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OCU
Varsity Sports
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Coach Jessica Mehringer In her first season as the women’s basketball coach at Oakland City University in 2006-07, women’s basketball coach Jessica Mehringer guided her “Lady Oaks” to a third place finish in the 2007 National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Women’s Division I National Championships last March. Prior to accepting the reins of the Oakland City University Women’s Basketball program, Mehringer served as the head women’s basketball coach at Olney Central College for eight seasons, where she guided the Blue Knight to a 125-119 standard from 1998-2006. Included in the 125-119 record were five Region 24 Championship Games. From 1993-98, the Eldorado, Illinois native worked the sidelines as an assistant basketball coach for the “Lady Oaks”, and during her five years as an OCU assistant, the “Oaks” put together the best five-year record in school history, racing to a 92-44 mark that included five straight trips to the NCCAA “Final Eight”. Mehringer is a 1993 graduate of Oakland City University, where she carved out an outstanding personal record, as well as helping the “Lady Oaks” to a 38-17 mark as a starter on back-to-back NCCAA National Tournament “Final Eight” teams, earning All-Region honors both years. Mehringer (then Jessica Morris) tossed in 11.0 points and pulled in 5.6 rebounds a night as a junior in 1991-92, and as a senior, she rammed home 17.8 markers a night, while grabbing 8.6 caroms a contest to lead the “Lady Oaks” to the NCCAA National Championship Game in Spring Arbor, Michigan. Mehringer transferred to Oakland City University from John A. Logan College, where she played a key role in the “Lady Volunteers” fortunes for two seasons (1989-91) at the Illinois Junior College. At her hiring at Oakland City University on June 1, 2006, then OCU President Dr. James Murray said, “In Jessica, we have provided our women’s basketball program with a proven winner.” “She did a terrific job for us here as a student/athlete during her playing days, and as the assistant coach, she was instrumental in helping to lead our program to the best five years in our school’s women’s basketball history.” “In addition, she has proven herself to be a winner as the head coach at the collegiate level, and we believe she will continue the tradition that has been established here at Oakland City University within our women’s basketball program.” OCU director of Athletics Mike Sandifar has only high praises for his second-year “Lady Oak” Coach, stating, “Jessica did everything we asked of her this past year, and more – She is a tireless worker, who wants her student/athletes to work hard to be the best they can be, on and off the playing floor.” She is a great role model to, not only, the women’s basketball players, but to all of our student/athletes on our campus – we are fortunate to have her as a part of the Oakland City University family. “She wants to make a difference in the lives of those under her direction, as well as those around her…” Mehringer holds both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in business from OCU, and in addition to her coaching duties, she teaches in OCU’s School of Business. Mehringer and her husband, Kurt, reside in Jasper, Indiana, and they
are the parents of two, a son, Tysen (age four) and a daughter, Libby
(age two).
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