Everything happens for a reason.
That’s how Melissa Thompson described the injury she suffered during her sophomore year, which stemmed from inflammations in her knee.
“If I could go back, I would re-do my sophomore year of cross country,” Thompson said. “It was a tough year for me injury wise.” She was injured most of the cross-country season and indoor season that year.
Despite suffering that injury, Thompson, who is now a senior, is excelling on the track for the Bobcats and has qualified for the one-mile race at next weekend’s Mid-American Conference Indoor Championships. She earned All-MAC First Team honors for the 2013 indoor season in addition to receiving Academic All-MAC honors.
Thompson, who also runs cross country, set a personal-best time with a first place finish in the one-mile race at last year’s MAC Indoor Championships and made her final transition from the long-distance cross country regime to an indoor track.
“I spent most of my (winter) break in Florida and was able to escape the cold,” Thompson said. “I was able to get some solid training which was extremely helpful.”
The cold weather made it difficult for the Bobcats to train this winter, especially because it has been the coldest winter in Thompson’s four years wearing the green and white.
Also, The Convo is not the most ideal facility in which to practice and train, but she said “you gotta do what you gotta do with the facilities (that) you have.”
She is looking forward to when the program can train in the Walter Fieldhouse when it’s completed for student-athletes to use.
“I have seen Melissa grow mentally and physically stronger,” said Clay Calkins, Ohio’s cross country and track and field coach. “She has always been a competitor and doing the right things to heal. … She had great motivation and she did everything she needed to do.”
Because she was hampered by an injury during her sophomore cross country season, Thompson wishes she would have redshirted that year, which would have allowed her to return for a fifth season to compete and mentor the young team.
But because she competed for about half of the season, Thompson was not eligible to earn a redshirt, making this spring her final year donning an Ohio uniform.
Thompson has a strong support system not only from coach Calkins, but from her family and a personal trainer, who she works with every time she returns to Westerville for winter and summer academic breaks.
“I am lucky enough for a great support system back home that when I came home for winter break (after my injury), I was able to get in with a personal trainer,” Thompson said. “Some people aren’t fortunate enough to have access to a personal trainer, let alone continue to work with them to this day.”
But transitioning from sport to sport and season to season, Thompson has constantly worked to avoid re-injuring herself by overworking.
“When players get injured the biggest concern is for their mental and physical strength,” Calkins said. “For some athletes, injuries can make or break you.”
She admitted to being self-aware of her injury before it became drastic and looking back on her four years as a Bobcat, she has no regrets other than her injury and looks to finish her career stronger than ever.
“You never want to see a great MAC competitor go and you never want to lose the best, but we have been doing recruiting and trying to rebuild the distance event,” Calkins said.
Although the indoor track season is winding down, she will return to outdoor tracks next month to finish her career.
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