Ohio finished sixth out of 13 teams at Marshall’s Thundering Herd Classic at the Chris Cline Complex in Huntington, West Virginia, over the weekend. The meet began Friday with two field events and continued into Saturday, when the Bobcats tallied 51 points altogether.
Field events
Gaza Odunaiya provided an initial spark for Ohio when she placed second in the weight throw with a mark of 18.87 meters. This was the first time the senior failed to place first in the weight throw this season, but her runner-up performance still earned the Bobcats eight points. Teammates Emma Russ and Autumn Mohan secured the sixth and seventh placements, respectively, to combine for another five points.
Tajah Haley took third in shot put with a distance of 12.95 meters, adding six points to Ohio’s total. Autumn Mohan wasn’t too far behind her teammate, as she secured the fifth spot with a throw of 12.65 meters to tack on four more points. Haley secured an additional point for the Bobcats by placing eighth in the high jump.
Distance events
Two Bobcats were able to earn points for Ohio in the 800-meter run. Melissa Koziol took the fifth spot by running a time of 2:18.29, and teammate Madison Sury was right behind her, finishing the race at 2:18.78. The duo combined for seven points from their respective placements.
Emily Deering earned a top three finish in the mile run after finishing with a time of 5:04.10. She placed third out of the 50 women who competed in the event.
Sprint events
Ashleigh Carr continued her early success this season by placing fourth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 56.48 to tack on five more points for Ohio.
Carr also contributed in a runner-up performance behind Charlotte in the 4x400-meter relay. Her, Deering, Stephanie Pierce and Erin Stewart combined for a time of 3:54.55, securing second place as well as adding eight points to the Bobcats’ total. Ohio’s 4x400-meter relay team has now placed second in back-to-back meets.
What’s next?
Ohio will have a few days to return to practice before hitting the road for two meets this weekend. The Bobcats will travel to Akron on Friday to compete in the Akron Invitational, then head to South Bend, Indiana, on Saturday for Notre Dame’s Meyo Invitational.
