Individually, the Bobcats shined in a few events but placed ninth as a team during Friday and Saturday’s Mid-American Conference Championships in Akron.
“We were capable of doing better,” Ohio coach Clay Calkins said. “Whenever you have the capability of doing better, I think we haven’t fulfilled our entire potential.”
Friday’s biggest highlight was the distance medley relay team. Sophomores Melissa Thompson and Juli Accurso, senior Hope McCarty and junior Kiley Mathews set a new MAC meet record by 2.16 seconds with a time of 11 minutes and 33.39 seconds. The Bobcats defended their title from last year’s championships and broke Miami’s MAC meet mark that set the pace for the past 15 years.
“I was pretty confident that we would place really well in the (distance medley relay) just because the team our coach put together was so solid, so strong,” Accurso said. “From the excitement and knowing that each one of us put in really good training, I was pretty confident that we could defend our title as DMR champs.”
On the same day, three Bobcats finished in the top 10 for the 5,000-meter run. Sophomore Emily Pifer placed sixth with a personal-record time of 17 minutes, 20.66 seconds. Freshman Morgan Reichert also set a personal record to finish eighth while sophomore Allison Stillwell took 10th with a season-best time.
The Bobcats had two more top-10 finishes: Junior Alexis Geiger leaped a season-best 5.58 meters to take ninth in the long jump; junior Kristen Mason finished 10th in the weight throw with a toss of 16.20 meters.
After the first day of competition, the Bobcats were sitting in eighth place.
For the second day, Accurso took the stage after she won the 3,000-meter race and placed second in the mile. With a time of 9 minutes, 33.46 seconds in the 3,000 meter, she finished a full 15 seconds ahead of her nearest competition.
The Bobcats also gained points from Thompson, who finished fifth in the mile, and Pifer, who finished eighth with a personal record in the 3,000-meter run.
When the meet concluded, four Bobcats were named to the 2012 Women’s Indoor Track and Field All-MAC Team — all of whom ran the DMR.
The Bobcats found their biggest accomplishments in the distance events, but Calkins said there were some missed opportunities in other events.
In the high jump and long jump, Geiger and freshman Chanda Cuckler were centimeters away from placing and gaining points for the team, a trend for other events as well.
When the meet concluded, the Bobcats were one point behind Akron for eighth place, and Calkins said the team had a shot at seventh if certain marks came through.
“We have a young squad. I’m not putting the blame on the athletes that didn’t score any points. It’s just a matter of fact when you’re dealing with freshmen and sophomores,” Calkins said. “It’s tough. It’s a tall order for them to come to their first MAC meet and try to perform at that level.”
Calkins added that this meet bodes well moving into the outdoor season because the young squad has a MAC meet under its belt.
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