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MU prepares for busy weekend

Senior Justinn Eddie (middle) competes in the 4x100 meter relay Saturday at the Miami Invitational.
Senior Justinn Eddie (middle) competes in the 4x100 meter relay Saturday at the Miami Invitational.

Melissa Maykut, Staff Writer

Senior Justinn Eddie (middle) competes in the 4x100 meter relay Saturday at the Miami Invitational. (CONTRIBUTED BY SCOTT KISSELL)

After a dominating performance at its home invitational April 8 and 9, the Miami University women's track and field team will compete in the All-Ohio Championships at the University of Cincinnati April 15 and 16. Four runners will compete in the Mt. San Antonio College (SAC) Relays in Walnut, Calif.

After winning its home event with 111 points, the women's team is looking forward to building on their momentum.

"There will be some good competition," head coach Kelly Phillips said. "It will be a great opportunity for the team to get ready for some big meets coming up like our conference meet."

Last season, the women's team placed fourth at the All-Ohio Championships with 89 points, while Mid-American Conference foe Kent State University won the meet with 151 points.

Junior Maggie Bingham, who finished second in the 3000-meter steeplechase last year at the event, will not participate in the All-Ohio Championships on Friday. Bingham, juniors Rachel Patterson and Jillian Dickman and senior Katie Lenahan will compete in the Mt. SAC Relays.

Similar to when the throwers split from the team to compete at the Missouri Relays, Phillips wants her four athletes to compete against a stronger field of runners and earn marks for NCAA qualifiers. The top 48 athletes from the East Region and the West Region compete in the NCAA Championships in May. The Mt. SAC Relays gives Miami's four distance runners a chance to get a top 48 mark.

Like its female counterpart, the men's track and field team ran away with the Miami Invitational title last weekend.

While the majority of the team will compete in the All-Ohio Championships, senior Michael McCarty and junior Jordan Goffena will travel to the University of Tennessee to compete in the Sea Ray Relays decathlon.

After a successful performance at the Miami Invitational, the men's team is ready to hit the track and have another powerful weekend.

"The competition should be at a much higher level and the chances of quality weather is better," head coach Warren Mandrell said.

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The rest of the team will compete at the All-Ohio Championships with the majority of the women's team.

The Red and White finished fourth at the meet last year with 79 points, but Mandrell is hoping for a stronger outcome.

"Last year a lot of guys were sick and it just ended up being a down slope after the Miami Invitational," Mandrell said.