MARIETTA, Ohio — The Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) crowned nine champions Friday (Feb. 26) on the first day of the 2010 Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field Championship, hosted by Marietta College inside the Dyson Baudo Recreation Center. In addition, the top three relay teams and individuals in each event earned All-OAC honors for the 2010 season. [Men's Results] [Women's Results] [Championship Site]

2009 champion Ohio Northern holds the team lead in the women's competition with 39 points after day one. Mount Union sits in second with 27 points, Baldwin-Wallace is in third with 21 points and Marietta sits fourth with 20 points. Otterbein (14), Heidelberg (12), Wilmington (12), John Carroll (10) and Capital (1) round out fifth through tenth after four events.

Mount Union's Aubrey Loy, the 2009 Phil Gordon Field Athlete of the Meet, defended her OAC title in the Long Jump with a leap of 5.46m (17-11.00).

Ohio Northern's Nicole Hope captured the High Jump title with top mark of 1.59m (5-02.50).

Ohio Northern's Alison Steinbrunner won the 3,000m Run title after crossing the line in 10:32.27.

Baldwin-Wallace captured the Distance Medley Relay when D'Arcy Hlavin, Tess Hoogeveen, Julie Kotesovec and Kim Chinn combined to run a facility record time of 12:18.30.

Defending champion Ohio Northern holds the lead in the men's competition with 38 points. Heidelberg is second with 31 points, Capital sits third with 22 points, Mount Union is fourth with 19.5 points and Otterbein sits fifth with 18.5 points. John Carroll (17), Wilmington (16), Muskingum (14), Baldwin-Wallace (11) and Marietta (8) are ranked sixth through 10th, respectively, after five events.

Heidelberg's Julius Higginbotham, who was named both the Don Frail Sprinter of the Meet and the Bud Yoest Field Athlete of the Meet in 2009, won his third straight OAC Long Jump championship. He matched his season's best with a NCAA Provisional Qualifying mark of 7.06m (23-02.00).

Ohio Northern's Andrew Lammers defended his OAC title in the Pole Vault with mark of 4.61m (15-01.50).

Wilmington's Braden McMonigle captured the OAC High Jump crown after clearing 2.00m (6-06.75).

Mount Union's Ty Griffin ran to victory in the 3,000m Run. Griffin crossed the line in 8:45.05.

Ohio Northern claimed the Distance Medley Relay championship when Patrick Rachow, Garrett Brown, Cory Bailey and Dan Smith

The two-day championships conclude on Saturday (Feb. 27) when 29 more OAC Champions will be crowned. Action begins with the Women's Pole Vault, Women's Triple Jump and Women's Shot Put at 10 a.m. The meet is expected to wrap up following the 4x400m Relays at 5:30 p.m.