HICKORY, N.C. - For the first time in two years, the Carson-Newman track & field squad looks to claim conference championship gold.
The Eagles will compete in the 2021 SAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships at the Moretz Sports Complex on the campus of Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, N.C. beginning on Saturday, Apr. 24. A total of 60 Eagle athletes will compete in the two day event.
The event will be streamed on the SAC Digital Network both days, beginning at 10:00 AM on Saturday, Apr. 24, and 9:00 AM on Sunday, Apr. 25, with the decathlon and heptathlon events. A live stats link for both days can be be found at cneagles.com.
"Having gone to other meets and seeing these schools already will help," says Director of Track & Field and Cross Country David Needs. "But this is such a deep field that you can go from first place to fifth so quickly. We need student athletes that'll step up when it's their time."
The last time the SAC Outdoor Championships were held in 2019, the Eagle men finished third while the women finished fourth. Devon Moore posted back-to-back silver medal finishes in the 100 and 200-meter races after fighting through sickness throughout the week. The native of Baxley, Ga. turned in a time of 10.46 seconds in the 100 sprint and 21.56 seconds in the 200 meter. Amy Zadroga won the gold in the javelin with a throw of 38.23 meters, nearly a full meter farther than the second-place finisher.
In his last competiton at the Lee Invitational, Moore finished second in his heat and third overall in the men's 200 meter run with a time of 21.15 seconds, moving him up to fifth in the nation and giving him a national qualifying mark.
The senior won the 100 meter run with a national qualifying time of 10.38 seconds. The win was his second straight victory in the event and his sixth career victory in the 100 meter run. Moore has never finished lower than third in the 100 meter run and his time moved him into a tie for third fastest in Division II this season and enters as the number one seed in the 100 meter run by 0.22 seconds.
In the men's high jump, the Eagles enter the weekend with five of the top seven seeds. Isaiah Kyle leads the way with his national qualifying mark of 2.11 meters he set his last time competing at Lenoir-Rhyne at the LR Open earlier this year. Shane Connell enters as the second seed with his national qualifying mark of 2.05 meters set at the Montreat Invitational. Danilo Cardoso, Sam Cleek and Christian Shouse all enter in a tie for the five seed with a clearance of 1.95 meters.
Josh Whitaker enters as the one seed in the men's pole vault by 0.10 meters with a clearance of 4.50 meters, set at the Lenoir-Rhyne Open. The freshman has had a phenomenal start to his career, finishing in the top-10 of every single event he's competed in so far with two wins.
Theo Devillard and Courtavious Garrett enter as the two seed and three seed in the men's long jump. The two are separated by just 0.01 meters, with Devillard recording a jump of 7.09 meters at the Montreat Invitational and Garrett recording a jump of 7.08 meters at the Lee Flames Invitational.
Trayzel Jureidini-Wyche enters as the second seed in the discus after a toss of 49.33 meters at the Montreat Invitational. Jureidini-Wyche finished second in the event at the 2019 SAC Outdoor Championships.
On the women's side, Nathalie Schumacher enters as the third seed with a national provisional mark of 1.70 meters set at the Montreat Invitational. The Germany native has never finished below sixth in the high jump in her career.
Three of the top four seeds in the women's pole vault belong to the Eagles. Abby Owens holds the top spot by 0.45 meters with a clearance of 3.55 meters set at the Flames Invitational. Zardoga is the three seed with a clearance of 3.10 meters at the Montreat Invitational while Marlee Baker is the four seed with a clearance of 2.95 meters also set in Montreat.
The women's 4x100 meter relay team of Amanda Lowe, Morgan Bailey, Tia Davis and Timaya Ray are the two seed after setting a new school record time of 47.68 meters at the Montreat Invitational. Lowe is also the six seed in the women's 100 meter run with a time of 12.19 seconds set at the LR Open.
"Having a meet already at L-R helps us a lot," "says Needs. "But I hope that the spirit of competition and desire that conference brings will push us to the next level and we can get multiple national qualifiers this weekend."
Following the 2021 SAC Outdoor Championships, the Eagles will have two more chances to qualify for nationals, the first being the Montreat Last Chance Meet on May 8.
