While many students will make the journey to Alden Library this weekend to study for the upcoming week of exams, Ohio will travel to Oxford to compete in the RedHawk Invitational.
Ohio coach Clay Calkins said Ohio has never been to the meet during his 10-year tenure and that he initially didn’t plan on scheduling it this year.
Originally, Ohio was scheduled to travel to Hillsdale, Mich., to compete in the Gina Relays, but Calkins changed his mind this week, after the meet moved from a two-day to a three-day competition.
“It’s just too much of a trip this time of the year,” he said. “Being gone for three days is a bit too much to ask for three days before finals.”
Despite the sudden change, Calkins doesn’t think that it will leave the Bobcats at a major disadvantage on the track, as equally good teams can be found at the RedHawk Invitational.
“Cinncinnati and Kentucky are heading (to the meet), so there will be quality teams,” he said.
The Bobcats are coming off a weekend at the Jesse Owens Track Classic at Ohio State, in which they recorded five personal bests, highlighted by distance runners Melissa Thompson, a junior, and Ashley Waddington, a senior, who cut their personal bests by several seconds in the 1,500-meter and 3,000-meter steeplechase, respectively.
The Bobcats, however, will change their usual lineup, as they will compete in the second one-day competition this season.
“You can’t run your athletes in back to back events,” Calkins said. “You have to focus on their primary events.”
This weekend, in return, will help the athletes that have yet to qualify for the Mid-American Conference Championships in two weeks.
Although only two meets remain until the conference meet, Calkins still sees the potential to qualify more athletes.
“We’re tapering down and we’re getting ready for MACs,” he said. “Hopefully the taper helps to get them (to the meet).”
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