Imagine the following: The Division III Otterbein Cardinals men’s basketball team bussing over to downtown Columbus to face off against the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Schottenstein Center. This image quickly changes to a grimacing thought of Division I athletes wiping the floor with our beloved Cardinals.
Fifty years ago, however, Otterbein did face the junior varsity Buckeyes, and put up a good fight. According to Otterbein’s 1969 yearbook, the “Otters” scrimmaged Ohio State University’s junior varsity team at St. John’s Arena, where they lost 63-61.
Otterbein senior and basketball player Eddie Anders said, "I seriously doubt that would be the same outcome today but, I’d love to try.”
One would think that the outcome of that scrimmage would lead to a successful season; however, this was not the case. The 1969 Otters finished with a 9-9 record and were eliminated from the OAC Tournament by a 60-32 loss to Muskingum University.
During the 1969 season, however, the men’s team did beat Akron 90-70, put up 104 points against New Hampshire, and beat Capital by a point.
Joanne Tyler organized and coached the first year of the Otterbein women’s intercollegiate golf team in 1969. Five women were on the inaugural squad: Kim Taylor, Carolyn Koachway, Claire Porter, Grace Leidheiser, and Char Bennett. The women posted a 1-2 record, defeating Wittenberg but losing to Ohio Wesleyan and Ohio State.
The women’s tennis team was also in its infancy as a sport at Otterbein, but the interest in the team was obvious as seven women were members of the team that year, the same amount of players as on the men’s team.
When looking at the entire athletics department in 1969, one trend is apparent: The Otters weren’t very good. The baseball team only won three out of their 18 games.
The wrestling team failed to win a game under head coach Chuck Burner, going 0-8-1 with a draw against Capital. While they weren’t exactly dominating on the mats, the yearbook staff said, “Although they lost, these pictures show the sweat and determination that kept our spirits high.”
The football team finished 2-8, and had two games where they got shut out. The team had a total of 49 players, about one hundred less than the team has today.
Junior quarterback Bryce Hall said, “After injuries, there’s no way you could compete with less than a hundred guys in college anymore.”
Even though Otterbein’s 1969 records may not be impressive, teamwork and collaboration are integral parts of Otterbein sports. Whether they call themselves the Cardinals or the Otters, it’s clear that the Otterbein community has always cared deeply about their sports and the inclusion of all their athletes.
