The Bobcats will take on more than 65 teams at the Jesse Owens Track Classic Friday and Saturday at Ohio State. Among many Big 10 and Big East teams competing this weekend, four Mid-American Conference teams, Bowling Green, Miami, Eastern Michigan and Toledo, will join Ohio at the event. Teams from as far as Australia will compete, as well.
Before competing this weekend, all athletes needed certain qualifying marks to register for the meet. Most of Ohio’s sprints, jumpers and throws athletes will compete with only a handful of distance runners.
At the halfway mark of the outdoor season, top athletes are chasing after results to qualify for 2012 NCAA Division I East Outdoor Qualifier List.
As of right now, Emily Pifer has the best shot to represent Ohio in the 10,000-meter run, currently ranked 46th in the event. Morgan Reichert follows behind Pifer in 66th place.
Melissa Thompson ranks 70th in the 3,000-meter steeple.
Pifer is questionable for this weekend’s meet with her shins bothering her but Reichert and Thompson will compete.
“It’s not a traditional meet,” distance coach Mitch Bentley said. “At meets like this, there are no team scores, so schools don’t worry about beating each other. They are more worried about improving individual marks.”
Looking for some solid throws in the javelin, shot put, and hammer throws, coach Nick Pero said that it will be tough to place in the top 10 of the field events because of the high competition level. Unattached participants who are post-collegiate athletes training for the Olympics trails also up the level of competition.
“It’s going to be top-level competition with high-caliber athletes and top schools,” head coach Clay Calkins said. “It’s an exciting meet to go to. It prepares the athletes because it puts them in a completion level that’s higher than their typical meets.”
Ohio is looking not only for improved marks this weekend but also for this meet to help prepare them for the All-Ohio Championships at Miami University next weekend and then the MAC Championships nearly a month away.
QUICK STATS
Jesse Owens Track Classic
More than 35 teams (5 MAC teams) to compete
Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, Ohio State
Friday and Saturday
nb155607@ohiou.edu
