The Bobcats have lost runners on both the men’s and women’s sides, but the coaches feel strongly that what they have will lead Ohio to success.
With big holes to fill in both its men’s and women's teams, Ohio will begin its season this weekend at the Dayton Flyer, in Kettering, Ohio.
The race is a 5K, so the coaches are using this weekend as an opportunity to get a good look at what they have in terms of their young runners, as well as how conditioned they are early in the season.
The men’s side, who are picked to finish sixth in the Mid-American Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, are dealing with the difficulties of trying to replace three graduated runners that helped them place fifth in the MAC championships last year.
Coach Clay Calkins, and the new assistant coach Tim Sykes, say that junior Michael McKean, along with the new freshman class, is impressive enough to fill the void.
“I think the freshmen are gonna do really well. Especially our two key guys Zach Zimmerman and Kyle Bussard," Calkins said. "Those guys have really stepped in, and I think they’re gonna do well."
Skyles said Zimmerman and Bussard could help lead the Bobcats to a "breakout season."
“(Zimmerman)'s physically talented. You can tell that right off the bat. His bio mechanics and his stride are awesome," Skyles said. "He just has a world of potential, and I think between him and Bussard, who had a breakout track season and placed well at state track meet, they’re poised to do well here."
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While Calkins is optimistic on relying on his freshmen, he acknowledged that they have a lot to learn.
“It’s an especially tough transition for men from high school to college just because of the distances. They go from running 5K to 8K, and even 10K, as they get deeper into the season," Calkins said. "So, it can be a transitional year and a building year for them."
One of the bright spots for the men Bobcats this year is that Calkins has a little more help this year in the form of Sykes, who has coached All-American runners at Virginia Tech and the Virginia Military Institute.
Team captain Kayla Scott said the addition of Sykes helps Calkins because the Bobcats can now individualize their training for the first time now that Calkins can focus more on making sure everyone is doing what they need to instead of planning workouts.
Both coaches believe in old fashioned hard work, or as Sykes put it: “The gist of it all is it boils down to the same principles that applied 50 years ago or 75 years ago, which is busting your hind end.”
As this weekend goes, Calkins said “a good chunk of” the mens runners will be racing this weekend, but not all, because the Bobcats don't want to race too many runners early in the year.
Meanwhile, the women’s team is trying to fill the void left by one of their fastest runners, Scott, who tore her ACL last spring while competing in the 3000-meter Steeplechase event.
Even though Scott is going to be sidelined for most of the season, if not the entire season, she is determined to continue to make her presence known.
“She’s with the team on a daily basis, and everybody knows that she’s doing her best to come back as quick as possible," Calkins said. "She’s been great at still being a great leader on the team."
Skyles agreed with Calkins' statement.
“She’s a fantastic team leader even without actively running right now," Skyles said. "She really organizes them, gets them where they need to be, and inspires and motivates them."
The coaches have a big challenge ahead of them, not only with replacing Scott, improving on the Bobcats' 10th place finish in the MAC Championships last year. Without Scott, they have been picked to finish in that same spot again in the preseason MAC coach’s poll.
Similar to the men's side, the coaches cited a large amount of depth for their optimism for the women’s side. Calkins said the combination of the talented freshmen and the eight seniors on this year’s team has the makings to surprise some people.
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