Scheduling changes shift Eagles focus with the SAC Championships this weekend
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - With impressive regular season meets coming to a close over the weekend, Carson-Newman heads into the South Atlantic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships this weekend slated to take place in Hickory, N.C. at the Irwin Belk Track at The Moretz Sports Athletic Complex.
SAC Outdoor Championships Schedule
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - With impressive regular season meets coming to a close over the weekend, Carson-Newman heads into the South Atlantic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships this weekend slated to take place in Hickory, N.C. at the Irwin Belk Track at The Moretz Sports Athletic Complex.
Due to inclement weather on Friday, April 19, the meet has been split into two days with events starting on Thursday, April 18 and concluding on Saturday, April 20.
You can view the full revised schedule for the weekend here.
"Having done this for a while, we prepare two or three weeks out so we know exactly what we are doing," Coach David Needs said. "To have it all change makes everything you've done invalid but credit to the conference office and those hosting the meet for doing everything the best they can. We hope to deal with the situation the best way we can."
There is some familiarity with the track for the program who returns to the Irwin Belk complex for the third time this year after making the appearance in two of the team's first three meets. C-N collected a total of nine victories to open the year at the Lenoir-Rhyne Southside Power & Fitness Invitational. The Eagles collected an additional three top-finishes at the L-R Classic three weeks later rounding out a total of 22 event wins through the first three meets. Following the latest USTFCCCA National Division II Polls released on Tuesday, April 17, the Eagle men are ranked No. 19 in the nation.
Needs' team looks to continue its momentum coming off the league indoor championships where the men's team claimed third-place alongside the women in sixth. C-N came away with the conference's Most Outstanding Field Athlete of the Year award in Jahvad McDermott as well as conference championships in three events.
In the 2018 Outdoor SAC Championships in Charlotte, N.C., C-N owned a total of six conference champions; however, just two from the group remain on the roster this season in Caleb Agee and Samantha Gudger. In the three-day meet, the men's side collected a fourth-place finish at 81 points with the women a spot behind in fifth with 49.
"The great thing about our conference in this sport is we are really trying to push each other the best we can to get as many conference kids to NCAAs," Needs said. "Some of those guys for us definitely will have a target on their back following indoors and there are some rivalries for sure. For the women, we are solid in the middle and there's a lot of people who can go in there and do well. As we know at the conference meet, what you do throughout the year doesn't mean anything at the championship meet and it marks the consistency way more."
News, interviews, and highlights on the weekend's events will be available our social media pages @CNAthletics including a full recap on cneagles.com following each day.
-CN-
