Despite losing three of its first four meets, Ohio is hoping to get its season on track with a three-day meet at Virginia Tech.
After losing three of the first four meets of the season, Ohio will begin its final event of the calendar year on Thursday at the H2Okie Invitational in Christiansburg, Virginia.
The Bobcats have lost two straight meets and three of its first four, but hopes their young and smaller Bobcat team can overcome being out-numbered to start finishing meets with more points on the scoreboard with time.
“None of us get up at 5:30 in the morning to lose,” sophomore Laura Dawson said. “So last weekend was obviously a blow. At the end of the day, we are going to bounce back.”
This three-day meet will be Ohio’s longest of the season, excluding the Mid-American Conference Championships.
Dawson has been part of the strongest element of the Bobcats so far this season, the medley relay. The relay of junior Addison Ferguson, senior Tori Bagan, Dawson and junior Haley Clark has finished in first place each time they have swam. Ferguson also received MAC swimmer of the week honors with her performance against Marshall, as she won four events.
Having a strong team event has helped Ohio to start meet with momentum, but its lack of depth has prevented the Bobcats from excelling in all events.
“You need to know the heartache of your sport,” Dawson said. “I have been a part of a lot of teams, and I know these girls train hard and I know they deserve the success they will eventually get, it’s just a matter of time.”
The problem of depth especially carries over to the diving side, where the team only has one healthy diver. Despite freshman Karissa Conner’s second place-finish at Marshall, the Bobcats missed 14 potential points without any other divers competing.
Ohio wants to improve with each swim and knows, despite some setbacks, a strong weekend could be momentum when the season resumes in January.
Host of the H2Okie Invitational, Virginia Tech has won its past three meets. The Hokies have also seen a high level of competition this season as the team lost to both No. 14 North Carolina and No. 15 Penn State. Ohio will also take the pool against Alabama, which is ranked No. 24.
Although the meet is long, Dawson says putting it on a high pedestal will bring unwanted pressure.
“Everyone is kind of focusing on the little things of the races, turns, starts and just being quicker,” Ferguson said.
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