The Bobcats will make the seven-hour trek from Athens to Mount Pleasant, Mich. this week to compete in the three-day Mid-American Conference Championships at Central Michigan.
Since the start of the outdoor season in mid-March, each of the seven meets the team has competed in has been in preparation for this week’s competition.
“Everybody on the team better be at their peaks right now,” throws coach Nick Pero said.
Throughout the year, Ohio’s goal has always been to finish in the top half of teams at the meet, and that is no different this week.
Competing against 11 teams, Northern Illinois barely nudged Ohio out of eighth place last year.
All three of the coaches — Pero, head coach Clay Calkins and distance coach Mitch Bentley — are looking for improved marks from last year.
But Calkins said it will be tough considering that the top teams from last year — Kent State, Eastern Michigan, Miami, Western Michigan and Buffalo — continue to be fierce competition.
"The total team score is a result of what the individual athletes do," Calkins said. "Hopefully our team comes together and gets us up in the fight for the top half."
Aside from the level of competition, Calkins also mentioned the loss of one of the team’s star runners as a disadvantage. Sophomore Juli Accurso, Second Team All-American, is studying abroad in France.
Being a young team, the coaches said they are relying on the team’s seniors to use their MAC Championship experiences to push and encourage the underclassmen.
"Whenever you have a young team, it's going to be good experience for them," Calkins said. "It's a high-stress situation, and hopefully they respond well with a positive experience, no matter the outcome."
The last time Ohio competed on the Lyle Bennett Outdoor Track was in 2003, which was also the last time Central Michigan hosted the MAC Championships. Ohio's women team placed 10th that year.
This year's lineup of events starts on Thursday at 10 a.m., with field events, decathlon and heptathlon events and the 10,000-meter run finals.
Friday continues with field, as well as decathlon and heptathlon, events, but also includes sprint and mid-distance preliminaries and the 3,000-meter steeplechase finals.
For the last day, all the remaining field and running events will take place, with the awards ceremony concluding the weekend around 5 p.m.
UP NEXT
Mid-American Conference Championships
Central Michigan
Lyle Bennett Outdoor Track
Thursday to Saturday
nb155607@ohiou.edu
