Cross Country Teams Head to Mid-American Championships
Oct. 26, 2006
Athens, Ohio - After a two-week hiatus, the Ohio men's and women's cross country teams return to action this Saturday where they will compete at the Mid-American Conference championships held in Buffalo, N.Y. With the Ohio women ranked #10 in the Great Lakes Region poll this season, the highest-ranked team in the MAC, they are hoping to capture their ninth MAC Championship crown. Last year the women's squad finished fourth out of 12 teams. The women have dominated the championship meet for a decade, winning eight MAC titles between 1987 and 1997. The biggest competition for the Bobcat women will be last year's champions Akron, #14 Toledo, Ball State and #15 Bowling Green. "There will definitely be a battle between the top five schools for the title," said Head Coach Clay Calkins. "Everyone has to perform on Saturday and you never know how the results will turn out at a championship meet." The talented women's squad, led by senior Andrea Maas, junior Carime Reinhart and sophomore Melissa Horner, are primed for Saturday's competition after having won the All-Ohio Championships, the Mel Brodt Invite and the Green and White Invite this season. Last year at the championships, Reinhart led the Bobcats with a fourth place finish. She was followed by Maas who took home 13th. Horner has had a great showing this season and is expected to round out Ohio's top three. All three women have posted career best's this season. The Ohio men finished third out of nine teams at the MAC Championships last year and their goal is to finish in the top five again this year. The men's squad has won three conference championships in their history, winning a pair of titles in the 1960's. Their most recent title was in 1996.
The biggest competition on the men's side will be the 2005 champions, Eastern Michigan, as well as Central Michigan. "We will see what happens though," said Calkins. You can't count out any team in the men's race." Senior Brian King will lead the young men's squad, which includes sophomore Shamus Eaton and freshman Ridge Robinson. The men's squad heads into the championships with two top-three finishes under their belt this season, including a win at the Green and White Invite. Eaton and King placed 35th and 36th at the championships last year and both have set or tied personal bests this season. Robinson has had a great first-year showing, even taking home a first place finish at the Green and White Invite. The 61st running of the MAC Cross Country Championships kicks off 11 a.m. Saturday, October 28, at the University of Buffalo, in Buffalo, N.Y. |
