ETSU participating in split-squad competition again this weekend

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. and CULLOWHEE, N.C. (April 9, 2015) – Preparation for the upcoming 2015 Southern Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships continues for the ETSU track & field program this weekend in split-squad competition, Friday – Saturday, at both the 49^th annual Tennessee Relays and the Beynon Sports Catamount Classic.

Action in Knoxville will begin Friday morning with multi events including the men’s decathlon at 9 a.m. and the women’s heptathlon at 10. Field competition will progress throughout the afternoon, concluding with the men’s shot put at 7 p.m., while track action will run until 9:45 p.m. with the men’s 5,000-meter run. The meet schedule can be seen here.

The vast majority of ETSU’s participation in events this weekend will take place on Saturday on the Western Carolina campus. Competition at the Catamount Classic will commence Saturday with the men’s and women’s 4x100-meter relay at 12:15 p.m. as well as the men’s shot put and the women’s discus. Field events will continue until roughly 4 p.m., while running action will progress throughout the afternoon and early evening; wrapping up the meet with the men’s 5,000-meter run at 6:30 p.m. The meet schedule can be viewed here.

Live results for the Tennessee Relays can be accessed by clicking here. For live results of the Catamount Classic, please click here.

Results and recaps of ETSU’s performances at both meets on both days can be accessed by logging onto ETSUBucs.com.

With the SoCon Championships two weeks away, the Bucs will look to continue their progression as championship season approaches. Most recently, a pair of ETSU student-athletes turned in record performances last Friday at the 2015 Florida Relays in Gainesville, Florida. Junior sprinter Keturah Williams (Alpharetta, Ga.) registered an 11.72 time in the women’s 100-meter dash which tied an ETSU record set by Emani Harrison in 2011. Senior hurdler Dede Edgecombe (Spartanburg, S.C.) did one better in the women’s 100-meter hurdles with 13.42 time in the event finals to eclipse her 13.48 school-record time set last year at the University of Tennessee Challenge.

Comments from ETSU Director of Track & Field George Watts

"This is our last meet prior to the conference championship. We will give as many student-athletes a chance to compete as possible. We are holding some kids out due to injury as well as redshirting some key competitors."

"We will be without the services of Simeon Roberts (Greeneville, Tenn.), Ben Johnson (Nashville, Tenn.), and Katie Hirko (Oley, Pa.) for the remainder of the season. Hopefully, we will be 100 percent healthy with the rest of the kids in two weeks."

"This weekend is an opportunity to improve, fine tune, and simply get better."

"Although the SoCon Championship is earlier than normal for an outdoor season, we will have two to three more meets to follow. Three of our student-athletes: Edgecombe, Williams, and Mike Williams (Mt. Laurel, N.J.) have qualified for the first round of the NCAA Championships. We anticipate qualifying several more. Every meet is important and I expect to see progress this weekend."

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