BEREA, Ohio -- Five of the seven Baldwin Wallace University winter sports teams are already in action, and the indoor track teams begin their season in mid-January. To date, the Yellow Jackets are off to a fast start.

The women's basketball team, under the direction of 27-year Head Coach Cheri Harrer (538-197 career record) won the inaugural BW Holiday Invitational Tournamnet on December 29-30 in Berea and is a perfect 11-0 overall and 4-0 in the Ohio Athletic Conference. Senior All-OAC standout Clara Lemmon (Louisville) and All-OAC and Academic All-OAC student-athletes Sydney Clark (Parma/ Lake Ridge Academy) and Mackenzie Colombo (Strasburg) are the leaders.

The men's basketball team is 6-5 overall and 1-3 in the OAC. Head Coach Tom Heil and his young team, just one senior sees significant playing time, was ranked nationally earlier in the season. The goal is to be playing their best basketball at the end of February. All-OAC standouts Cam Kuhn (Vermilion) and Jake Fetherof (Norwalk) are the leaders.

The men's and women's basketball teams resume OAC play on Wednesday, January 4 against the University of Mount Union. The BW men play at Mt. Union in Alliance at 7 p.m. and the women host the Purple Raiders in the Ursprung Gymnasium in the Lou Higgins Center at 7:30. On Saturday, Jan. 7, the BW men host Wilmington College at 3 p.m. and the women play in Wilmington at 3 p.m.

The defending Ohio Athletic Conference champion wrestling team enters action at the January 4-5 NWCA (National Wrestling Coaches Association) National Duals in Ft. Wayne, Indiana with a 10-2 overall record and ranked 20th in the most recent (Dec. 7) NWCA/ USA Today national Division III poll. But to date, Head Coach Jamie Gibbs hasn't had his full lineup available. Leading the way so far is senior 197-pound Div. III national qualifier Tyler Maclellan (Medina/ CVCA) and sophomores Richie Burke (Ithaca, N.Y.) at 157 pounds and Athony Arroyo (Maumee) at 165 pounds.

The women's and men's swimming and diving teams leave on Jan. 1 for the Sunshine State of Florida for its annual Winter Break Training and will compete against Widener (Pa.) University on Jan. 6 in Sarasota, Fla.  The team returns home on Jan. 8 with classes resuming on Jan. 9. The women (5-2) and men (3-4) next compete up north at home against Div. II Malone University on Jan. 14 at 1 p.m. in the BW Natatorium inside the Lou Higgins Center. The team leaders are junior All-American Tyler Thompson (Broadview Hts./ Brecksville-Broadview Hts.) and freshman Allie Thorson (Amherst/ Steele).

The Yellow Jacket men's and women's indoor track and field teams begin their season on Jan. 14 at Mount Union. The BW women are the defending Division III National Champions indoors and were the Div. III National Runner-Up outdoors. The first home meet is the Second Annual Dr. Bill Taraschke Classic on Jan. 27 on the Harrison Dillard Track inside the Lou Higgins Center Fieldhouse.

The women's team will be led by senior Div. III All-American high jumper Erin Kasper (Amherst/ Steele) and senior Kasey Clouse (Norwalk/Western Reserve), who placed 19th in the discus last spring at the Div. III naional outdoor meet. The men will be led by All-American sprinter and school 200-meter record-holder Jordan Leverette (Cleveland/ John Adams).