JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - Coach David Needs' track & field program will return to Johnson City, Tenn. for the second time in three weeks when they compete in the Buccaneer Invitational at East Tennessee State University on Feb. 1-2. The first events on Friday are slated to begin at 11:00 a.m. from the David E. Walker Track at Gentry Field.
Carson-Newman competed in the ETSU Invitational in a two-day meet from Jan. 11-12 where Jahvad McDermott broke a school record in the triple jump and won the event at 14.73 meters.
"You look at conference just around the corner this meet could be possibly be one of our most important yet," Needs said. "You also look at it in a conference standpoint and a national standpoint. Our conference moved the championships to the last possible weekend to qualify for NCAA's. There aren't a lot of meets because team's are getting into their conference swing and there's not many meets left for team's after this weekend. This is you last chance to affect where you're at for conference.
"There's obviously the sense of familiarity with ETSU and a lot of conference opponents there. It's an easy trip for us. There's not that sense of rush and from that, there's not much nervousness but weather played a factor this week. Coach Tyler Stepp is such an amazing coach with our field events people because they don't have the ability to get in the sand. For him to maximize and be creative with what we have done in those events shows the quality of the coach he is."
A week ago, the Eagles competed in the Finn Pincus Invitational in Salem, Va. at Roanoke College which was another facility the team has been at twice during the 2018-19 indoor campaign.
C-N claimed a total of five victories in five events with Luke Greer leading the way recording two in the 800-meter and mile runs breaking school records in both. Greer was named the South Atlantic Conference Field Athlete of the Week on Tuesday, Jan. 29.
The men's and women's programs in Mossy Creek both cracked the top-15 in the latest USTFCCCA Southeast Region rankings with the men's side leading the way at No. 5 and the women checking in at No. 14.
"That's a big deal for us at this point in the season especially since we don't have a few of our big point getters," Needs said. "You have Jahvad and James Wilson in the top-10 in the triple jump and you have a few others that are pushing up in the national rankings so to see us up there with the best is fantastic."
Five SAC teams sit ahead of the women in the region with Catawba No. 12 and Tusculum at No. 8, trailing the addition three programs of No. 5 Wingate, No. 3 Lenoir-Rhyne, and No. 2 Queens.
Ahead of the Eagles for the men's group sits the Bears at No. 3 and the Royals holding the top spot.
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