Tri-Pod

Along with everything the girls have said...

Deciding to come to ONU was a decision based on academics and the overall atmosphere, but what made sold me the most was the people I met as a recruit, mainly the basketball team. Just like Lish and Tricia said, the team we have here is like a family away from home. We are there for each other no matter what, and do whatever we can to make everyone feel welcome. I have friends on many of the opposing teams we play and they all have made a point to let me know that they wish they had as much team chemistry, on and off the court, as ONU’s basketball team does. That is what makes the game so fun here.

Most people look at ONU and Ada as small, boring and in the middle of nowhere town. It is far from being a boring town! We always find things to do, whether it is going to other sporting events, eating at some of the restaurants (both old and new) or just hanging out being goofy with the team.

As for basketball, I am proud to be a part of the turn around of ONU women’s basketball. Over the past 3 years here the program has improved and we plan to keep that tradition going. I know a lot of recruits ask us what we think about the coaches… Coach Durand and Coach Terrell are apart of our family as well. They are serious about basketball but they join us in some fun as well – karaoke, team dinners/cookouts... Our team would not be as close as we are now if they were not apart of the program. We also would not be as successful as we have been. I know the other girls would agree with me on that too.

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Emily Culbertson
Senior

Sport Management Major

Hi my name Tricia Fuller (far right in the picture) and I am a senior Criminal Justice major, as well as a member of the "Tripod". As seniors the three of us have seen alot in terms of team growth, both on and off the court. Like Alisha mentioned, we are a big family, that most other teams are jealous of. Certainly we have our differences, but that is what makes our team so much fun. Different personalities make our team fun and somewhat unpredictable, but definately unique. We are a support system that will be behind any teammate from freshmen to senior, which is important especially for the freshman making a big adjustment. When I was a freshman the upperclassman made the college transition easier, as I hope I am doing for the freshman now. As for on the court, our team has made huge steps since I started roughly 3 year ago. Each year I have been here we have gotten better, and shown the Ohio Athletic Conference that we are one of the teams to be respected in our league. Being a part of the teams that have brought back the winning tradition to ONU has made me really proud, and I hope my last year here will bring back something ONU women's basketball hasn't seen since right around my birth; an OAC chamionship.

Tripod Blog

Seniors Alisha Rinehart, Emily Culbertson & Tricia Fuller

Hello all!!! My name is Alisha Rinehart and I am currently in my Senior year as a Polar Bear. I am from Lima, Ohio and I major in Psychology. Coach wanted the three seniors on the team to write a little about ourselves, but for me its all about my team. I play with an amazing group of girls, even including the freshman that are just joining us this year :) Since the moment I set foot on ONU's campus I knew this was the place and team for me. Ada is a cozy "village", with growing food choices, a place where you make your own fun, great faculty with one-on-one attention, and a group of 20 women I call my best friends... THE Ohio Northern Women's Basketball team.

The past four years have only confirmed that feeling. The girls I play with are my family, it is my home away from home. They are the people I turn to for anything, and whom turn to me for the same. When making my decision on college I had a wide variety to choose from, but ONU caught my eye. The reason for this was the girls and coaches. Most schools have the same basic majors, a team you can play on, and a piece of paper you get when your done. Only ONU has these girls though. I can only tell you this so much before you have to come experience it for yourself, so to any recruits reading this the Polar Bear family would love to have you visit and possibly one day be apart of something so much bigger than yourself. The program is only going up and someday you could be a part of the change at ONU. Myself and the other members of the "tripod" look forward to meeting all of you!