Elon Track and Field Splits for Liberty, Camel City This Weekend

ELON, N.C. – The Elon University women’s track and field team will separate for two different meets this weekend as select members of the squad will compete at the Darius Dixon Invitational at Liberty University on Feb. 2-3. Others will travel to the JDL Fast Track Complex for the Camel City Invitational also on Feb. 2-3.

Competition for the Darius Dixon Invitational is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. for the women’s side on Friday, Feb. 3. The Camel City is slated to begin at 1 p.m. on Friday.

Live Results (Liberty) | Live Results (JDL)

Follow the Phoenix
Follow the Phoenix during the meets and throughout the season on the program’s Twitter page at @EU_XCTF. Other updates will also be provided on Twitter at the handle @elonscores. Live results of the meets will be available on the program’s schedule page.

Setting the Stage
The Phoenix will be competing in some familiar venues this weekend at both meets. Elon opened its indoor season at the JDL Fast Track Complex at the JDL College Kickoff Classic on December and is slated to visit the facility for two more meets on its remaining schedule. The Darius Dixon Invitational will be the second meet this season that Elon will compete at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex after competing last weekend.

The Darius Dixon Invitational will feature at least one athlete from 17 programs this weekend. Along with host Liberty, other notable schools include High Point, Marshall, Maryland, Radford, Richmond, South Carolina, UNCG, VCU and Colonial Athletic Association foe William & Mary. Twenty athletes are expected to compete at Liberty during the two-day meet for Elon.

Six individual athletes for the maroon and gold are slated to compete at the Camel City Invitational. Desiree Ross and Meagan Henderson will race in both the 200 and 400-meter races with Sarah Langemann joining the duo in the latter event. The Phoenix throwing trio of Skylar Barthelmes, Charlotte Bradsher and Bryanna Hames will represent Elon in the shot put and weight throw. The Phoenix is also slated to have a distance medley relay team compete at the meet.

Last Time Out
Elon competed last weekend, Jan. 26-27, at the Liberty Kickoff and had several members set new personal-records while also having a couple qualify for the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Indoor Championships.

Junior Ellie Bennett established a new personal-record in the pole vault as the Mountaintop, Pa., native cleared the bar at 11′ 5.75″ (3.50m) – the second-best indoor mark in school history. She would finish eighth overall in the event to lead the Phoenix. Teammate Nicole Karabas was 12th with her cleared height of 10′ 11.75″ (3.35m), tying a season-best.

In the 1,000-meters, junior Chelsea Smith and sophomore Melissa Anastasakis qualified for the ECACs with their performances in the event. Smith ran a personal-best time of 2:54.31 in the race – nearly four-seconds better than her previous record. Anastasakis also bettered her previous time by four seconds with her 2:55.58. Smith finished seventh overall while Anastasakis was ninth.

Junior Coralea Geraniotis almost earned a spot to the ECACs in the 3,000-meter run as the Orleans, Mass., native ran a time of 9:57.55 –a new two-second personal-record. She finished third overall in the race while teammate Brigid Brennan was fourth at a time of 10:07.36.

In the 500-meter run, Natacha Savioz and Emily Smith added their names to the program’s all-time record book with the second and third-fastest times in school history, respectively. Savioz ran a 1:17.17 and was sixth overall while Emily Smith was at 1:19.18. Emily Dixon also joined the top-four times in school history with her run of 1:21.51 and was 16th.

On Deck
Elon will return to both Liberty and the JDL Fast Track Complex next week as the Phoenix will compete first at the JDL Team Challenge on Thursday, Feb. 8 before the heading to the Liberty Invitational on Feb. 9-10.