For most, the upcoming weeks will bring the excitement of warming temperatures and the triumphant return to the outdoors. But the Ohio track and field team was looking forward to getting outside long before the majority.
The Bobcats finished fourth at the 10th annual Southern Cup Invitational, hosted by Miami in Oxford this weekend, with a team total of 97 points. Even without his full squad, coach Clay Calkins liked what he saw in the outdoor opener.
We were pretty thin volume-wise coming off the break
Calkins said. Depth got us good performances and it's good preparation going to Duke next week.
The Bobcats' indoor season ended in disappointing fashion with an 11th-place finish at the Mid-American Conference Championships earlier this month. Calkins admittedly wasn't happy with the conclusion of the indoor campaign, and made it clear to his team that the outdoor season would be different. Outdoor practice began two days after the MAC Championships.
Thrower Bahiyjaui Allen, arguably the Bobcats' most consistent performer during the indoor season, took first in the shot put, fifth in the hammer throw and seventh in the discus throw competition. Jessie Tanner and Emily Amendola also had top-three finishes in throw competitions.
(Allen) was great and she had a regional qualifiying mark which is good to get out of the way early
Calkins said. It's definitely an advantage for her now to be able to train outside ' it hurts not having an indoor facility.
We made a commitment to getting good throwers here
and they're going to keep improving.
Ohio's distance runners also turned in respectable marks, and the most notable was the 4x100 team of Lauren Moore, Melissa Wiley, Chanelle Harmon and Shareyna Spears, who took second place. Harmon also took fifth place in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes.
The sprinters really came through without a lot of practice
Calkins said. Practices are going to be more full-fledged this week
so they can improve even more in the coming weeks.
Cincinnati won the Cup with a team total of 239 points, followed by Miami at 175.
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