JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn.- Carson-Newman track and field is headed to open the outdoor season at the LR Bears Opener in Hickory, N.C. this Saturday, Mar. 16 at 10:00 a.m.
"We are excited for the opportunity to go compete at Lenoir-Rhyne," head track and field coach David Needs said. "We have always been a team has done well in outdoor, so we are looking forward to what this season holds".
The Eagles will compete this weekend, Mar. 16, at the LR Bears Open. The meet is set to take place at the Irwin Track at Moretz Sports Athletic Campus in Hickory, N.C. Field events will begin at 10:00 a.m. with running events starting at 11:30 a.m. The full meet schedule can be found HERE.
"We are taking a limited group this week to get things started," Needs said. "To have some throwers get to do events like the hammer and javelin as well as some athletes do events like the 400 hurdles and the steeplechase is really exciting. Those athletes have waited all year to compete".
The Eagles will compete in six weekends of competition before the 2024 SAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships beginning Wednesday, May 1. The championships will be held in Hickory, N.C. on the same track that C-N will compete on during this Saturday's outdoor debut.
"We know this is an excellent preview of the track that will host our conference championship," Needs said. "We always look for opportunities to prepare for those big moments later in the season".
C-N track is coming off a successful indoor season. The Eagles placed third and fourth at the 2024 South Atlantic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships in Winston-Salem, N.C. Carson-Newman women's track and field left the conference championships in third place with 68 total points. Wingate won with 207 points, and Lenoir-Rhyne finished second wtih 131 points. The men's team placed fifth overall with 49.5 points. Wingate, Lenoir-Rhyne, Tusculum, and Anderson finished first through fourth respectively.
Along with conference-level success, two Eagles were invited to the 2024 NCAA DII Indoor Track & Field Championships. Sade De Sousa placed fifth in the women's 60-meter dash finals in 7.39 seconds at the national meet to collect First Team All-American honors. Kadidja Sangare competed in the women's long jump. She qualified for the finals and finished eighth in the event with a 5.93-meter leap. Sangare became the 59th All-American for Carson-Newman track and field since 2015 with her performance.
"The indoor season was strong," Needs said. "Our goal is to continue to gain momentum as we head forward into outdoor competition".
Carson-Newman track and field will compete tomorrow, Mar. 16, at the LR Bear Opener in Hickory, N.C. Stay up to date on cneagles.com.
