Another split weekend ahead for the Eagles
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn.- Carson-Newman track and field is splitting up this weekend beginning Friday, Feb. 9 to attend the VMI Winter Classic and Joe LaRocco Invitational.
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn.- Carson-Newman track and field is splitting up this weekend beginning Friday, Feb. 9 to attend the VMI Winter Classic and Joe LaRocco Invitational.
The VMI Winter Classic is a two-day meet taking place at the Corps Physical Training Facility in Lexington, Va. Part of the Carson-Newman track and field team will head to the Virginia Military Institute on Friday, Jan. 9 for a 2:00 p.m. start to the meet. On Saturday, Feb. 10, competition will continue at 10:00 a.m. and continue on through the afternoon.
This will be the Eagles' second trip to Lexington, Va. this year. The team competed at the VMI Invitational in late January as well.
"We like to travel to places more than once throughout the year," head track and field coach David Needs said. "It gives us a great opportunity to see growth and look at where we are during different points of the season".
During the VMI Invitational, Sade De Sousa grabbed gold in the women's 60-meter dash finals in 7.53 seconds, and Dawson Jones stood second on the podium for the men's 60 dash in 6.92. In the men's 200 dash, Amine Kasmi placed second with a new personal record in 21.38. Kasmi ran the fifth fastest time in NCAA Division II during the event. Teammate Jones placed fifth in 21.99, and Quacy Virgo grabbed sixth in 22.04. Oluwafemi Richards made his mark in the men's high jump with a second-place finish and season best 2.02-meter mark. In the women's triple jump, Brooke Taylor finished in fourth with her 11.21-meter performance.
"I've been pleased with our athletes so far," Needs said. "The effort has been great, and that is what we are looking for as we head back to VMI. We want effort, and we want to see our team cheering each other on".
While the VMI Winter Classic will last two days, the Joe LaRocco Invitational is a one-day event beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10. The meet will mark the Eagles' third trip to the Kerr-Cregger Fieldhouse this season. At the team's last outing, three Eagles finished in the top-5 in the women's 5,000-meter run. Freshman Peyton Couch grabbed silver in the event in 18:58.21 while teammates Jenna Pittman (19:12.04) and Imke Van Gog (19:26.86) placed fourth and fifth respectively. Will Kolb placed eighth in the men's 5,000. He completed the race in 17:09.12. In the men's weight throw, Ian Salyer grabbed a ninth-place finish and personal best mark of 14.40 meters.
"We've also been to Roanoke already this season," Needs said. "We are looking to have another good outing over there. It's all about working hard and learning from our last meet and from practices. That's what we want to see as a coaching staff".
Carson-Newman track and field will race this weekend for the last time before the 2024 South Atlantic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships. The championships are set to begin Saturday, Feb. 24 at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, N.C. Last year, the men's team placed third, and the women's team grabbed fourth to conclude the indoor season.
"It's getting close to the end of our indoor season now," Needs said. "We have to push forward and continue feeling confident and gaining momentum as we head into conference."
Carson-Newman track and field is back in action beginning Friday, Feb. 9 at the VMI Winter Classic. Live results for both meets can be found HERE. Stay up to date on cneagles.com.
