The snow falling outside Ohio track coach Elmore Banton's office window doesn't make him happy.

"In track, your goal is to peak at the end of the season," he said. "You do certain things each week to get to that point. Every day we have bad weather, we fall further behind.

"Yesterday, we had a snowball fight as part of practice. Other schools, besides Marshall and us, have indoor facilities. We do what we can with the weather."

The weather isn't the only thing bringing Banton down. The women's team faces several questions as it prepares to open the outdoor track season March 20 at home against Cincinnati. The most pressing is the status of two-time All-American and four-time Mid-American Conference Champion Jackie Conrad, who is hampered by a back injury.

"We don't know if we should red-shirt her or not," Banton said. "That's the biggest question mark."

Heather Halderman, one of the top cross-country runners during the fall, has starting running again now that a stress fracture in her right ankle has healed. She isn't working out with the team yet, and Banton also worries whether she will be back in shape before mid-season.

Traditionally one of the team's strong points, the throwing events are also doubtful for Ohio. The Bobcats enter the outdoor season with only one established thrower, Monique Okorie, on the team. Juli Algire, who has placed in the MAC Championships every year, is out for the season after knee surgery.

Ohio does have some good news. Melissa Converse and Tisha Franklin had record-setting indoor years. Converse broke her mark in the mile several times. Franklin set new records in the 200-meter and 60-meter events. Both should be successful as they move into the outdoor season.

The team has a strong freshman class that will contribute in the jumping events, one of Ohio's weak spots last year.

Melody Royster, Kellie Griffin, Heather Moore, Michelle Borsz and Martine Ward will compete in the jump events. Royster and Griffin also will run the hurdles, an area that could turn into one of the Bobcats' strengths depending on the their maturity and development during the outdoor season, Banton said.

Sprinting and middle-distance events will be the team's main strength if everyone is healthy.

"Tisha Franklin, Najah McFarland, Tommi Crowley, Sarah Yeager and Carrie Bayless are an awfully strong group of sprinters," Banton said. "That's the area where we've got some depth. Our relays should be outstanding and our 100-, 200- and 400-meter (events) should be outstanding."

With Jacki Waller, who Banton said is coming off a strong indoor season, and a healthy Converse, Conrad and Halderman, Ohio has a potentially successful middle-distance line-up.

With so many questions, it's hard to predict where the team will finish in the MAC.

"It's hard to say where we'll finish," Converse said. "We're not sure if Jackie's coming back, and we're not sure about Heather. It depends on that. I know we finished eighth in indoor, and in outdoor we always catch a couple teams. Maybe fourth or anywhere in that area."

Bowling Green should be the strongest team in the outdoor season, as it was in the indoor MAC Championships. The Falcons, like the Bobcats, usually get better in the spring. Bowling Green's closet competitor in the indoor season, Ball State, probably won't improve much because the Cardinals lack the numbers to fill the events, Banton said.