In the only home meet of the season, both Bobcat cross country teams are excited for the challenge of competing on their own course in the annual Ohio Invitational.
“I think both of the teams are really looking forward to racing at home,” coach Clay Calkins said. “We had a pretty hard day of practice on Wednesday, but the rest of the other days of practice were more low-key, as we’re trying to have everyone ready to race and try to win our only meet.”
After finishing second to top-ranked Georgetown last weekend in the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational, the Ohio women’s team hopes to continue its early season success in Athens.
But Calkins said that top runners Juli Accurso, Emily Pifer and Morgan Reichert will not be participating in the invitational as a strategy for upcoming races. All other men and women who made the team roster will be racing in the event as a chance for everyone to gain some experience without leaving campus.
“I think being on our home course takes some of the pressure off of us,” junior Tyler Ames said. “I definitely feel more relaxed, because we know the course well and have people cheering for us at every turn.”
Ames went on to say he thinks the team will be more confident in a home race because the men tend to run together as a team to push one another.
In the invitational, Ohio will be competing against Robert Morris and Cleveland State, two teams that Calkins said always express great interest in participating in the race. Both have made a point to return each season.
Last year, both Bobcat teams won the meets by defeating Cleveland State, West Virginia Wesleyan and the College of Charleston.
The race will be run on the Ohio University golf course in specific laps. The women will run the same 3K lap twice, while the men will run the 3K lap once before running two 2.5K laps.
During the past few years, rain and much cooler temperatures might have affected course conditions and final running times for all runners, but it is not expected to affect the course or runners this year. The course is mostly flat and is designed to allow runners to have good footing.
Calkins said the team did not practice a race on the course during the week, but all runners other than freshmen have competed on the course one way or another during their time in Athens.
The race will begin Saturday afternoon at the spectator-friendly golf course, as the women will begin at 3 p.m. followed by the men beginning at 3:45 p.m.
cl027410@ohiou.edu
