After three weeks on the road, the Ohio track and field team will be staying in Athens this weekend for the Bobcat Invitational.
There will be six teams from around the area joining the Bobcats, including Mid-American Conference rival Miami, who will be sending their women's team. Men's and women's teams will be competing from Marietta College, Rio Grande, Wilmington College, Wright State and Xavier.
Ohio is hoping to qualify more athletes for the NCAA Regionals. So far the team has one qualifier in Jericka Duncan. There are several athletes on the team that have been close to the mark, and a weekend at home could be just what they need to get that time.
We always hope to have regional qualifiers
coach Clay Calkins said. Trying to hit regional qualifying standards on home turf it's always a possibility.
Sprinter Dan Bailey said that this meet will be a relaxing one for him and the 4x100 relay team that he runs with. Because teammate Chip Cox, who recently signed a free-agent contract with the Detroit Lions, will be at rookie camp, the relay team will probably have to wait until next weekend to produce a qualifying time.
Bailey said that he is still looking forward to the weekend at home and the meets to come.
I'll take it fairly easy this weekend Bailey said. We should have our guys back next weekend and then there's MAC's so it's coming down to the wire.
The invitational is a one-day event beginning at 1 p.m tomorrow. Field events will start off the day with track events beginning at around 3:30 p.m. at Goldsberry Track.
The Bobcats will also be sending eight distance runners and Duncan to the Hillsdale College Relays this weekend.
On the men's side, Austin Schiele, Craig Leon, Bob Wayner and Joe McKinney will go to compete in the 5000-meter race. Brian List will run the steeplechase. Making his first appearance in competition this season is Scott Mayle, who will compete in the long jump.
For the women, Carime Reinhart and Andrea Maas will be representing the Bobcats in the 5000-meter race. Duncan will be competing in the 400-meter hurdles.
Maas said she is excited about the opportunity to run at a meet of this caliber.
It will be exciting to be going there because we haven't gone to any huge meets
Maas said. It's a really prestigious meet. There are a lot of people who are really good. There are even people who have qualified for the Olympics
so it will be exciting.
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