OAC Conference Track Meet

This past weekend, I competed in the OAC Indoor Track and Field Championship Meet at Heidelberg University. 

On Friday, my bus left at 1:45 p.m. and we arrived before 3:00 p.m. I did not run until 7 p.m., so I spent the afternoon cheering on my teammates. I ran the 400-meter leg of the distance medley relay in the final event of the night. We finished in third place and earned a medal with our podium finish. After the relay and cooldown laps, a group returned by van to Ohio Northern University. Once back on campus, I attended a brief team meeting and went to bed. 

Saturday was an early morning. I woke up before 7:00 a.m., made breakfast and prepared for the day. The bus left about an hour later and arrived at the meet at 10 a.m. My race was not until 6:00 p.m., so I spent the day cheering on the polar bears! I also took a nap to conserve my energy. Before my race, one of my teammates braided my hair and helped me put glitter in it. The team spirit for the conference meets is no joke. Every team had color-coordinated glitter, face tattoos and stickers. 

Once again, I competed in the final event of the day- the 4x400 meter relay- running the third leg. After the events concluded, there was an awards ceremony. The ONU women finished second, and the men placed third, both in highly competitive fields. After the awards ceremony ended, we had an ONU team meeting and headed back home. 

Competing in this year’s conference meet was especially rewarding. Battling an injury for most of the season, I was unsure if I was going to compete. To compete at the conference meet, athletes must place in the top 10 in an open event, earn a relay spot or receive one of the 10 per-gender entries that each team receives. I did not automatically qualify for anything, so I had to be given a spot or be placed in a relay. 

I am proud of all my teammates and how they competed this weekend. I am looking forward to the outdoor season and the opportunity to run the 400-meter hurdles!