Ohio women's hurdler Jericka Duncan ran a personal-best time in the 60-meter hurdle preliminaries at the All-Ohio Championships last weekend. Then she fell in the finals.
I was in a heat with the fastest girls in our conference
she said, sporting a large scrape on her lower left leg. I knew that I had to get out so I just went out with reckless abandon. I wasn't afraid to attack the hurdle. I got out of the blocks and I ended up stumbling out of them. I clipped the first hurdle and I went on and tried to regain my form and then after that I tripped over the second hurdle.
This Saturday at the Scarlet and Gray Invitational at Ohio State, Duncan will try to put that race behind her. She is penciled in to run the hurdles but will sit out from the 200 and 400. Some of Ohio's top athletes are either sitting out or cutting back on competition Saturday in order to rest for next week's Mid-American Championships.
This is a great meet for everyone to try and improve right before the MAC meet Duncan said. In terms of what they've done with me
I think they've kind of eased back
just because we are going into MACs.
Ohio coach Clay Calkins called Saturday's meet a touch-up meet.
We're resting a lot of people
he said. Some of the people that have been traveling to every meet
some of our key components for the team
are going to take it a little easier this week getting ready for the MAC meet.
Sprinter Dan Bailey is tabbed to run four events next week, so Calkins scheduled him to run only the 60-meter dash this Saturday.
It's kind of a tapering off almost
so everybody can be fresh
make sure there's no bumps and bruises or soreness going into that week
Bailey said. We'll get a good couple days of training and be prepared for the MAC Championships.
Running just the 60 will give Bailey a more relaxed day.
The 60 doesn't put as much stress on the body as the 400
