JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn.- Carson-Newman track and field is headed to the UT Invite in Knoxville, Tenn. and Lee Fast Break Athletics Invitational in Cleveland, Tenn. for a split weekend of competition beginning Friday, April 5.
"All of us needed a break, so last week was appreciated," head track and field coach David Needs said. "The goal now, this week, is to get way more people to nationals".
The UT Invite will begin tomorrow, April 5 at 9:00 a.m. at the Tom Black Track at LaPorte Stadium. Entry to the meet will be free, and live results can be found HERE.
"The kids who grew up in East Tennesse and in the United States will say that this is great and are excited and in awe to go to Tennessee. To some international students, UT could be any other school just down the road," Needs said. "To them, it's not as much the awe of the place as it is who they get to compete against. The mindset is, and should be, that I get to run a faster time because I am running against some of the best in the world".
The Eagles will face off with Division I competition at the UT Invite. Aside from the University of Tennessee, C-N track and field will see teams like Virginia Tech, the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and Indiana State University.
"We feel like we belong there with everybody else," Needs said. "For us to have a chance to go and compete against the very best on a great track and still be one of the best schools there is a credit to our athletes, and certainly to our coaches".
Three athletes will attend the Lee Fast Break Athletics Invitational in Cleveland, Tenn. Autumn Brazzel and Itzel Ayala-Renteria will compete in the women's javelin throw event at 4:00 p.m. tomorrow, April 5. Katie Smock will compete in the women's 10,000-meter run at 8:30 p.m.
"For Katie, one of her best races is the 10,000-meter race. We wanted her to go to Lee, and it makes much more sense," Needs said. "We've also got a couple going to throw the javelin at Lee, and we are excited to see what they can do there".
Live results for the Lee Fast Break Athletics Invitational can be found HERE.
"At the end of the day, we want to know if we can get on a fast track against fast people and run fast times, so that we continue to improve," Needs said.
Carson-Newman track and field is back in action tomorrow, April 5 at the UT Invite and Lee Fast Break Athletics Invitational. Stay up to date on cneagles.com.
