March 23, 2006

ATHENS, Ohio - Following a one-month layoff, the Ohio men's and women's track and field teams will open the 2006 outdoor season by competing in the Cape Fear Classic and sending a few individuals to the Raleigh Relays on Friday and Saturday in Wilmington, N.C. and Raleigh, N.C., respectively.

The Bobcats return to Wilmington after finishing third in the women's division and fourth on the men's side out of nine schools last year. In 2005, Rachael Diehl (Lancaster) won the pole vault, and Carime Reinhart (Bascom) took first in 10,000-meter race. Tamara Fennell (Cincinnati) finished with 25 points total at the Cape Fear Classic. She took first in the triple jump, third in the long jump, third in the 100m and sixth in the 200m.

This year, Ohio and 10 other schools, including Winthrop and Robert Morris, will compete with host-school UNC-Wilmington at the Harold Greene Track and Field Complex.

Dan Bailey (Uniontown), Jeremy Keesee (Marysville), Brian King (Richfield, Minn.), Jason Linton (Vincent), Austin Schiele (Hudson) and John Willis (Troy) will represent the men at the Raleigh Relays. Reinhart, Jaclyn Lugaila (Waterford, Pa.), Andrea Maas (Cincinnati), Susan Plungis (Great Barrington, Mass.) and Chelsea Stephan (Brookville) will participate on the women's side. The Bobcats and athletes from close to 90 schools will compete at North Carolina State's Paul Derr Track.

While Ohio spent the entire indoor season on the road, it will spend a good portion of the outdoor season in Athens. The Bobcats will play host to three events this season, beginning with the Ohio Invitational (March 31-April 1).

Following the Ohio Invitational, the Bobcats will head to Miami on April 8 before coming back home for the Bobcat Invitational (April 15). Next, Ohio will attend the Southern Cup (April 22) in Cincinnati and the Hillsdale Relays (April 27-29) in Hillsdale, Mich. Before the Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championships (May 11-13) in Toledo, Goldsberry Track will be used as a tune-up on May 5 in the Ohio Open.

Admission is free to all Ohio home track and field competitions at Goldsberry Track.