The Ohio men's and women's swimming and diving teams will compete in their final road dual meets of the season as the men take on conference rival Miami, and the women swim Marshall.
Coach Greg Werner said he expects the Bobcat men (1-4 overall, 0-2 Mid-American Conference) to have a close meet with the RedHawks.
Looking at it on paper
we feel like they have the advantage in six events we have the advantage in six events and then there are four events that are left up in the air he said. It has the makings for a very good meet.
Werner said the Miami meet is always easy for the men to get excited for because of the rivalry and expects the men to perform beyond their expectations.
We expect people to do things that
maybe
they didn't expect themselves to do or that we've seen so far this year
he said. That's what we've seen every year: Someone will do something that will make your jaw drop and as I tell the team
you might as well make it you.
Diving coach Russ Dekker said he is excited to see how Richard Wade compares to RedHawks' divers Peter Donohue and Zach Niehaus, who currently rank first and second on the one-meter diving event in the MAC.
He (Rick) has the talent and the dives
Dekker said. He might surprise them with the improvements he has made this year.
For the Bobcat women (6-1-1 overall, 2-1-1 MAC), this is the first time they will compete at Marshall's Fitch Natatorium.
Marshall, who is in their third year with a women's swimming and diving program, currently has swimmers atop the MAC rankings in five events.
Marshall is a much-improved team
Werner said. We're expecting for this competition to go down to the last relay.
Dekker said he is anxious to see how Ohio's divers match up against the Thundering Herd before next month's conference championships.
Diver Debbie Thornbury, who currently ranks fifth in the one-meter and 11th in the three-meter event in the conference, said she is excited to get back to competition after an unscheduled weekend off.
It's not at our home pool
but I'm sure the team will do great
she said.
The Ohio men renew their rivalry with Miami at 5 p.m. tonight in Oxford, while the women swim Marshall at 1 p.m. Saturday in Huntington, W. Va.
