AUSTINTOWN, OHIO – Three members of the Otterbein University Track and Field team earned Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) honors Wednesday afternoon, announced the league office.
 
Senior Nicole Elliott and Kristen Bennett from the women’s team were named All-OAC while senior Karl Wunderle notched honorable mention honors for the men’s team.
 
Elliott, a senior distance runner from Union (Milton-Union High School), garnered Academic All-OAC for the second time in her career. A recent graduate of the Otterbein nursing program, she competed in both indoor and outdoor track and was a member of the cross country team. She ran personal bests of 4:54.75 in the 1500-meter run at the Gator Invitational and 19:19.84 in the 5000-meter run at the Charlotte 49er Classic.
 
Bennett, a junior from Wadsworth (Wadsworth High School), adds Academic All-OAC in track and field to her awards list. The Speech Communications major also garnered the award in the fall for her performance on the Otterbein volleyball team. Bennett will compete in the NCAA Division III National Championships after a successful outdoor season. She will compete in two different events in Claremont, the triple jump and the long jump. She qualified for the triple jump with her jump of 38”7’ (11.76 meters) and the long jump with a distance of 19-8 1/4 (6.0 meters). Both of her qualifying jumps took place at the Ohio Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
 
Wunderle, a senior from Cleveland (Trinity High School), earned Academic All-OAC honorable mention after a successful final campaign. A recent graduate of the Otterbein biology department, Wunderle set the second-best mark in the pole vault in Otterbein history. His vault of 16-0 (4.88 meters) at the Toledo Invitational was a personal best and tied for the 24th best vault in all of NCAA Division III this season. A four-time All-OAC performer, Wunderle was also recently awarded the Clyde A. Lamb Award from the OAC.
 
Academic All-OAC team members are selected by the OAC faculty representatives. To be eligible, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.25 GPA, be a key starter or reserve, and be in at least their second year of participation.