After a quartet of Mid-American Conference qualifying performances by four Bobcats two weekends ago, Ohio will look to carry its momentum into this weekend.
On Saturday and Sunday, the Bobcats are going to be faced with a challenge of splitting the team up for the first time in the indoor season.
Weight throwing competitor, junior Donyelle Brown, showed she is prepared more than ever to compete after setting a school record of 17.83m in the Tom Wright Classic two weekends ago.
Senior Melissa Thompson made her indoor track debut and won the mile race with a time of 4:56.96, which was enough to qualify her for the MAC Championships. She also ran the 800m with a time of 2:28.13.
Junior Chanda Cuckler leaped past her personal best with a high jump of 1.70m, earning herself a spot in the MAC Championships as well.
A fourth Bobcat also qualified for the MAC Championships when sophomore Caroline Hildebrand recorded a career best time of 17:33.48 in the 5,000m run.
This weekend, however, the Bobcats will split for the YSU National Mid-Major Invitational in Youngstown and the Meyo Invitational in Notre Dame, Ind.
“At the Meyo Invitational, we will only be sending Melissa Thompson. She needed ample competition and the Notre Dame meet offered it,” Calkins said,
The rest of team will be competing in the YSU Invitational.
Calkins said it was a “straightforward decision” on who to send to each event and that sending Thompson to Notre Dame will set her up for her best performance.
The Bobcats have done well in Youngstown and look to strive even more.
“We competed in the (College) Icebreaker back in December and we did well, but this time around we want to have a little more success” Calkins said.
This weekend should set the stage how the Bobcats will place in the MAC Championships, as there will be MAC competition in the meet at Notre Dame with Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan and Northern Illinois each competing. However, there will be predominantly teams from eastern Pennsylvania competing in the Youngstown invitational.
Wynston Wilcox
For The Post | ww773412@ohiou.edu
@wynstonw_
