Football
In 2001, the Purple Raider football team claimed its fifth National Championship in six years and sixth overall ('93, '96, '97, '98, '00, '01). Mount Union (14-0 in '01) has won 82 of its last 83 games overall, including riding college football's longest current winning streak (28).
Individually, the Raiders had a league-best 19 players on the All-Ohio Athletic Conference team, including 11 First-Team selections. Mount Union had seven players earn All-American honors, including senior/running back Chuck Moore, the Division III Player of the Year, senior/offensive lineman Adam Indorf, senior/offensive lineman Ed Malone, senior/outside linebacker Jason Perkins, senior/defensive end Todd Braden, junior/defensive end Matt Campbell and junior/defensive back Chris Kern.
Head coach Larry Kehres was named the American Football Coaches Div. III Coach of the Year and Don Montgomery earned the OAC's Assistant Coach of the Year award.
Men & Women's Cross Country
Mount Union's men's cross-country team won its 21st Ohio Athletic Conference Championship (38 points) in '01. The Raiders finished second at the Great Lakes Division III Regionals and 17th overall at Nationals.
Individually, the Raiders had three runners earn All-OAC status - senior Mark Prejsnar (2nd/26:11), junior Bryan Less (4th/26:30) and junior Joe Eby (8th/26:55).
On the women's side, the Lady Raider cross country team placed second at the Ohio Athletic Conference Championships this past fall (75 points), third at Regionals and 24th at the Div. III Nationals.
Individually, the Lady Raiders' Kristen Koelling earned All-Conference status by placing seventh (19:33) at OACs. Head Coach Deana Fresenko was named the Great Lakes Coach of the Year for leading the Lady Raiders to Nationals for the first time in school history.
Volleyball
The Purple Raider volleyball team (20-14, 5-4 OAC) finished the '01 regular season fifth overall in the OAC while posting a seventh 20+ win season in the last nine years.
Individually, Mount Union placed two on the All-Ohio Athletic Conference Team, including senior/outside hitter Holly Coleman, an Honorable-Mention All-OAC selection, and sophomore/setter Katie Snyder, a Second-Team All-OAC pick.
Women's Soccer
Mount Union's women's soccer team (8-7-1, 4-4-1 OAC) finished the '01 regular season seventh overall in the OAC.
Individually, four Lady Raiders earned All-OAC honors, led by four-time selection, senior/forward Becky Blaser, a First-Team All-OAC pick in '01. Other All-Conference selections included junior/midfield Carrie Coon, a Second-Team pick, freshman/forward Jessica Gordon, an Honorable-Mention All-OAC selection and freshman/forward Jackie Orth, an Honorable-Mention All-OAC pick. Blaser also earned Second-Team All-Great Lakes Region honors in '01.
Men's Soccer
The Purple and White men's soccer team (5-13, 2-7 OAC) finished the '01 season eighth overall in the OAC.
Individually, two Raiders earned All-OAC status this past season - sophomore/forward Scot Gill was named a First-Team All-OAC recipient while sophomore/midfield Matt Bednar earned Second -Team All-OAC status.
Men & Women's Indoor Track
The Purple Raider men's indoor track team placed first overall at the '02 Ohio Athletic Conference Championships (109 points), earning the College's 28th indoor OAC title overall.
Individually, the Raiders had several conference champions, including - junior Chris Basich, with an OAC meet record distance in the shot put (56' 3 1/2"), junior Joe Eby (1,500 meters/3:58.89) and (1,000 meters/2:31.19), and senior Mark Prejsnar. with an OAC meet record in the 3,200 meters (9:23.34). Eby was named the Co-Winner of the '02 OAC Indoor Track Athlete of the Year Award while Basich was honored as the '02 OAC Indoor Field Athlete of the Year.
Eby earned All-American honors by placing fifth at Nationals in the 1,500 meters (3:55.46) while Basich earned All-American recognition for the fifth time, placing second overall at Nationals in the shot put (56'00").
On the women's side, the Lady Raiders finished fifth overall (79 points) at OAC Indoors in '02.
Conference champions included junior Becky Sears, with a championship meet record in the pole vault (10' 3 1/2"), and junior Laura Somoles, in the triple jump (36 5 1/4) and with an OAC meet-record tying 18" 5 1/2" in the long jump. Somoles earned the OAC Indoor Field Athlete of the Year award as well.
Somoles went on to earn All-American status by placing fifth overall in the women's long jump (18'03") at the Div. III Indoor Nationals.
Men's Basketball
Mount Union's men's basketball team (18-9, 12-6 OAC) finished third overall in the Ohio Athletic Conference during the 2001-2002 regular season.
Individually, senior/forward Todd Richards (17.9 ppg/7.7 rpg) earned First-Team All-OAC status for the second consecutive year. Senior/point guard Richard Jackson (9.0 ppg/6.5 apg), who led the league in assists (176), earned Honorable-Mention All-OAC status for the second straight year.
Women's Basketball
The Purple Raiders women's basketball team (7-19, 4-14 OAC) finished ninth overall in the Ohio Athletic Conference during the 2001-2002 regular season.
Individually, senior/point guard Erin Bryson (6.3 ppg) and freshman/forward Ashley Bourdeau (11.5 ppg/8.8 rpg) earned All-Ohio Athletic Conference status.
Men & Women's Swimming
Mount Union's men's swim team (3-6-1, 1-2 OAC) finished fourth (374 points) at the Ohio Athletic Conference Championships this past season.
At the conference championships, senior Marc Torgersen won three individual titles - the 100 fly (52.31), 200 back (1:57.13) and 500 free (4:46.79).
Sophomore Eddis Singleton earned All-American status in the 50 freestyle for the second consecutive year by winning the College's first swimming individual national championship with a school-record time of 20.32.
The Lady Raider swim team (4-6, 2-1 OAC) placed third (350.5 points) at the conference meet. Sophomore Julie Gage successfully defended her 200 back title (2:15.09).
Wrestling
Individually, junior Dan Anderson (15-4 record) won his third consecutive individual conference title at 165 pounds. Drew Zollars (17-8) led Mount Union in wins.
The Purple Raider wrestling team (4-5, 2-4 OAC) finished third at the Ohio Athletic Conference Championships in '02.
Softball
Mount Union's softball team (23-15, 10-8 OAC), which posted its seventh 20+ win season in the last nine years, finished fourth in the Ohio Athletic Conference during regular season and tournament play.
Individually, senior Sara Tharp (.432 BA) earned First-Team All-OAC honors as a utility player and Second-Team All-Conference honors for her mound work (15-6/1.88 ERA) this season. Tharp also earned '02 First-Team National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American honors as a utility player.
Women's Tennis
Mount Union's women's tennis team (9-12, 3-6 OAC) finished seventh in the Ohio Athletic Conference during the regular season and sixth at the conference championships.
Individually, senior Kim Woodrich (13-4 in overall singles/10-9 overall in doubles) earned First-Team All-OAC honors while senior Erica Sentgeorge (9-7 overall in singles/5-7 overall in doubles) earned Second-Team All-OAC status.
Men's Tennis
The Purple Raider men's tennis team (18-6, 8-1 OAC), which set a single-season school-record for wins (18) finished in first place in the OAC during regular season play and fourth overall at the conference championships.
Individually, senior Jeff McQuate (13-7 overall in singles/15-6 at #1 doubles)) and junior Joe Libster (18-4 in singles/15-6 at #1 doubles) both earned First-Team
All-OAC honors while freshman Jason Leavitt (14-3 overall in singles/14-0 overall in doubles) earned Honorable Mention All-OAC status.
Men's Golf
Mount Union's men's golf team finished sixth (643) at the Ohio Athletic Conference Championships this spring.
The Raiders' top performers at OACs included seniors Jeff Brown and Kevin Hinkle who tied for 20th overall (160).
Women's Golf
The Purple Raider women's golf team won its first (731 strokes) Ohio Athletic Conference Championship this spring. Senior Meghann Glass earned OAC Medalist honors (156 strokes) for the second consecutive year. At the Div. III Nationals, Glass earned All-American status placing third overall (324 total strokes).
Baseball
Mount Union's baseball team (20-19-1/9-8-1 OAC) finished third overall in the OAC regular season and placed second at the conference tournament at year's end.
Individually, three players earned All-Conference status - senior/pitcher Brandon McIntyre (6-6 record/3.84 ERA), junior/first baseman & pitcher Adam Starr (.360 BA/5-3 record) and junior/catcher Pete Couch (.306 BA/8 HRs) were Second-Team All-OAC picks.
Men & Women's Outdoor Track & Field
The Raider women's outdoor track team finished second (152 points) at the conference championships while the men's team placed third (102.50 pts.) overall.
Individually, junior Laura Somoles was named the OAC's Most Outstanding Female Field Athlete at OACs - repeating the honor she won at '02 Indoor OACs. She placed first in the both the triple jump (36-04) and long jump (18-03 1/4). Freshman Kristen Koelling was the conference champion in the 10,000 meters (38:57). The Lady Raider 4x100 relay squad also placed first (48.75).
On the men's side, junior Chris Basich won the shot put (54-01) and discus throw (157-09). First place also went to sophomore Ryan Hochstetler in the 5,000 meters (15:26.24) and junior Bryan Less in the 3,000 meter steeplechase ( 9:23.54 ).
At the Division III Outdoor Nationals, Basich earned All-American status for the sixth time in his collegiate career by finishing third overall in the shot put (55' 2 3/4") while Somoles earned All-American honors for the second time, placing eighth in the long jump (18' 5 1/4").
OAC All-Sports Standings
Mount Union's men's athletic teams placed second overall (61.95 pts) in the final Ohio Athletic Conference All-Sports Standings while the Raider women's program finished fourth (48.62 pts).