By: by Emily Diekelmann
CLEMSON, S.C. – Looking to start the New Year off right, the women’s track and field team will compete in the Clemson Invitational in Clemson, S.C. this Friday and Saturday. Three weeks after their first meet of the indoor season at Eastern Illinois, the women will look to capitalize on their sixth place finish at the Early Bird Invitational.
Competing in their second of five indoor meets, the squad is up against teams from all over the South including Georgia Tech, Georgia State and conference rival USC Upstate. Head track and field coach Andy Eggerth is ready for the team to get back out there and show how much all of their training has been paying off.
“We will be racing some distances that are only offered in meets once or twice a year, like the 300m and 500m races,” Eggerth said. “It is a good way to evaluate the athletes conditioning levels following the Christmas break because when they’re not familiar with the race they don’t know exactly what to expect. That means that they will just go out and run hard giving sometimes a more true indication of their abilities. I’d expect to see some more personal records and maybe even another school record this weekend. “
During the competition in Eastern Illinois, five Owls broke their own personal records in several events and one tied her previous school record. Naquia Williams, Naomi Mack, Jessica Lumpkin, Victoria Jackson and Chiquita Hawthorne look again to top their personal records while Cynthia Davis will try to best the school record that she currently holds in the 60 meters.
This weekend the Owls will compete in 16 events over two days starting Friday afternoon with the prelims for 60m hurdles and triple jump. They continue at Noon on Saturday with 400m and high jump and conclude the meet with the 4x4 relay and pole vault.
