It took a while for Ashlee Bilhimer to begin leaving her mark as a Bobcat, but everything has worked out for her.
The Gardner, Kansas native did not compete during her freshman academic year, as she earned a medical redshirt. Despite not competing, Bilhimer, who is now a redshirt freshman, did not waste her year simply rehabilitating, but rather building her strengths in other areas.
“There is always stuff you can work on,” she said. “If I get sore, I don’t worry about throwing much, I just work on my lower body and other techniques.”
Bilhimer focused on lower body workouts and growing in the weight room while she was sidelined. She stressed that her specialty of javelin throws involve more than just the throwing motion. Ohio throwing coach Nick Pero agreed with her.
“You have to have a little higher fitness level,” Pero said. “You have to have a little more aerobic training; so running, biking, swimming, and stretches. Similar things to what a pitcher might do in baseball.”
While working with Bilhimer, Pero said her work ethic could result in future success.
And since her return, Bilhimer has performed well by already claiming a Mid-American Conference Championship bid.
“Honestly, it was unexpected," she said. "I didn’t expect that out of my first meet.”
Track and field was not her first sport — she used to play basketball and volleyball — but during high school, she first competed in the javelin throw and it felt natural to her so she stuck with it.
As a result she has built a passion from it.
“In the beginning it was something fun to do. ... Eventually it grew on me after getting a scholarship,” she said. “It’s definitely something that I want to work to get better.”
Heading into this season, she took a different approach about accomplishments she wanted to complete.
She said she had goals for the season, but she does not think about them because she doesn’t want to get disappointed if she can’t accomplish them. Bilhimer even had some support from her teammates to guide her through the season.
“All my teammates were telling me not to worry about goals, but just throw,” she said.
And she hopes that support can push her to a goal everyone on the team wants: an invite to the NCAA Championships.
“I hope to see her the rest of this season — in the next three to four weeks as we get closer to the conference championships — set some new personal bests,” Pero said. “And hopefully get some throws out far enough to qualify for the NCAA regional meet.”
Bilhimer is even more focused about qualifying for the NCAA Regional Championships.
“So now I need to get a new (personal best) to get to NCAA Regionals,” Bilhimer said. “That is probably my next goal, to place high in MAC and make it to NCAA Regionals.”
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