Ohio will divide itself this weekend, while hoping history will repeat itself at both meets.
This weekend is a split squad situation. The throwers will be going to Ashland, Ohio, for the Ashland Alumni Open, and the rest of the team will be going to the Hillsdale Relays in Hillsdale, Mich.
Last weekend, Annie Beecham won the 500-meter run and shaved seven seconds off her time. Kari Summers cut 34 seconds off her personal record.
“Hopefully, distance (runners) can replicate what they did at the Jesse Owens Classic,” coach Clay Calkins said.
With the Mid-American Conference championship meet two weeks away, coach Calkins wants times to keep going down and said that, with the weather looking like it will cooperate, the opportunity for times to drop is possible.
He added that the 4x400 meter relay team’s time has continued to go down, also.
Calkins said this weekend has usually been successful in past years. Although no team scores are kept at this meet, five marks that were set at this meet were some of the top times for the Bobcats in 2010.
Beecham, Christen Bosch, Jenielle Hunt, Alexis Geiger and Sharon Gase set those marks. The year before, the 4x100 and 4x400 meter relays finished in the top five and set new records for the program.
In Ashland, Calkins hopes a trend will continue.
“We have a young squad, but this meet has showcased throwers quite well,” Calkins said.
After being a source of points for the Bobcats, the jumpers have not duplicated the success, but not because of poor performances. The group has been riddled with injuries.
Calkins said that Geiger, one of his best jumpers, has a stress fracture and is out for the rest of the season. He is hoping that another of his best jumpers, Shareyna Spears, will be back for the conference championships.
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