Ohio coach Clay Calkins singled out Akron and Western Michigan as serious contenders for this year's Mid-American Conference title earlier this week.
He was right, but this time it wasn't even close.
The Zips won the conference championship for the fourth consecutive year in dominating fashion, finishing 55 points better than second-place Western Michigan. The Bobcats scored 43 team points, landing them in seventh place.
The big guns for the Bobcats were the only group able to get anything going throughout the weekend. Throwers Emily Amendola, Bahiyjaui Allen and Jessie Tanner, along with runner Carime Reinhart, supplied 34 of Ohio's 43 points.
It's pretty amazing
if you think about it Amendola said. I wouldn't say that it hurt us really
but we were really lacking in some areas.
We didn't have our full distance squad, so considering that, I think where we finished was pretty good.
Reinhart led the charge for the Bobcats
placing third in the 10
000-meters on Thursday. She followed with a fourth-place finish in the 5
000-meters Saturday and was the top point-getter among Ohio runners.
I felt like I ran great races in both events, Reinhart said. (Distance coach Mitch Bentley) does predictions for us before each race, and I did better than we expected.
The 5
000-meters was my last race (at Ohio) and I was really pleased with my performance.
The throwing trio each turned in two places over the weekend, starting with Allen's new school record in the shot put Friday. Her new record replaces the mark she set two weeks ago at the Green and White Invite, and earned second-place honors for the toss.
Amendola, last week's Field Athlete of the Week in the MAC, followed another solid performance at the Ohio Open with a fifth place in the hammer throw Thursday, and an eighth-place finish in the shot put Friday.
I did OK
I was good in some areas and lacking in other areas
Amendola said.-
though
