Ohio Northern University - Northern Yearbook (Ada, OH)

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Ohio Northern may be known for its intercollegiate sports teams but every year there are three sports that get a lot of the students involved on a campus level. These sports would never be the type you see on the cover of Sport Illustrated but instead they would be more likely to turn up on Bloopers and Practical Jokes. These sports are weird and wacky but the people who participate in them aren’t crazy; they are just having fun. Most people could never imagine playing football with a co-ed team, without equipment and in the snow; or playing volleyball in the rain in mud up to the knees; or intentionally doing a bellyflop off the diving board. Yet Ohio Northern students do these things by playing three of the most popular events of the year. To start, on September 16th and 17th, the annual mud volleyball competition was held. Any student could get together a team for one of the three categories (men, women or co-ed) for the single elimination tournament. Friday morning was spent preparing two courts behind fraternity circle. Hoses, and this year even rain, kept the courts good and gooey. There was no real skill needed to play, just the requirement to get muddy and have a good time. Another weird sport took place on January 13th at an O.N.U. swim meet. A few of O.N.U.’s most daring students participated in the third annual bellyflop competition. The judges determined which contestant had the best form and splash as they did the usually painful bellyflops. This year Jim Munchick went home with the honor of first place. Winter quarter gave the perfect opportunity for the last competition — Polar Bowl. In the tradition of the mascot, the polar bear, O.N.U. students battled the cold for a slightly unconventional competition of football. Teams were made up of four men and four women. These teams got together on February 10th and 11th to play football on a layer of freshly fallen snow. Scoring was slightly different because scores made by the women were worth more than those scored by the men. Even in temperatures only fit for a polar bear, everyone who participated had a good time. O.N.U. may have many intelligent students but even the smartest students occasionally got a little crazy, muddy, frostbitten or wet as they participated in Northern’s weird and wacky sports. Above Left: A swim in the lake is Holly Hughes ' and Mitch Stansloski ' s method for getting clean after a mud volleyball game. Above Right: Jim Munchick prepares to hit the water. Women, snow and football don ' t typically go together but Michelle Turkish, Julie Cavalier, and Melody Carter show their ability to play during the Polar Bowl.

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Bobby Obermeyer takes a break with Mike Geiger and Jim Reinheimer. Entertainment at the club includes such bands as Forecast. Mark Buck and Stcpli Hinkle enjoy Ihcir inocktails in a quiet booth. ONU’s Mascot helps Denise Tangncy work as hostess at TGIF.

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Although his attire is not the typical black and white stripes, Lou Mazzoli battles the cold to be a Polar Bowl official. The ZTA and DZ mud volleyball teams await their chance to get down and dirty. These teams include Jean- ine Blest, Anne Tupta, Martha Evans, Julie Cavalier. Ruthy Geiger, Mariellen McKinney, Judy Steegman, Heather Clayton, Amy Crawford, and Deeann Turner. Doug Light prepares to become the Flying Gar- bonzo Brothers during the Belly Flop competition. Getting spattered by the muddy ball is a typical treat of playing mud volleyball as Rob Nelson, Brad Schwartz, Rodney Davis, Mike Slyk and Todd Heinlen find out. i Asag J K •