The Bobcats prepare for the NCAA Regionals in Louisville.
As the end of the cross country season nears, so does the beginning of indoor track, with this weekend's regional meet serving as a bridge between the two.
Besides redshirt junior Ellen Isaac, it is unlikely that any other Bobcats will be competing in Louisville for a second time at NCAA Nationals next week, but both teams still have plenty to fight for this weekend in Madison, Wisconsin, the host of NCAA Regionals.
The women dropped out of the top 15 regional rankings with their eighth-place finish at the Mid-American Conference Championship, and they will be looking to regain that stature.
Coach Clay Calkins said the women started out a little too quickly at the MAC Championship and ran out of gas early, which the team will look to rectify this weekend and going forward through track season.
The women were disappointed in their finish two weeks ago, but this weekend, they are using redemption as motivation to help them regain their lost respect in the polls, Calkins said.
The men will finally be reunited with one of their leaders, Michael McKean, but his return this weekend will have little impact on the overall season. McKean has been out for most of the season and missed the MAC Championship.
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The men's assistant coach Mitch Bentley said the motivation for the men is to retain their spot in the regional rankings, since the individual ceilings of each runner are not high enough to qualify for nationals, and the field of teams is just too deep in major programs for the Bobcats to get an at-large Nationals bid.
But, finishing in the regional rankings would be pretty good for "a team that doesn't even have an official track," according to Bentley.
Coach Calkins said Isaac will have to run a smart race this weekend in order to qualify for Nationals, but the team has confidence she will achieve her goal. The start will also be important for Isaac, especially in a field this deep of talent, according to Calkins.
Both teams will fight for respect and cheer on one of their own in their not so final finale this weekend.
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