Nov. 4, 2016
By Megan Golden
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame today released its 2016-17 indoor track and field schedule, highlighted by the Atlantic Coast Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships, slated to be held on Notre Dame’s campus.
The Irish, who will host the event at Loftus Sports Center, will compete in their fourth ACC championship (February 23-25) after joining the conference prior to the 2014 season. The track and field postseason event marks the first of its kind hosted by Notre Dame.
The Irish open their season at Loftus Sports Center (Notre Dame, Indiana) on December 2 in the annual Blue & Gold Invitational.
The team also will host the Notre Dame Invitational (January 21), Meyo Invitational (February 3-4) and Alex Wilson Invitational (February 18).
Notre Dame has five scheduled meets on the road this season. The team will compete in the Illini Classic in Champaign, Illinois (January 14) and then will travel to Iowa City, Iowa, for the Big Ten/Power 5 Clash on January 28. The team will compete in split-squad meets on February 10-11, traveling to the Tiger Paw Invitational (Clemson, South Carolina), the Spire D-I Invitational (Geneva, Ohio) and the Iowa State Classic (Ames, Iowa).
Four-time champion Molly Seidel will return for her final season of eligibility. Seidel, the 2016 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year, won the 3,000m and 5,000m races at last year’s ACC and NCAA championships.
Associate head coach Matt Sparks emphasized Seidel’s experience and leadership.
“Molly’s athletic accomplishments speak for themselves, but her leadership and presence will not only energize our women’s distance group but our entire track program,” he said.
All 2016-17 home meets will be held at Loftus Sports Center.
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Megan Golden, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since August of 2016. In her role, she coordinates all media efforts for the Notre Dame women’s lacrosse and cross country/track and field programs. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Golden is a 2014 graduate of Saint Mary’s College and former Irish women’s basketball manager. Prior to arriving at Notre Dame, she worked in public relations with the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox.