2011 JCSU Track Invitational on Saturday, April 9th beginning at 10 AM
Charlotte, NC – The Johnson C. Smith University men's and women's outdoor track and field teams will host the 2011 JCSU Track Invitational on Saturday, April 9th inside the Irwin Belk Complex. This one-day event is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. Johnson C. Smith will also honor their five senior track and field student-athletes (
Nada Al-Arahshun,
Leford Green,
Richard Harkness,
Lakaevia Tyler, and
Shermaine Williams) to kickoff the event.
The Golden Bulls are coming off a successful indoor season in which 11 student-athletes earn All-American status at the 2011 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships held in Albuquerque, NM. Several school records and personal bests were set during the indoor season and the squad looks to repeat the efforts in the outdoor campaign.
"Each year our meet has grown in terms of participation from other schools and support from spectators," said head coach
Lennox Graham. "Hopefully we will have good weather, if so I expect much improved performances. The excitement of being home and competing in front of their peers, the athletes usually kick it up a notch. Expectations every year are for a bigger and better meet."
Four of the five seniors that will be recognized have earned All-American honors during their time at Johnson C. Smith.
Leford Green is a three-time All-American to include winning the 400m dash at the 2011 NCAA DII Indoor Championships. Green is also the reigning USTFCCCA National Indoor Track Athlete of the Year.
In the recent preseason poll, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) ranked the JCSU men 7th with 122.46 points and the JCSU women 3rd with 155.02 points.
The JCSU will feature a strong field including conference foes Saint Augustine's College and Shaw University. Benedict College, Claflin University, Hampton University, and Methodist University are just a few of the schools traveling to Charlotte this weekend. Nearby institutions Belmont Abbey, UNC-Charlotte, and Wingate will also be in competition.
Events for the JCSU Invitational will begin on Saturday, April 9th with the discus beginning at 10:00 a.m.
