JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn.- Carson-Newman track and field is headed to the Asheville Bulldog Invitational in Asheville, N.C. this Friday, April 12 and Saturday, April 13.
"We are looking for people who are going to take the next step," head track and field coach David Needs said. "This week gives us an opportunity to do that".
The Eagles were originally planning to split up this weekend to attend three meets, including the Electric City Invitational in Anderson, S.C. and Southside Power & Fitness Invitational in Hickory, N.C. After a successful outing at the University of Tennessee, C-N track and field focused their attention on the opportunity to face Division I competition. The entire group will now head to the Asheville Bulldog Invitational.
"For us to be able to go compete against opponents that will push us is really good," Needs said. "We've never been to UNC Asheville, so it's the first time we will run there. They have a brand new track, so it's going to be a great experience. I'm sure it's a nice track, and hopefully it runs fast. If that's the case, and it's also fairly close, then good for us".
The Asheville Bulldog Invitational is being hosted by UNC Asheville at the Karl Straus Track in Asheville, N.C. The meet is set to begin Friday, April 12 with the men's and women's hammer throw at 5:00 p.m. On Saturday, April 13, the Eagles will attend a full day of competition beginning at 9:00 a.m. The full meet schedule can be found HERE.
The Eagles are headed into the weekend with six total SAC WePlayed Sports Athletes of the Week honors. The men's 4x100-meter relay team, consisting of Amine Kasmi, Quacy Virgo, Lucas Besong, and Dawson Jones, grabbed WePlayed Sports Men's Track Athlete(s) of the Week honors for their second-place finish at the UT Invite. Oluwafemi Richards earned the men's field athlete of the week award for his third-place finish in the men's high jump. Richards grabbed a new personal best and provisional qualifying mark with a 2.05-meter performance. C-N women's track and field athlete, Kadidja Sangare, earned WePlayed Sports Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week after the UT Invite. Sangare finished sixth in the women's long jump with a season-best 5.78-meter leap. She also competed in the 100-meter hurdles where she finished 16th in 14.60. Sangare competed in the women's javelin throw for the first time as an Eagle where she placed eighth with a 32.72-meter mark in the event.
"Sometimes football or basketball teams will play tougher teams early in the season to get that competition before they get into the conference swing," Needs said. "We don't really have a regular season conference schedule, but we have conference championships. In order to put ourselves in good standing at the conference meet, we want to run against teams and people that will provide great competition".
C-N track and field is roughly three weeks out from the 2024 South Atlantic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships that are set to begin early May. Over the course of the next few weeks, the Eagles will work to qualify for the conference meet.
"Right now, what we are looking at, is finalizing what people are going to run at the conference meet," Needs said. "As we push through this, there are some in the back of their mind that are thinking beyond conference. If you're going to the national championship, you have to run fast and jump far. So, we want to put ourselves in a position where we can compete against good opponents. We want to see where we are going to be, not just in three weeks at conference, but also where we are going to be at the end of May, possibly at the national championship".
Carson-Newman track and field is headed to the Asheville Bulldog Invitational this Friday, April 12 and Saturday, April 13. Live results can be found HERE. Stay up to date on cneagles.com.
