-By Wes Mayberry, Ohio Northern Sports Information
ADA, Ohio — Ohio Northern senior Tessa Pitcovich (Stow/Stow-Munroe Falls) has been named the Ohio Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Month for June.
Pitcovich, who is a member of ONU’s track and field and cross country teams, embodies the true definition of a student-athlete, shining both in the classroom and in competition.
Pitcovich has earned All-OAC status in track and field five times in her career, including four times this season. She placed second in the 5,000 meters and third in the 3,000 meters at the 2022 OAC Indoor Championships and had finishes of second and third in the 10,000 meters and 5,000 meters, respectively, at the 2022 OAC Outdoor Championships.
She closed her senior season by qualifying for the NCAA Division III Championships meet where she placed 17th in the 10,000 meters.
Pitcovich also ranks in the top four in school history with her best times in five events, including the outdoor 5,000 meters (2nd, 17:37.72), 10,000 meters (2nd, 36:08.18) and 3,000 meters (4th, 10:40.10) and indoor 3,000 meters (3rd, 10:14.14) and 5,000 meters (3rd, 17:36.37).
She has also shined in cross country, qualifying for the NCAA Championships in 2019 and 2021. A three-time All-OAC and two-time All-Great Lakes Region honoree in cross country, Pitcovich currently holds the fourth-fastest time (22:08) in program history for a 6,000-meter course and was named the All-Ohio Female Runner of the Year for Division III in 2021. She capped her senior season as the recipient of the NCAA Elite 90 award, which is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 90 championships.
“Tessa is one of the most talented female distance runners to come through ONU and does so all while holding a perfect GPA,” ONU track and field and cross country head coach Jason Maus said. “In the fall, she had the highest GPA of anyone at the NCAA cross country meet, which is a true testament to how well she manages success both in competition and in the classroom.”
An accounting major, Pitcovich is a five-time Academic All-OAC and three-time USTFCCCA All-Academic honoree across both cross country and track and field. She has been on the Dean’s List for every semester of her college career and is a Mathile Scholarship recipient. She was also recently named First Team Academic All-District 7 in women’s track and field and cross country by College Sports Information Directors of America for the 2021-22 season. That distinction recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances in the competition realm and in the classroom and makes her eligible for a CoSIDA Academic All-American accolade.
On campus, Pitcovich has served in such leadership posts as the president of Beta Alpha Psi, treasurer of Women in Business and CFO for Polar Merchandise, LLC. She has also been a member of Chi Alpha Sigma, Beta Gamma Sigma and the Dean’s Advisory Council.
“Tessa represents ONU cross country and track and field well in competition, in the classroom and within the larger campus community,” Maus said. “She’s a fantastic young woman and is certainly someone I can trust to advocate for the program and be a leader and role model in all facets of campus life.”
The OAC Scholar-Athlete of the Month honors an exceptional student-athlete on a monthly basis. Student-athletes eligible to receive the award include juniors and seniors competing in a sport that is in-season and who display sportsmanlike conduct and have a grade point average of at least 3.0.