Elon’s Elliston Announces Track and Field Schedule

ELON, N.C. – The Elon University women’s track and field team released its 2014 indoor and outdoor schedules today, Nov. 13, as announced by head coach Mark Elliston. The Phoenix is slated to compete in seven indoor and 10 outdoor meets in 2014.

“Practice is going great and these young student-athletes are working very hard to get ready to take on our last season in the Southern Conference,” said Elliston, who begins his eighth season at the helm of the Elon track and field program. “We will start off with a nice mix of challenging and solid meets as we prepare for the conference meets at the end of February for indoor and April for outdoor.”

The Phoenix will kick off its indoor slate at the Wake Forest Invitational on Jan. 11, in Winston-Salem, N.C., where the Phoenix captured the meet championship a year ago. The meet is also the site of the 2014 SoCon Indoor Championships on March 1-2.

Elon will make the first of its four trips to Lynchburg, Va., on Jan. 17-18 to compete at the Liberty Open followed by a trip to Penn State to participate in the Penn State Invitational on Jan. 31-Feb. 1 to conclude the month.

A pair of one-day meets make up the Phoenix’s schedule over the next two weeks, beginning with the High Point Invitational on Feb. 6, and the Liberty Quad on Feb. 14. Elon completes its regular-season indoor slate at the Virginia Tech Challenge on Feb. 21-22.

On March 1-2, Elon returns to Winston-Salem, N.C., to compete at the 2014 Southern Conference Indoor Championships. Elon tied its highest finish at last year’s SoCon indoor meet, highlighted by two conference champions, including returner Sydney Griffin in the 60-meter hurdles.

The indoor slate will conclude with the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships taking place on March 14-15.

Elon will begin the outdoor portion of its schedule at the UNC Wilmington Invitational on March 14-15, followed by the Raleigh Relays on March 28-29, to wrap up the month. After a pair of two-day meets at the Liberty Collegiate Invitational (April 4-5) and Aggie Invitational (April 11-12), the Phoenix will compete at its final event before the conference championships at the Charlotte Invitational on April 18.

Elon will then head to Spartanburg, S.C., for the 2014 Southern Conference Outdoor Championships, held at the Viking Athletic Complex at Spartanburg High School. Last season, the Phoenix finished fourth at the league outdoor meet, but was 1.5 points shy of third place. Highlights of the meet included the Phoenix sweeping the podium in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and three members earning conference titles, including returners Kimberlyn Holt (hammer throw) and Suzanne Martin (javelin).

Remaining meets on the outdoor schedule include the Liberty Twilight Qualifier (April 30), the Virginia Challenge (May 9) and the North Carolina A&T Last Chance Meet (May 11).

Elon student-athletes that qualify for postseason action will compete at the NCAA Division I East Preliminary on May 29-31, held on the campus of the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla. Last season, Elon had a member qualify for the NCAA Prelims for the first time since 2011 and fifth overall in program history.

Along with conference champions Griffin, Martin and Holt, the maroon and gold returns eight all-league performers in track and field as well as an infusion of talented newcomers.

“With a nice group of incoming freshmen, our team has increased the talent level and also the events we will have strength in,” added Elliston. “Everyone from the staff to the athletes are looking forward to competition and showing everyone what we can do.”