TicketsNov. 3, 2010
CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati indoor track and field team announced its 2010-11 schedule, head coach Susan Seaton announced Wednesday.
Destinations for the upcoming season include both local and national competitions.
"This is possibly the most competitive schedule we've ever done," said Seaton. "It puts us against Top-20 teams in the country, as well as against a good number of BIG EAST. This is a very competitive schedule to prepare our athletes for the BIG EAST level as well as the national level."
The team's season kicks off at home with the Red and Black intrasquad meet in the Armory Fieldhouse on Friday, Dec. 3. The Bearcats head to Charleston, Ill. for the EIU Early Bird on Dec. 10 before a break in action the following weekend.
After the New Year, the Bearcats travel to Akron, Ohio on Friday, Jan. 7, to compete against Akron, Louisville, Michigan and Buffalo. Coming back from a weekend off, Cincinnati will compete on five consecutive weekends, starting with the All-Ohio meet in Kent, Ohio (Jan. 21-22).
"We're aiming for the indoor All-Ohio, which for the first time in a number of years will feature all Division I programs in the state, as well as some very-good Division II programs," Seaton said. "We're very excited about that meet because it's going to be big-time."
The Bearcats then head to the high-profile Rod McCravy Invitational in Lexington, Ky. on Jan. 28-29. Cincinnati's pole vaulters will be in Reno, Nev. that same weekend competing in the Pole Vault Summit.
"We've never sent out our athletes to the Pole Vault Summit before," said Seton. "However, we're returning possibly our strongest group of pole vaulters in program history and we're making sure they get a chance to compete against the best in the country."
The highlight meet of the regular-season will be the New Balance Invitational at the world-class Armory Track in New York City on Feb. 4-5. UC will be pitted against 20 of the Top 30 teams nationally in addition to eight conference foes.
UC continues its season with the Hoosier Hills Invitational in Bloomington, Ind. (Feb 11), before traveling to the BIG EAST Championships on Feb. 19-20 in Akron, Ohio.
"With the BIG EAST Championships being in Akron, we look at that as a home-field advantage," said Seton. "We're very excited to go to the northeastern part of our state, where we have a lot of fan support and a lot of our athletes are from there."
Following the conference meet, Cincinnati's schedule concludes with the USATF Nationals, Feb. 26-27 in Albuquerque, N.M.; the Alex Wilson Invitational (March 4-5) at South Bend, Ind.; and the NCAA Championships on March 11-12 in College Station, Texas.