A season preview of the expectations that coach Clay Calkins has for the men’s and women’s cross country squads.
Every coach has expectations in the preseason, and Clay Calkins hopes his cross country teams can meet his.
Ohio will open up its season at home Saturday and Calkins admits his expectations for his squad are high, but they are reachable with the talent of his squad.
“I think the men have an honest shot at being top three in the conference,” he said.
With the whole men’s squad returning from last season, experience will be crucial in the program’s success.
One runner in particular whose success is crucial is senior Chase Robinson. Robinson had a strong season last year, as he placed fourth at the Mid-American Conference Championships with a time of 26:00.88. He also ran his season-best (15:12.80) in the opening race at the Miami Invitational.
With a returnee like Robinson, Calkins believes in the men’s team, which will begin its quest to finishing in the top three of the MAC this weekend.
On the other hand, the women’s team faces a different challenge this season, as it will look to replace some of its top runners.
Juli Accurso, a familiar name last season, has graduated and now Calkins must adjust his scheme this year to replace the numbers he counted on from Accurso.
“It’s hard to replace one of the top distance runners in the nation,” he said. “It’s tough to find someone of the same caliber.”
Accurso finished 19th at the NCAA Nationals last year and earned All-American honors for the third consecutive year.
Still, Calkins has plenty of talent returning from the women’s squad as well.
He’s looking for a lot from Krista Roehlig, a junior, who produced good times in the distance category during the outdoor track season.
She claimed her first collegiate win in the 5,000-meter run during the outdoor season and hopes to claim many more.
Calkins must count on runners like Roehlig to fill the void Accurso’s graduation left, but he knows it won’t be easy.
He does, however, think his squad can overcome the loss of Accurso.
“The team as a whole is better than it has been in the past,” he said.
Like every coach, Calkins is looking for the best in his teams, and he’s hopeful that his bobcats can meet or surpass his expectations for the season.
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