Ohio track coach Clay Calkins said last week that Saturday's State Farm Games at West Virginia would be a meet for the Bobcats to train through as they prepare for next week's All-Ohio Championships.
Apparently though, one can practice and win at the same time.
Sprinter/jumper Scott Mayle proved this Saturday, winning three events, as the men's and women's track teams brought home a slew of top-three finishes to use as momentum for next week.
Mayle jumped an indoor personal best (24 feet 7 3/4 inches) in the long jump and tacked on wins in the 60-meter dash (6.91 seconds) and the 200 (21.94).
Ohio took three of the top four places in the 60, with Dan Bailey (7.02) finishing immediately behind Mayle and Chip Cox placing fourth (7.07). It was Cox's first meet of the season, and Mayle said he liked having a group of strong sprinters to run with.
It will help in getting each other faster in practice
and it will help the team out in points he said. Hopefully during outdoor season it will help in the 4x100.
Bailey added another runner-up finish to his day in the 400, with a time of 50.17. Jumpers Jeremy Keesee and Chad Lutz finished second and third, respectively, in the high jump, reaching 6'6 and 6'2. Distance runner Tim Sykes placed third in the 3,000, with a time of 8:58.72. The men's distance medley team finished first of three squads, with a time of 10:50.59.
On the women's side, sprinter/hurdler Jericka Duncan paced the team with solid finishes in three events. She took second in the 200 (26.15), third in the 55-meter hurdles (8.16) and fourth in the 60 (7.99). Duncan said she feels confident going into the All-Ohio next week.
I'm getting back into the swing of things she said. I'm able to realize what I'm doing wrong and fix it. We use these meets to prepare for the big championship meets.
Thrower Ruth Sharp placed third in the shot put with a personal-best throw of 41'10 1/2. Sprinter/jumper/hurdler Foli James sat out the hurdles this week and was a late addition to the long jump and high jump
but she competed well nonetheless. She placed second in the long jump (18'1 1/2) and third in the high jump (5'3 3/4). Monique Taylor placed second in the triple jump (37' 5 1/4), and Jenn Maas finished fourth in the 200 (26.65).
Duncan, James, Taylor and Maas combined for second place in the 1600 relay (4:02.13), as well.
Calkins said the relay team's improved time showed the importance of having a smaller meet before a large championship meet.
It was a lower-key meet
but we don't want a high-caliber meet every week
he said. This was sort of a touch-up meet before next week
and it was a good springboard for some people.
The Bobcats' next meet is Saturday at the All-Ohio Championships at Findlay
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Joe Rominiecki
