Elon Women’s Track and Field Announces 2017-18 Schedule

ELON, N.C. – The Elon University women’s track and field team and Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Mark Elliston announced the program’s 2017-18 indoor and outdoor schedule on (Date TBD). The Phoenix will compete in 20 meets over the course of the indoor and outdoor seasons beginning with the JDL College Kickoff Classic on Dec. 2.

2017-18 Schedule

“Looking forward to the start of our upcoming indoor and outdoor seasons starting soon,” said Elliston. “We’ve already returned to the track for practices and workouts this fall in preparation and we’re just excited to get going again (in December).”

The Phoenix’s indoor slate begins on December 2, at the JDL College Kickoff Classic in Winston-Salem, N.C., at the JDL Fast Track Complex. It will be the first of five meets that the maroon and gold is scheduled to compete at the nearby complex.

After the turn of the calendar, Elon heads to a new addition on its schedule, the VMI Keydet Invitational on Jan. 19-20, in Lexington, Va. The Phoenix will also have select members travel to the Wake Forest Invitational on Jan. 20-21, at the JDL Fast Track Complex. Elon closes out the month with a visit to Lynchburg, Va., for the Liberty Kickoff on Jan. 26-27.

Elon starts the month of February with meets at the Camel City Invitational in Winston-Salem, N.C., and at the Darius Dixon Invitational in Liberty on Feb. 2-3. A week later, the Phoenix will split for meets again as a group competes at the JDL Team Challenge on Feb. 8, before traveling back to Lynchburg for the Liberty Invitational on Feb. 9-10.

The maroon and gold wraps up the indoor regular season at the Tiger Tune-Up at Clemson on Feb. 16. Other members will compete at the UCS Invite on Feb. 16-17. Elon will then head to Boston for its fourth year of competition at the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Indoor Championships on March 1-4. Last season, Elon posted its highest finish (ninth) and point total (23) at the ECACs.

The track and field squad opens outdoor competition at the Charlotte Classic and the Carolina Relays on March 16-17. The following week, the Phoenix heads to Columbia, S.C., for the USC/Winthrop Invitational on March 23-24. The month concludes with the prestigious Raleigh Relays at NC State on March 30-31.

Elon heads to Triad rival High Point for the VertKlasse Meeting on April 6-7, before hosting its annual home meet, the Phoenix Invitational on April 14, for the fourth straight season. On April 20-21, the Phoenix will split for meets at Duke and Virginia before returning to Charlottesville the following weekend for the Virginia Grand Prix on April 28, to close out the outdoor regular season.

Outdoor postseason competition kicks off May 4-5, when the Phoenix travels to Williamsburg, Va., for the 2018 Colonial Athletic Association Outdoor Championships. The Phoenix fell short of its goal of defending its league title for the third straight year in 2017, finishing second at the CAA Championships with 158 points – just 5.5 points shy from first.

Following the Aggie Last Chance meet on May 13, the 2018 NCAA East Prelims kicks off on May 24-26, in Tampa, Fla., for athletes that qualify. The outdoor track season concludes with the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships on June 6-9, in Eugene, Ore., at historic Hayward Field. Last season, Bryanna Hames made history for the program as she became the first Phoenix athlete to compete at the NCAA Championships as the Charlotte, N.C., native earned honorable mentioned accolades in the discus.

“One of the things I appreciate about this program over the last few years is having athletes qualify for the highest level of competition,” said Elliston. “Whether that being the regional championships and now the national meet from last season, we prepare and go out to compete at the highest level.”