Elyria native Mike Inge won’t be competing at the Olympic Track and Field Trials.
After his senior year at Kent State in 2006-07, Inge took six months off from training, but has been putting in the miles since Jan. 1.
Inge was second at the 2007 Mid-American Conference championships in the 800 (1:51.69) and third in the mile (4:07.15). His fastest 800-meter time in ’07 was 1:49.38 at the Sykes-Sabock meet. He red-shirted the ’06 season because of a calf injury.
Inge finished fifth in the second heat of the men’s 800-meter semifinals at the 2004 Trials. He had the fifth-fastest time of the 16 semifinalists with a career-record mark of 1:47.40.
Unfortunately for Inge, only the top four from each semifinal advanced to the finals. He missed out on the final qualifying berth by .04 seconds. His lean at the line just missed stealing a spot from Indiana native Jebrah Harris (1:47.36).
Inge was faster than the four qualifiers from the first heat, including winner Khadevis Robinson (1:47.49).
“I just needed a break after last season,” said Inge, 24. “I’ve been in touch with my former distance coach, Brad Hunt, who is now at the University of Virginia. I’m planning to take a year off from graduate school and move down there in July and train for a year.”
Since earning his undergraduate degree, Inge has worked on his master’s in sports administration at Kent State. He said he might switch graduate programs if things go well Virginia.

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