News Releases

OWENS EXPRESS ATHLETICS RETURN IN FULL FOR 2021- 22 ACADEMIC YEAR

PERRYSBURG TOWNSHIP, Ohio, May 7, 2021 – Owens Community College announced today that all five Owens Express sports will return in full for the 2021-22 academic year after being partially suspended this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and softball.

With the updated CDC and local regulations, Owens Community College Express Athletic Department feels confident they can provide a safe atmosphere for student-athletes, game personnel and spectators. Safety protocols are in place and will continue to evolve with recommendations and mandates from State and Federal government. Owens will continue to adhere to requiring masks, social distancing and reduced spectator capacity.

“We are committed to full conference and post-season schedules, enabling our programs the opportunity to compete for championships,” stated Shelley Whitaker, director, Owens Athletics. “Institutionally, we feel it is important for our student-athletes to get back to the court/field not only for competitive purposes but also for their mental and social health. We have a rich tradition of success both on the court/field and in the classroom as well as within the community.”

Led by head coach Sonny Lewis, who will begin his 20^th collegiate season in 2021, the Express volleyball team won back-to-back national championships in 2018 and 2019 with records of 40-6 and 43-4, respectively. The team has 18 Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) titles and has won the NJCAA Region XII championship for the past five seasons.

During the 2019-20 season, the men’s basketball team was 15-15 overall with a 6-5 record in the OCCAC, while the women’s basketball team was 10-14 overall with a 6-3 record in the conference.

The baseball and softball teams are competing on the field this spring season.

For more information about Owens Express athletics, please contact Shelley Whitaker, director of athletics at shelley_whitaker2@owens.edu.

Owens Community College has served Northwest Ohio since 1965 as an accredited two-year, state-assisted institution of higher education with an open-door admission policy. With a commitment to providing small classes, personal attention and unmatched affordability, the College serves the diverse academic needs of credit and non-credit students on the Toledo-area and Findlay-area campuses. Owens offers associate degrees in the Arts and Sciences and technical program areas in Agriculture, Business, Health Sciences, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Skilled Trades, and Engineering and Transportation Technologies. Owens Community College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and multiple programs that are also accredited through their discipline-specific accrediting bodies. For more information, visit www.owens.edu, call (567) 661-7000, like our Facebook page and/or follow us on Twitter @OwensCC. 

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