With bigger meets looming, Saturday's trip to the State Farm Games at West Virginia will be a tune-up for the Ohio men's and women's track teams for the following weekend.
We're just trying some different things out this week
training through this meet instead of preparing for it coach Clay Calkins said.
Some members of the team will take a step back from competition this weekend in order to rest for next weekend's All-Ohio Championships.
Women's jumper/hurdler Foli James has consistently finished in the top three in the long jump, high jump and 60-meter hurdles so far this season. Saturday she will run in only the 1,600 relay.
We're just resting her. She's been competing since mid-December so we're going to give her a week off
Calkins said.
Sprinter/hurdler Jericka Duncan will continue in the hurdles Saturday, after running a 9.05-second time last weekend, her first time hurdling this season.
After recovering from a groin injury, Duncan said she is excited to finally be running the event again.
I was concerned about making the nagging injury a lot worse
she said. It's still there
but it's not affecting me in terms of being able to hurdle. My goal is to go in there
do my best
make the finals and hopefully come out with a better time than I did last week. Last week I was in the nines
so hopefully I'll bring it down.
For the men, distance runner Jason Linton said he is eager to run this weekend, despite a bigger meet ahead. Linton will run the 3,200 relay and the mile leg of the distance medley.
We just try to take it one meet at a time
because indoor season is pretty short
he said.
This meet is the fourth meet of the season, and just two more remain after it before the indoor Mid-American Conference Championships.
Ohio will take 25 men and 25 women Saturday to compete against individuals from Robert Morris, Wheeling Jesuit, Duqesne, Pittsburgh, Maryland and West Virginia.
Field events begin at 9:30 a.m. and running events start at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in the Shell Building in Morgantown, W.Va.
