Spring is officially here and so is the start of Ohio’s outdoor track season.
The Bobcats will head south to Winston-Salem, N.C. for the Wake Forest Open this weekend as they make their transition from the indoor to outdoor season, and coach Clay Calkins is looking forward to making the move outside.
“We were able to get some solid training in,” Calkins said. “With the lack of ice and uneven ground, we were able to avoid injury and get out on the track surface.”
Calkins said there will be tough competition but still has high expectations from the sprinters, jumpers, throwers and distance runners.
With three weeks of preparation since the end of the indoor season, the Bobcats’ training has been successful.
“With all of the athletes here (during spring break) we were able to keep (them) on task and get some good team-building as well as training,” Calkins said.
Hopefully some of those team-building skills are put to the track this weekend, as Calkins hopes to see some familiar names keep their reputation high from indoor to outdoor this year.
Calkins expects senior Melissa Thompson, junior Donyelle Brown and sophomore Caroline Hildebrand to carry the reigns in the outdoor season as they did for the indoor season. After a great finish to a senior year in indoor track, Thompson finished top 3 with a 4:53.23 mark.
Along with Thompson, sophomore thrower Chanda Cuckler is another Bobcat that has the eyes of Calkins.
“Chanda Cuckler is great,” Calkins said. “She is better in outdoor than indoor.”
Juli Accurso, who is recovering from an injury, will also be back with full-health for the Bobcats, who have high all-around hopes for solid performances this weekend.
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