Ohio had a week off last week so it has had time to get healthy, brush up on its skills and train for what looks to be the toughest competition all season.
After a week hiatus, Ohio will take the course this weekend in the All-Ohio Championship on Friday and will face some of the toughest competition all season.
Ohio will see several Mid-American Conference teams in Cedarville, Ohio, including Miami, Bowling Green, and Kent State. However, Ohio State, Cincinnati and Toledo will not be at the meet.
Kurt Steinmuller, a junior, hopes to take his recent success to the next level and out-run some of the best runners around the state.
After a being named the MAC Runner of the Week, Steinmuller has shown that he has what it takes.
“He was the only one that ran over 100 miles a week over a month’s span and doing goes to show how dedicated he is to the sport and how durable he is,” junior teammate Jarrod Genther said. “The results are showing it and it’s paying off.”
It comes to no surprise that Steinmuller was the first of the men’s squad to receive this accolade. He has finished in the top-five in all of the races this season.
He should not disappoint or even feel threatened by the highly competitive runners that will battle for a top spot this weekend.
Coach Clay Calkins also sees what Steinmuller has brought to the course.
“Expectations are always high for this team. I think Kurt has always exceeded our expectations,” he said.
Calkins however is less focused on his regular season success and more focused on what he has to offer in the MAC Championship and even the NCAA Championship.
“He’s proven himself week in and week out. He has to focus on staying healthy. It’s great that his is doing well now and we are going to need him at the end of the season,” Calkins said.
The women’s squad will compete well as well. Junior Kayla Scott has had a moderate start on the season. Calkins is not too worried about his women’s squad because he knows that, like with both teams, they start a little slow but pick up steam mid-season.
This race is right around that mid-season point so they should start to place higher and close the gaps in between each other.
Maybe a light week this week will give Ohio an opportunity to be fully prepared, which will be needed as this event is known for its high competition.
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