On a cold, windy day with a temperature just above freezing, Ohio coach Clay Calkins stood on the track packed in a thick winter coat, hat and gloves, while his athletes ran around a track that had just recently been cleared of snow.
The picture is not unusual. Lacking an indoor facility, the Bobcats have practiced outside during the winter for years.
In theory, this problem should be solved by next season, as Ohio University Vice President for Student Affairs Ryan Lombardi said the multipurpose center is supposed to be finished by the end of 2013, though he admitted the timeline is “aggressive.”
However, the multipurpose center’s indoor track — with four lanes rather than the minimum of six — will not meet NCAA regulations, and Ohio won’t be able to host meets.
With more snowfall and cold temperatures easing their way through the Hocking Hills, Calkins said his team currently faces a major disadvantage in its outdoor season in comparison to other Mid-American Conference teams.
“If it’s below freezing, you are in The Convocation or Aquatic Center,” Calkins said. “But there’s no place to long jump or high jump indoors. I don’t think we have an advantage over every other Mid-American Conference team, because we have been practicing outdoors all winter long.”
The Bobcats did not place better than seventh in the past eight MAC Indoor Championships and only placed once within the Top Five at the MAC Outdoor Championships in the past seven years.
“The other teams have been getting quality practice in through January, February and March,” Calkins said.
Akron and Kent State have had state-of-the art indoor facilities for years and both are able to constantly place within the top half of the MAC. Both schools’ facilities meet NCAA regulations for hosting meets.
Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan and Central Michigan regularly host the MAC Indoor Championships, Calkins said.
“If it is as cold as it is today, it is apprehensive to do full-fledged jumps or full-fledged high jump,” Calkins said. “(Other teams) can get all of that full-fledged stuff indoors.”
The $12.5 million multipurpose facility is scheduled to break ground in April, according to a previous Post article.
Ohio Athletics raised the $11 million necessary to construct the multipurpose center without a track. The remaining $1.5 million from the General Fee will finance the track, according to the article.
The decision to pledge General Fee money to finance the track was based on student opinion, said Chad Mitchell, OU budget director, in a previous interview with The Post.
Neither Calkins nor the track and field team drove the proposal to include a track, Calkins said.
Still, Calkins said he sees the multipurpose center as an asset to his team, though it won’t be used to host meets.
“It is going to benefit almost 70 athletes just in track and cross country,” he said. “We can do a better job placing in the top half of the conference once the facility is online.”
The multipurpose center will not only aid MAC placements, but will also help athletes avoid injuries.
“We can throw indoors in the indoor tennis facility, but that is concrete, and you get some lower leg issues and injuries,” Calkins said. “We try to prevent injury at all cost and modify practicing in (The Convo) and on concrete.”
This season, however, Ohio still has to make the best out of its current situation. With no designated indoor throwing spot, the Bobcats must set up and tear down their temporary training locations.
“All that time you could be spend practicing if you have a designated place,” Calkins said, adding that his pole vaulting group needs an hour every day to set up and tear down the vaulting setup. “Every time you want to have practice, that’s a huge chunk of time you could be practicing. It is the biggest thing for coaches and athletes, having a spot that you don’t have to set up on a daily basis.”
— Jim Ryan contributed to this article.
am794811@ohiou.edu
