Bishop Brilliance!
The history of women’s athletics at OWU stretches back far earlier than Title IX, and the remarkable achievements are far too numerous to cover in one magazine article. Here are just a few of the most noteworthy accomplishments in the past half-century.
1982
Julie Bredenbeck ’84 wins the NCAA D-III discus championship and All-America honors in shot put. Liz Phelps ’84 takes the first of three straight All-America honors in heptathlon.
1987-1993
Three-time All-American Erin Foley ’94 is part of a field hockey dynasty that captures seven straight NCAC championships and NCAA D-III playoff appearances, going 66–4–6 in conference play, including a 38-1-1 mark from 1987-90.
1988
Seven OWU swimmers win All-America honors as the Bishops place 17th in the 1988 NCAA D-III championship meet, Ohio Wesleyan’s best finish ever. The All- Americans are, pictured from left: Juliann Althoff ’91, Courtenay Feil ’91, Carrie Urban ’90, Catie Butt ’91, Jen Schiller ’91, Julie Dimmick ’91, and Clare Birch ’90.
1992
The women’s basketball team shares the NCAC season championship and wins the tournament championship, OWU’s first league titles in the sport. Krista Jacobs ’92 (pictured) finishes her career as OWU’s all-time leading scorer and a 4-time first-team All-NCAC selection.
1996
Kristen Sherrill ’96 (left) and Shelly Smart ’96 become Ohio Wesleyan’s first All-Americans in women’s tennis.
2001-02
The women’s soccer team wins two consecutive NCAA D-III national championships and extends its record-setting winning streak to 45 straight games. See Looking Back story.
2001
The women’s basketball team finishes third in the nation, defeating Emmanuel in the third-place game of the NCAA D-III tournament, after winning their third consecutive NCAC championship.
2002
Katy Sturtz ’02 finishes her Bishop basketball career as the fourth player in NCAC history to surpass both 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.
2004
Linsey Longstreth ’06 becomes OWU’s first All-American in softball, as the Bishops capture a share of their first NCAC title.
2005
The women’s lacrosse team wins its first NCAC tournament championship, and its 12 wins tie a school record.
2005
Soccer player Sarah Wall ’06 fills a trophy case as 4-time NCAC Offensive Player of the Year, 2-time Academic All-American, and NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient.
2007-2016
What a dynasty! Over a 10-year span, the women’s indoor and outdoor track & field teams bring home 19 NCAC championships.
2015-17
Iris Anderson ’18 becomes OWU’s first volleyball All-American, earning the honor three times.
2016-17
Sarah Fowler ’17 becomes the first OWU runner to win All-America honors in cross country, indoor track (5000-meter run), and outdoor track (3000-meter steeplechase) during a single academic year.
2018
Cirrus Robinson ’20 sweeps the NCAA Division III indoor and outdoor championships in the high jump. Her three individual national championships are the most by an OWU woman.
2019
Alexis Reichardt ’20 wins All-NCAC honors to become OWU’s first 3-time allconference selection in women’s golf.
2021
The field hockey team wins the NCAC tournament for the first time and captures its first-ever NCAA D-III playoff victory, a 2-1 overtime win against Cortland.