Ohio coach Christi Smith will return to her alma mater this weekend with the Ohio indoor track and field team.
The Bobcats will travel to Akron for their first of two meets there during the next two weeks. They will be participating in the Akron Open Saturday and the All-Ohio Open on Feb. 12.
Smith said she is excited to return to Akron, but the meet will be bittersweet for her.
Going back is a little bit different now
she said. They have their wonderful wonderful 300-meter facility which is great but it's almost a little scary going back in. Just because I'm competing against my coach in a different way now
it's coach against coach now. It's kind of bittersweet a little bit. I miss the place
but it's going to be good going in with a different approach to competition.
Coach Clay Calkins said he is excited to see the facility Akron has. He also said that running on the track once before the All-Ohio will help the team.
I'm interested in seeing this track Mecca that they have up there
he said. I think it's always beneficial for a team to see the track once before they run on it.
Graduate assistant Justin Kempe said he thinks the team will be running to get its best marks on Saturday.
There are going to be a lot less teams and competitors than there were last week
Kempe said. There will be a lot less confusion. We will hopefully get some better marks going into the All-Ohio.
There won't be as many teams
Calkins said. Akron will be there so we will get some MAC competition in.
Smith said she thinks the team is ready for the kind of competition that will be presented at the meet.
I look at it
and I think our group
at this point in the season -we're ready for some competition
Smith said. Akron will definitely give their all. Plus it's the opportunity for our group to see another MAC school
