season may have ended, but the season’s mark was engraved into the books.
Records of the 2017 Season:
Daouda Sylla holds the 5th most rushing yards in a season in program history- 1,554 yards
-Sylla, a Harlon Hill nominee, ends his career with 2,146 yards rushing and 24 touchdowns
Rhys Gervais finished the game versus Assumption with the most completions in a game- 37
– Gervais added to many of his program records such as touchdown passes (82), passing yards (8,726), and passes completed (658)
Jason Moore added to many of his program records such as receiving yards in career (2,722), and touchdown receptions (36)
-Most points in program history for a season- 578
24 all-conference nominees including the following:
Andrew Alten- G-MAC Offensive Lineman of the Year
Johnny Hopkins- G-MAC Defensive Lineman of the Year
Aaron Ivory- G-MAC Defensive Back of the Year
1st Team All G-MAC
– Daouda Sylla
– Michael Campbell
– Jason Moore
– Luke Stuffel
– Isaac Miles
– Francis Cutchember
2nd Team All G-MAC
– Tyler Long
– Rhys Gervais
– Jacob Hill
– Andrew Dickinson
– Grant Kinsinger
– Justice Jenkins
– Chiebuka Chukwuneke
– Patrick Rusher
Honorable Mention All G-MAC
– Christian Olmstead
– Tyler Lee
– Ashton Elmore
– Airion Kosak
– Jacob Boucher
– Neal Davis
Oiler Football advances to the next round
By: Dylan Dewitt
Twitter: @dd_witt
Email: dewittd@findlay.edu
“We shouldn`t be here” was a motive that the Oilers heard and used to fire their fuel for the game Saturday afternoon in Shephardstown, WV. Coming up against one of the top ranked teams in the nation, there was no doubt that the Oilers Football Team was the underdog in this contest.
However, the game didn’t portray an underdog defeating the favored home team. The Findlay Oilers were able to score 20 unanswered points in the second half while holding arguably the best offense in the nation to zero points.
The Oilers scored first with a field goal by Jacob Allton, but the Rams answered right back with a touchdown of their own through the air. Another field goal for the Oilers was again followed by a Rams pass and catch touchdown that put them up 14-6. By the end of the half, the Rams held an eight-point lead going into the locker room at 17-9.
Both teams continued to turn to their strengths. The Oilers were using their nationally ranked rushing attack, and the Rams were using their nationally ranked passing attack. Although the Oilers had given up two touchdowns through the air, the defense was holding the Rams` offense below their averages.
Despite not being able to cross the plane of the end zone in the first half, the offense of the Oilers was still efficient. If the Oilers were able to continue the running success in the second half, and continue the defense they’d been playing all game, the tide could switch in their favor. And indeed it did.
The second half was Oilers football, and only Oilers football on both sides of the ball. This would prove to be the deciding factor in the game.
Dauda Sylla led off the scoring with a short touchdown run to close the gap on Shepard University. With the extra point, the Oilers were only behind by two, 17-15. Michael Campbell then delivered for the Oilers with a short touchdown run of his own. The two-point conversion was good, and the Oilers took the lead, 23-17.
The Rams had to answer, and looked like they were going to. Within the redzone, the Rams called on their passing offense, but Chiebuka Chukwuneke had other intentions, intercepting the pass. The following drive, Oilers Quarterback Rhys Gervais threw a strike to Airion Kosak for a touchdown to extend the lead to 29-17.
After scoring yet another touchdown, and making it twenty unanswered points against the Rams, the Oilers were looking once more to their defense. After a few big conversions on the drive, the Rams were not giving up easily. However, the Oilers’ defense stepped up once more when Aaron Ivory intercepted another pass. The defense of UF made yet another stop to add to their outstanding performance before the offense looked to run out the clock and seal the victory. Run play after run play, Sylla and Campbell were finding holes in the defense like they had all game, adding to their totals.
The Oilers sealed the victory, their first playoff victory in program history, backed behind a full team effort. The Oilers’ defense put together one of their most outstanding performances to hold the Rams’ nationally ranked offense to season lows in various categories while the offense of the Oilers continued to make impact through the air and on the ground. With the victory, the Oilers move on to the Sweet Sixteen against Assumption College on November 25 at 1 p.m.
Oiler Basketball victorious over Fairmont St.
By Dylan DeWitt
Email:dewittd@findlay.edu
Twitter: @dd_witt
The stands were once again packed for another Croy classic. The Findlay Oilers Basketball Team faced the Fairmont St. Falcons, and it was a battle to the finish.
The team played back-and-forth basketball against a Fairmont St. team who made it to the 2017 National Championship Game last year. The game went to the final buzzer with a defensive stance by the Oilers, and a free throw to seal the victory after a forty-minute battle filled with momentum and intense emotion.
Coming into the contest, the Oilers have compiled two great victories against nationally ranked teams, Indiana PA., and St. Thomas Aquinas at the Hall of Fame Classic in Evansville, IN. With the team morale eager to play at home, the Oilers were prepared for the Fairmont St. team coming into town. It showed quickly in the first two minutes of the game when the Oilers were executing on both offense and defense with control of the game. The Battle in Croy had quickly begun as you heard the loud cheers from the Findlay fans.
The first half was a battle for momentum with both teams matching equal intensity. After nine minutes through the first half, the game was all tied up at 21-21, and with just over a minute left in the half, the game would still be tied at 44-44.
Neither team was giving much room for either one of their opponents to get too much of a lead. However, Elijah Kahlig would help bring momentum to the Oilers` locker room just before the half concluded as he finished on a 5-0 run with a pair of free throws and a transition three pointer. The Oilers were up 49-44 after the first half.
The second half picked up right where the rest of the game had been. Intense from the first few seconds with players diving after loose balls and playing aggressive defense. However, the scoring had stalled for a short while until a Martyce Kimbrough-three would get the scoring going once more. With nine minutes left in the game, the Oilers had gained a 69-61 lead. However, Fairmont St. would not go without a fight as they went on a run to close the gap to three points making the game 69-66.
The final seconds came down to the wire with Findlay up by one, 83-82 and Fairmont St. having the possession of the ball. Fairmont St. point guard drove to the hole only to lose possession of the ball. However, another player on the court for the Falcons scooped it up, and attempted a shot over Alex White. The shot just missed off the rim, and into the hands of Taren Sullivan it went.
With 1.3 seconds left, Sullivan was sent to the free throw line for a one and one opportunity. He made the first to go up two, and missed the second intentionally as the Falcons did not have any timeouts left. The Oilers were victorious and moved to 3-0 after the victory against a very competitive team in Fairmont St.
It was a total team effort filled with Tommy Schmock and Trey Smith steals, a Matt Ashley block, and some Sullivan slams just to name a few. Whether it was 50/50 balls, or backside rebounding down low, the Oilers were the ones coming away with the ball.
The Oilers picked up their first loss this weekend against Lake Superior State University at the Don Callan Classic in Cedarville, Oh. The team bounced back, however, winning 131-72 over Miami-Hamilton. This puts them at 4-1 for the season.
Moving forward, the Oilers must keep the same intensity, and, according to Taren Sullivan, that is the plan.
“I think the key for us moving forward with such a great start is understanding that we were very hungry for the beginning of the season, but being able to keep that hunger everyday day in practice so we are prepared for every game,” Sullivan stated. “Also making sure we don’t get ahead of ourselves and concentrate only on the next game.”
Oilers Football Beginning the Road to the National Championship
By: Dylan DeWitt
Email: dewittd@findlay.edu
Twitter: @dd_witt
Sunday night, the Findlay Oilers football team members and coaching staff were in a room filled with emotion and satisfaction in hearing that they had made history. When watching the NCAA selection show, there was no guarantee on whether they had played their last game of the season, or if it would continue on with a spot in the playoffs. The season continues on this Saturday in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, where the Oilers will have the opportunity to win and advance in the playoffs against the Shepherd Rams. The year has been filled with records by the Oilers and with that being said, the Oilers will make their first ever playoff run in the 2017 NCAA Division II Playoffs.
Coming into the first round of the playoffs, the Oilers are looking to bounce back after coming up just short in the Great Midwest Conference Championship game. Finishing the regular season with nine wins, the Oilers definitely have the mentality of knowing how to win. Surrounded with talent on both sides of the ball, the Findlay Oilers team will continue to look for performances from its notable players to rally behind and get the momentum going. As the Oilers prepare for a team like the Shepherd Rams, preparation and determination will be something that will lead them to a successful day come Saturday.
Taking a look at the two foes that will square off at Ram Stadium at 12:00 p.m., it may be a shootout as both teams have continued to put a tremendous amount of points on average. The Shepherd Rams are coming into the contest averaging 48.50 points per game compared to the Oilers who average 47.5 points per game. On the defensive side however, the Oilers give up an average of 17.1 points per game which is an 8 point differential from their opponents. The Rams defensive have given up 25.6 points per game to their opponents. With a game expected to be filled with touchdowns, the team`s defense will be a key impact to the game`s outcome. As the old phrase goes, “Defense wins championships”.
With all that being said, there are many notable players and other team statistics that have helped lead the two teams the entire season. The Oilers rushing attack is ranked seventh best in rushing offense according to NCAA.com with an average of 274.1 yards per game. Daouda Sylla, a senior from Ypsilanti, Michigan, has accumulated 1266 yards this season which gives him a rank of tenth in all of Division II. Other players such as Jason Moore is tied for tenth most touchdowns on the season in Division II and Aaron Ivory, Francis Cutchember and Johnny Hopkins are just a few of the many talented players that have continued to help on offense and defense. From the Shepherd Rams, the passing attack is their claim to fame this year. Quarterback Connor Jessop, a senior for the Rams, is among one of the most highlighted quarterbacks in Division II, being in the top three in the categories of passing yards per game, touchdowns, and points responsible for per game.
The game is set. The team is getting primed and ready and the Oilers are looking to advance towards their one goal during this week`s preparation for Saturday at noon. They accomplished the goal of making the playoffs, and the next goal is left at the end of the road; a National Championship title to bring back to Findlay, Ohio.
Oiler football senior day
By: Kimberly Donah and Olivia Wile
Email: donahk@findlay.edu wileo@findlay.edu
Twitter: o_wile
Senior Day is known as a day of celebration and remembrance. It is a time for people to show their support for those that are leaving a program. On Saturday, Nov. 3, this is what the fans, family members, and friends of Oiler Nation did for the University of Findlay football players, cheerleaders, and band members
This year, there are 10 Oiler football players leaving the program. They are Johnny Hopkins, Aaron Ivory, Airion Kosak, Daouda Sylla, Darnell Fields, Chauncey Bridges, Rhonald Houston, Matthew Cash, Andrew Alten, and Ashton Elmore.
Senior Ashton Elmore says that being apart of the team has helped him grow as more than just an athlete.
“It has impacted me greatly. It has taught me to be accountable and disciplined in everything I do,” Elmore said. “It has showed me that with hard work you can achieve anything.”
The senior cheerleaders include Cassie Fesko, Kaeli Jones, Genni Ricker, Tabitha Rogan, and Lydia Shay. The five girls were all members of the team for four years. The band members recognized during Senior Day were Evan Bader, Nick Balaj, Nathan Buoni, Victoria Fisher, Abby Jokerst, Tana Kuhn, Mikhaila Scirocco, Kelsey Shumaker, and Olivia Tanner.
Before the game began, there was a small celebration to recognize these seniors. This was the football team’s final regular season home game. As kickoff was at 1 p.m., the pace of the game was set early when the first points were scored. The momentum did not stop, and the Oilers won the game with a final score of 70-28.
Although not leading in stats this game, a notable player during Senior Day was Chauncey Bridges. Bridges has produced 2,511 yards and 16 touchdowns throughout his four years with the football program. Although he suffered a knee injury early in the season, Bridges was able to take a knee for the Oilers in their victory formation during the game.
Other senior contributors during Seniors Day were players Johnny Hopkins and Aaron Ivory. Hopkins ended Saturday’s game leading with five tackles, while Ivory currently leads the league with interceptions. He picked up his fourth during the game.
As of Tuesday, Nov. 7, the Oilers are ranked number 21 by the American Football Coaches Association and number 24 by D2football.com. This boosted them four spots as they were ranked 25 in last week’s poll. The Oilers are 9-1 for the season and are tied for first place in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference and 6-0 in league play.
Senior Airion Kosak is grateful for his time on the UF football team and to leave the team on a high note.
“Playing football has taught me so much about working together toward one goal,” Kosak said. “I’ll miss having my brothers all in one place. We have been grinding together for a long time, putting in countless hours. This season is one to remember, a culmination of our hard work in our final season here.”
The team will compete against the Ohio Dominican Panthers for the GMAC title this weekend in Columbus.
Women’s soccer coach leaves UF
By: Cory William Berlekamp
Twitter: @cberlekamp
Email: coryberlekamp1@gmail.com
Coach Crystal Dye has ended her run as the head coach of the University of Findlay Women’s Soccer team. On Friday, Nov. 3, Dye stepped down after seven years of coaching for the Oilers.
Although the team did not have a winning record this year, Dye’s departure from the school comes as a surprise to some of her players. Freshman Varsity Player Delaney Masteller says she was taken off guard by the coach’s decision.
“I was very surprised, originally she had individual meetings for each of us to go to but then there was just one big meeting, some people may have expected it but I didn’t,” Masteller said. “The past few seasons have been rough, the past season we didn’t have a winning season and the few seasons before that weren’t winning so I think she was thinking about leaving for a few years.”
Dye was known by both the UF Athletics Department and her players as stern, but fair.
“She gave good criticism,” Masteller said. “She was a little bit intimidating but she was a good coach.”
Director of Athletics Brandi Laurita enjoyed Dye both professionally and personally. Laurita oversees 26 sports at the University including the Women’s Soccer team.
“The girls would probably tell you she was pretty strict and pushed them because she saw their potential and I think she always wanted them to reach their full potential,” Laurita said. “I would joke with her because she was stone faced a lot and that she had to smile every once in a while but she was a genuinely good person.”
Although Dye’s reasons for leaving were left personal, the department believes she left the team in a good spot.
“She did some good things while she was here,” Laurita said. “I think she is leaving a program that is going to be ready for somebody new to come in.”
Although the position for head coach has not been officially posted, the Athletics Department is already getting offers from all over.
“We’ve already started to get flooded with people who are interested,” Laurita said. “We are going to find the best person for the job and make sure we a servicing our student athletes best.”
With lifting and conditioning for the players coming up for the spring season, Laurita reassures the players that UF is actively seeking a new head coach.
“The University is very much a family community so bringing somebody in that does want to be a part of that is important to me,” Laurita said. “We will keep the players involved in the process so they’ll get an opportunity to meet some of the candidates and have a voice in the process.”
Looking to the future, the team is confident that they are on the right track for a good next year.
“There is a lot of good things that happened towards the end of the season,” said Masteller. “A lot of good team wins and hopefully a lot of good things that we can build on and have a good spring season and next fall season.”
Dye left the school with the overall record of 34-60-11. She took the Women’s Soccer team to the GLIAC tournament in 2012 but missed the playoffs this year with their final loss to Ohio Dominican University.
What is Dressage?
By: Grant Goetcheus
Twitter: @goetcheusg
Email: goetcheusg@Findlay.edu
The University of Findlay offers many club sports for students to participate in during the school year. The Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA) Dressage team is arguably the most elegant of club sports. The combination of horse and rider in the ring is something that is enchanting to watch.
Every team needs a coach, and the Dressage Coach is Nicole Thuengen who is originally from Germany. Thuengen is the English Equestrian Director and came to the University in 2014 after being recruited by former Equestrian Director, Jill Paxton.
“She called me up one day, asked me if I’d like to improve the program to give it more international approach and to make the place even better in the way of giving the students the best education they can have. So, that’s what I’m here for,” Thuegen said.
Thuegen has a long history with the sport of dressage, one that has helped the team at UF.
“So, my background, how I started dressage, I had a school master when I was 12 years old. My dad just bought the horse, didn’t know what the horse was doing. He could jump, he could do dressage up to a very high level. So that’s how I started,” she said.
Dressage is a unique discipline in the equestrian world, and many even see it as a dance.
“Dressage is the idea to get the horses, no matter what discipline they go, to give them first of all the proper gymnastics,” stated Thuengen.
Since dressage is a competition, it includes a fair and balanced scoring system. Team President Chloe Johnson explains how the team sport is scored.
“We have a group of four riders. It’s first level rider is upper level, low training, and then intro riders. We all run through a test, which is nationally recognized test through USCF, and we get to draw horses,” Johnson said. “We have 10 minutes on that horse before we get to go into the test. Once you go into the test, you are being judged on every movement that you have. Then, a couple minutes after everyone on your level is done you get the results. So, you get scored, or you get points off of how high your score is.”
Much preparation goes into ensuring the University’s English farm is ready to host a dressage competition.
“Well, so we start as soon as we possibly can. It takes a lot, it takes the entire team. We start on Friday night. Actually, we start earlier in the week so with practice for our show riders and our parade ride so we can show off the horses the day of the show,” explained Johnson. “Then the day of we get there at five, we feed the horses and then we start riding and braiding the horses and then the show starts at eight.”
Dressage is more than just what you see in the arena. The sport goes beyond just that to team members and riders that take part in it every day.
“Now dressage, going further, the discipline of dressage finally is defining the proper aids even more into the fact that the horse gets more and more strong, balance, using muscles properly, and because of that, working more and more on the horse’s condition, the horses are capable of doing movements people, I think, are very happy about,” concluded Thuengen.
Oiler basketball is back
By: Olivia Wile
Twitter: o_wile
Email: wileo@findlay.edu
It is officially basketball season at the University of Findlay. After a successful season last year, there has been a lot of anticipation for the Men’s Basketball Team to take the court again.
After winning an exciting scrimmage against the Toledo Rockets, the Oilers kick off their regular schedule a week earlier this year with both depth and strong leadership.
“The biggest difference is that we open our season on Nov. 3, a week earlier than usual,” Head Coach Charlie Ernst said. “We were invited to play in a prestigious event in Evansville, In.”
Ernst explains that each year, the NCAA chooses eight of the best Division II teams in the country to play in the “Hall of Fame Classic.” However, despite being invited to play in the tournament, the team was not allowed to begin practicing any sooner.
Ernst says that the leadership of this year’s senior class will help the team during this tournament and throughout the season.
“We have a great senior class,” Ernst said. “They’re all natural leaders, they lead in their own way.”
Among the seniors this year is Martyce Kimbrough. The Guard from Lima, Oh. is eager for the season to begin as well.
“We had less than two weeks of actual practices,” Kimbrough said. “We have a tough non-conference schedule and everyone is excited to get it going after a big year last year.”
In regards to the new set of players this year, Coach Ernst says they will add to the team right away.
“Well, as a head coach you’re mindful of two things, you need a few guys who can contribute right away and we have that. [But] you need all to develop and continue to get better.”
Kimbrough is also excited about the new talent and the depth of the team as a whole. “I think this is probably one of the deepest teams we’ve had in years.” Kimbrough said. “From the first guy to the last guy, everyone’s important.”
Despite their accomplishments from last year, Coach Ernst says that the team hasn’t been focused on the past, or even the future.
“To be honest, we don’t really talk about long-term goals,” Ernst stated. Instead he says the team focuses on the present. “[We try] to put our best foot forward in every game and get better throughout the season, it’s simply that.”
Kimbrough discusses both the team goals and his own goals for the season. “As long as we practice and put in work everyday, our goals will take care of themselves,” Kimbrough said.
“I want to help us achieve our team goals and do whatever to help us be successful as well. If you can lead well and work hard, that’s the legacy you leave,” he concludes.
For a complete schedule check out http://athletics.findlay.edu/sports/mbkb/2017-18/schedule