David Needs Interview

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn.- Head track and field coach David Needs released the 2023-24 Indoor Track & Field Schedule this afternoon, Dec. 6. 

Carson-Newman track and field is back in action for the 2023-24 indoor season. The season will include five meets before the 2024 South Atlantic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships in late February. 

"Last year was last year, and this year is this year. No matter what people think we are, we have to go out and prove it," head track and field coach David Needs said. 

Carson-Newman men's track was voted third in the 2023-24 SAC Indoor Track & Field Preseason Poll on Monday, Dec. 4, and the women ranked fourth. 

"It's wonderful that people think we have some people left from last year that can contribute. The polls often fall under the order of where you finished last season, so that has a lot to do with it. It's great that we have respect from the South Atlantic Conference and people within the conference, and it's really a testament to the outstanding staff that I have. They understand that our best days are always in front of us," Needs said. "I'm excited about it. I think we have some great athletes who are coming back from last year." 

The Eagles will kick off the season at the Bast-Cregger Invitational hosted by Roanoke College. The two-day meet begins Friday, Dec. 8 at 1:30 p.m. C-N track and field attended the invitational last year to begin the indoor season. The Eagles swept the podium in the women's long jump as Kadidja Sangare finished first with a 5.68-meter leap, a provisional qualifying time for nationals. Sydney McCarty (5.54 meters) and Brooke Taylor (5.29 meters) finished second and third respectively. Sade De Sousa earned a second-place finish in the women's 60-meter dash in 7.43 seconds to provisionally qualify for nationals as well. Both Sangare and De Sousa were listed in the 2023-24 SAC Women's Indoor Athletes to Watch list earlier this week. 

"The emphasis, usually for this meet, will have a lot of athletes come in and do something shorter than they are used to. Then, if you are a sprinter or jumper, you are probably going to run the 4x4. For distance runners, it's the end of cross country and the beginning of track, so there is a transition there," Needs said. "Our emphasis isn't winning the national championships this week because if we are peaking right now, we will be on a long and steady decline. However, we definitely want to make sure we are ready to go this week." 

After the Bast-Cregger Invitational, the Eagles will take a month-long hiatus before attending both the Vanderbilt Invitational and VMI Team Challenge in late January.

"We go this week to Roanoke, but then we take a Christmas break. It's a wonderful time of the year, and we take a break for about three weeks. Then, we will get right back at it again. If we can get back at it and do it the way we need to, one of the great things we can do is go one week on, one week off, " Needs said. "If we get to build that way, we are going to build in a way that we can be successful and really develop." 

The Vanderbilt Invitational is a two-day meet in Nashville, Tenn. beginning Friday, Jan. 19. The Virginia Military Institute will host the VMI Team Challenge on Saturday, Jan. 20 beginning at 10:30 a.m. 

"This year, we're blessed that we were invited to go to Vandy," Needs said. "To be able to go compete against Division I athletes is always our goal."

On the weekend of Friday, Jan. 26, C-N will head to the two-day VMI Invitational at the Corps Physical Training Facility in Lexington, Va. 

The Eagles will travel to VMI for the third time on Friday, Feb. 9 to attend the Winter Classic that will span two days. A group of athletes will also attend the Joe LaRocco Invitational at the Kerr-Cregger Fieldhouse in Salem, Va. for a 10:00 a.m. start time on Saturday, Feb. 10. 

The 2024 SAC Indoor Track and Field Championships will begin Saturday, Feb. 24 and last through Sunday, Feb. 25. The Eagles will travel to the JDL Fast Track in Winston Salem, N.C. for their last chance to qualify for the 2024 NCAA DII Indoor Track & Field Championships. 

"Here's the goal of Carson-Newman and our program. We want to go compete against the very best on the very best surfaces and at the very best times, so that we can achieve the kind of results that get us to the national championships or help us do well at the SAC championships," Needs said. 

The NCAA DII Indoor Track & Field Championships will take place over two days, beginning Friday, Mar. 8 at 10:00 a.m. Those who qualify will head to Pittsburg, Kan. to compete for All-American status. 

The full 2023-2024 indoor track and field schedule can be found below: 

"If we are going to be the program that we think we want to be, we have to, each year, continue to step in the right direction," Needs said. "That's the goal."

Carson-Newman track and field is set to begin the 2023-24 indoor season this Friday, Dec. 8 at the Bast-Cregger Invitational. Stay up to date on cneagles.com.