Head coach Joe Piane.

Irish Release 2011-12 Track and Field Schedule

Sept. 13, 2011

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Four traditional home indoor meets highlight a 24-meet indoor and outdoor track and field schedule that Notre Dame head coach Joe Piane released recently.

The Meyo Track plays host to four meets during the indoor season including the Blue & Gold Invitational (Dec. 2), Notre Dame Invitational (Jan. 21), Meyo Invitational (Feb. 3-4) and Alex Wilson Invitational (March 2-3). The Meyo Invitational, including the famous Meyo Mile race, will be held for the 26th time.

After the Blue & Gold home meet to open the season, the Irish compete in the GVSU Holiday Open from Dec. 16-17. Following winter break, Notre Dame returns to Allendale, Mich., for the GVSU Bob Eubanks Open, which is slated for Jan. 13-14. The Notre Dame Invitational on Jan. 21 and the Indiana Relays on Jan. 27-28 close out the month of January.

The final two meets leading up to the BIG EAST Indoor Championships take place during the first two weekends of February as the Irish host the Meyo Invitational on Feb. 3-4 and then travel to the GVSU Big Meet on Feb. 10-11.

The BIG EAST Indoor Championships are scheduled for Feb. 18-19 in New York, N.Y., with St. John’s playing host this season. Last year the men’s squad placed second, while the women’s team finished eighth.

The final two indoor meets of the season will be the Alex Wilson Invitational held at the Meyo Track on March 2-3 and the NCAA Indoor Championships from March 9-10, in Nampa, Idaho. To qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships, student-athletes must meet a qualifying standard that is set for each event.

The outdoor season gets underway on the weekend of March 22-24 with a pair of meets in the Alabama Relays in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and the Victor Lopez Invitational in Houston, Texas. The following weekend the Irish head to West Lafayette, Ind., for the Purdue Poehlein Invitational to close out the month of March.

April is a full month of meets with the Stanford Invitational opening the month on April 6-7, followed by the Louisville Border Battle on April 14. The next weekend sees the Irish compete in two separate meets, the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif., and the Polytan Invitational in Bloomington, Ind. The month closes out with the Drake Relays and Hillsdale Gina Relays from April 26-28.

The BIG EAST Outdoor Championships will be hosted by South Florida this year on May 4-6 in Tampa, Fla. Last season the Irish men claimed the second-place trophy, while the women finished 10th.

Following the BIG EAST Outdoor Championships, Notre Dame student-athletes will have one final opportunity to qualify for the NCAA East First Round, when they compete at the GVSU Last Chance Meet in Allendale, Mich., on May 11-12.

The NCAA East First Round will be held in Jacksonville, Fla., and hosted by the University of North Florida. To qualify for the East Regionals, student-athletes must be in the top 40 in the East in their respective event.

Individuals that advance past the East Regionals will compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa on June 6-9.

Four members of last year’s teams advanced to the NCAA Championships, with Jeremy Rae and Johnathan Shawel on the men’s team and Maddie Buttinger on the women’s team returning for the 2011-12 season.

Track and Field ScheduleGet Acrobat Reader

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