After sweeping the Marietta Open this past weekend, the Bobcats' indoor track and field team travel to the Ohio State Invitational on Saturday.
Ohio, utilizing an infusion of new talent and veteran leadership, looks to continue their success in the 14-team meet.
Coach Clay Calkins said that two athletes in particular have performed beyond my expectations as freshmen. Anthony Lyons for the men's team placed third in the shot put last weekend, adding to his fifth-place finish in the opening meet, while Melissa Wiley took first place in the 55-meter hurdles and third in the 200-meter dash for the Bobcat women in Marietta.
In addition, Chanelle Harmon and Jordan Sharpe have been contributing freshmen. Sharpe has already notched second- and third-place finishes in the high jump for the Bobcat men, while Harmon has been key the women's sprints.
While the youth movement is being served in Athens, the veterans continue to lead the team, Calkins said.
The upper class is such a key component
Calkins said. They hold the team together; they are really a bonding agent. The younger people look to them for leadership skills and work ethic.
With first-place finishes in 15 events last week and two meets under their collective belt, the Bobcats are back in the swing of things.
We're expecting some good things out of the short sprints jumps and throws both on the men's and women's side
Calkins said. We just want to keep improving; that's our focus this time of year.
Sprinters Harmon and Tamara Fennell, with a combined 33 points last meet, will lead the Ohio women.
As far as the MAC conference goes
all the events are competitive
but the sprints have been really competitive
Fennell said. Our performance is instrumental. We can get some points in there in five or six sprint events; it's really important.
The men will continue to be led by Scott Mayle, who won three events in Marietta. Jeremy Keesee will look to extend his run of top-three finishes in the high jump.
The meet will be essential in the continued development of the team, as the bigger meets draw closer, sprinter Dan Bailey said.
We're looking to try and tune things up and get ready for Central Collegiate (Championships)
Bailey said. This is the strongest team since I've been here
and I'm a junior. Each year we've been getting a lot better
and I'm excited about this year and next.
The meet starts at noon Saturday in OSU's French Field House.
