The men's track and field team has been preparing for this weekend all season long, and now the Mid-American Conference Championships are upon it. The single most important meet in the indoor season will be held this Friday and Saturday and will be hosted by Kent State University.
The Cardinals hope to accomplish several things at the meet, but their main goal is simply to win.
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"Our first goal is to place as high as we possibly can and do the best job we are capable of doing," head coach Jim Sprecher said. "The task is pretty obvious, just a matter of how things play out."
Ball State will encounter a possible obstacle in being victorious at the Championships. The Cardinals are bringing 14 freshmen to the meet, meaning over half of BSU's athletes at the MAC Championships will be making their first appearance there.
"Probably the task that faces this particular team is that over half the guys going to this meet will be their first MAC Championships," Sprecher said. "so we will be going into it a little inexperienced this year."
Ball State will be counting on its leaders such as pole vaulter Paul Panning, who has taken the top spot in all but one meet. Others include high jumper Ben Daniel, long jumper Victor Johnson as well as runners Steve Schilling and Scott Allen.
Another notable contributor is Deighton Jarrett, who sat out for most of the season after suffering an ankle injury in the first meet.
"What is going to have to happen is those guys that we have been depending on all year such as Panning, Daniel, Johnson, Schilling, Jarrett and Allen," Sprecher said. "It's going to fall square on their shoulders, and those 14 freshmen are going to have to steal a point here or there."
One strong point for the Cardinals has been their performance in the field events, and they will be relying on high finishes in those events this weekend at the MAC Championships. Relay teams such as the distance medley and the 1,600-meter relay have also been a high point for the Cards this year.
Running in the distance medley this weekend for Ball State include: Brian Runyon (1,200 leg), Jacob Turner (400 leg), Jesse Davis (800 leg) and Schilling (mile leg).
The first leg on the 1,600-meter relay team will be Patrick Bush, followed by Shannon Grady, Jameson Barber and anchored by Allen.
"Our relays are capable of scoring pretty high, and we need those relays to come through," Sprecher said.
Friday's events will include several crucial trials in which Ball is going to have to do well in order to qualify for Saturday's final. The meet will conclude the indoor season for all athletes not participating in the NCAA qualifying meet.
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