Jan. 23, 2015
Schedule of Events & Heat Sheets
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame track & field program will look toward its veterans Saturday as the Irish host their second meet of the season for the annual Notre Dame Invitational at the Loftus Sports Center.
Whereas head coach Alan Turner used the season’s first two meets (the Blue & Gold Invitational in December and last week’s Simmons-Harvey Invitational at the University of Michigan) as barometers for the contributions of some of his younger student-athletes, the Notre Dame Invitational will give the Irish veterans a chance to get into the swing of the season.
“The veterans who will really be getting in for the first time are our distance kids,” Turner said. “We kind of rested them from the long cross country season. Now it’s time for them to get back to it because now is when the season really picks up. It’s time to really get the legs turning over, so to speak.”
The Notre Dame Invitational will be the first scored meet of the season for the Irish, raising expectations for those who will be competing this weekend, including Jacob Dumford and Michael Clevenger, who competed during the cross country season. But Turner also noted that he expect those getting their first taste of competition on Saturday to ease back into it.
“Any meet that’s a scored meet, I want to win,” Turner said. “We want to do well at this meet, but not at the expense of hurting our team or pushing our team to the limit that’s going to affect us a month from now.”
The Irish will host Michigan State, Purdue, Indiana State, DePaul and Eastern Michigan beginning with field events starting at 9 a.m. ET at the Loftus Sports Center.
“Every meet is a test to get us ready for the ACC Championships and the NCAA Championships,” Turner said. “It’s a lot of good competition for us for it being a smaller meet for us this weekend.”
For up-to-date information on Notre Dame Track & Field, follow the Irish on Twitter, @NDXCTF, and like Notre Dame Cross Country/Track & Field on Facebook. A full recap and results will be available at UND.com.
By Joanne Norell, Media Relations Assistant
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