As spring slowly eases its way through the Hocking Hills, the Ohio track and field team is leaving the indoors behind for another outdoor season.
In the last few years, track and field hasn’t been part of Ohio’s recent success in athletics, nor was it able to come anywhere close to a Mid-American Conference team championship, instead finishing in the bottom half in seven of the last eight years.
With a new season, however, come new prospects and returning, experienced athletes. Despite nine graduating seniors last year, Ohio should have the quality and the potential to better last year’s 11th-place finish at the MAC championship.
If the indoor season had any indication for the outdoor season, the Bobcats will have one of the strongest distance teams in the conference. The junior duo of Juli Accurso and Melissa Thompson helped the distance team carry the team at the indoor championship, scoring 30 of 38 points for the Bobcats.
Moreover, Accurso and Thompson each won an individual title at the indoor championship, winning the 3000-meter and the mile, respectively — both in new Ohio record times.
Middle-distance specialist Danielle Winningham, who was part of the distance medley relay that claimed the MAC indoor championship in a new program record time of 11:26.80 minutes, will add depth to Ohio’s distance squad.
“We saw some solid indoor performances, and we try to take that into the outdoor season,” Ohio coach Clay Calkins said.
The distance squad has already proven its outdoor abilities this past weekend at the Wake Forrest Open, as Accurso set a new Ohio record in the 5000-meter race in a time of 16:21.56 minutes.
Also showing promising results was sophomore Morgan Reichert, who finished in 17:24.86 minutes.
Ohio’s good distance times come at a time when it has to carry the rest of the team.
In the field events, the Bobcats are very inconsistent. In the long jump, they have made progress, as Alexis Geiger has finished in 10th at the MAC indoor championship.
Whether the throwers can make up for Ohio’s disadvantages in the field events has yet to be determined, as the javelin, hammer throw and discus are outdoor-only events, and the throwers have had only one chance to show their abilities.
The distance team should carry this year’s team to a better finish than 11th place at the MAC championship.
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