Saturday’s Cherry Blossom Invitational attracted moms, sunshine and solid performances from the Bobcats in their first time competing on the renovated track at Pruitt Field.
Ohio, Bowling Green, Marshall, Toledo, West Virginia and Wright State competed Saturday, and the Bobcats won the meet by winning four of the five dual meets. The Rockets were the lone team to top the Bobcats.
“I think the weather worked out perfect,” coach Clay Calkins said. “Early in the day, we had the 5k, (and) the cooler weather benefited that race … As the day progressed on, we had the two o’clock time frame, it started getting warm, the sun came out and then it started benefitting the sprinters.”
One of the Bobcats to win an individual event was sophomore Krista Roehlig in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 17:42.83.
“It was a little rough with the wind once I started,” Roehlig said, “The temperature was kind of nice for the race.”
And because it was Moms Weekend at Ohio University, it was only fitting that she claimed her first collegiate win with her mother in attendance.
The other Bobcat to win her event was junior Donyelle Brown, who placed first in the hammer throw with a toss of 56.31 meters. Although she set yet another personal record, she is just tenths of a meter shy of the program record. Sophomore Ashlee Bilhimer tossed her way to second place with a mark of 38.57 meters.
“It feels good to be at home.” Brown said. “I’m comfortable, I’m not stressed out, you know, I know where I practice and how I practice here.”
Brown wanted to focus Saturday’s meet by accomplishing her personal goal versus where she placed.
“She’s a talented athlete. (Throwing coach Nick Pero) has been working with her technique and it’s just been showing in all of her performances,” Calkins said.
Senior Melissa Thompson also did not disappoint by finishing third in the 1,500. That was her first time competing since the Mid-American Conference Indoor Championships because of an injury. She finished with a time of 4:33.85 and solidified a spot in the MAC Outdoor Championships.
“It was nice to get to open at my home meet, in front of my parents, my friends and their moms,” Thompson said. “I hit the MAC (automatic qualifier) and I’m feeling pretty good about that and really good about where the rest of the season might go.”
Also returning to competition after being sidelined last weekend was junior Chanda Cucker, who placed fourth in the 100-meter hurdles in 14.70 seconds.
Other notable finishes came from freshmen Tajah Smith and Caitlyn Breeze, who placed in the top 15 in the 200-meter race. Smith finished in 13th place after running in 26.60 seconds and Breeze crossed the finish line in 26.84 seconds to finish 15th.
Junior Morgan Srail had a career day in the pole vault claiming a personal best mark of 3.35 meters. Also, junior Delaney Bolger took third place in the 800 with a time of 2:15.32.
“That’s a huge (personal record) for her this time in the year and I think there’s a lot more room for improvement,” Calkins said. “It’s always good to sleep in your own bed, and you know just roll out and get a normal meal, and be on a normal time schedule, and not have to be on a bus for 5 to 7 hours.”
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