Notre Dame will again split the weekend with a pair of invitationals at the University of North Florida and Michigan State University.
Spartan Invitational
Date: April 5-6, 2019
Time: 11 a.m. | 9:40 a.m.
Location: Ralph Long Field | East Lansing, Michigan
Host: Michigan State University
Schedule: https://msuspartans.com/documents/2019/4/1/2019_Meet_Schedule_Spartan_Invitational_Track_and_Field.pdf
North Florida Invitational
Date: April 5, 2019
Time: 10 a.m.
Location: Hodges Stadium | Jacksonville, Florida
Host: University of North Florida
Results: http://live.halfmiletiming.com/#/results/meet/90
Meet Info:
https://static.unfospreys.com/custompages/1819/XCTF/UNF%20Invite%202019.pdf
At A Glance
- The North Florida Invitational will offer the team a sneak peek at the NCAA Championships First Round as Hodges Stadium will play host to the national meet in late May.
- The Spartan Invitational will take place over two days with the pole vault, hammerthrow and triple jump competing Friday before the remaining field and racing events get started at 9:40 a.m. on Saturday.
By The Numbers
- 29 — Between the two teams, 29 freshmen joined the ranks of the Fighting Irish for the 2018-19 season, including 11 women and 18 men.
- 28 — At the preseason USTFCCCA rankings, the Irish women ranked 24th in the nation, following their 46th place finish at last season’s NCAA Championships. At the latest release, the women sit 28th in the nation.
- 6 — Six members of the Irish team qualified for nationals in the 2018 outdoor season, including four who return for the 2018-19 season.
- 4 — The Notre Dame Track & Field team welcomed four new faces to the coaching staff in 2018-19 including three assistants (Kendra Foley – W. Distance, Wayne Pate – Sprints, Rodney Zuyderwyk – Jumps) and a volunteer assistant coach (Cole Hester – M. Distance).
- 3 — Three current Irish team members hold Notre Dame school records on the track (outdoors), combining for four total records. Jess Harris (800m, 1500m, DMR), Anna Rohrer (10K) and Kelly Hart (DMR).
- 2 — In her first meet since the fall cross country nationals, Jess Harris clocked a silver medal finish in the women’s 800m in California with a time of 2:04.84.
- 2 — The Irish are set to compete on two coasts this weekend, at the Spartan Invitational in Michigan and the North Florida Invitational in Florida.
- 1 — Yared Nuguse came out of the gate with a first place finish in the men’s 800m run at the Stanford Invitational. Having not been on a track since his national championship in the men’s DMR during the indoor season, Nuguse crossed the finish in 1:48.29.
- 1 — One record has already fallen for the Irish this outdoor season, as Gabrielle Diederich set the Notre Dame program record in the javelin at the Victor Lopez Invitational (47.21m).
- 1 — This is Matt Sparks’ first season at the helm of the Fighting Irish, having previously served four years as an assistant and associate head coach for the team.
What They’re Saying
- “Competing at the University of North Florida will allow our athletes to get a feel for that facility before they return in May for the first round of the NCAA Championships.” — Hatherly-Piane Head Coach Matt Sparks.
Last Time Out
- Yared Nuguse and Jess Harris both medaled in their first outdoor meet of the season, finishing first and second in their respective 800m races at the Stanford Invitational.
- Four Irish entered the all-time program top-10 rankings with their finishes last weekend.
- Anna Fischer was the first to set a top-10 time, crossing the line of the 3K steeplechase in 10:50.02. Kevin Salvano and Danny Kilrea both etched their names in the records book with the ninth and 10th best 10K times in program history. Yared Nuguse rounded out the all-time top-10 with a ninth-best time of 1:48.29 in the men’s 800m.
- Gabrielle Diederich etched her name in the Notre Dame records book with her 47.21m throw in the javelin at the Victor Lopez Classic to kick off the outdoor season.
- Last season, the Irish sent six representatives to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships, four of which return for the 2019 season.
- Rachel DaDamio, Jessica Harris, Annie Heffernan and Anna Rohrer are all veterans of the championship meet, having competed last year to bring the women a tie for 46th place at the national meet.
- At their most recent indoor meet, the Irish ran away with their fourth National Title in men’s program history when the DMR crossed the line first at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in 9:31.55.
- Many indoor records fell in 2018-19, three of which stood at the end of the season. Logan Kusky broke men’s numerous weight throw records while Abbey Kapitan and Rachel Tanczos went back and forth with records in the women’s weight throw.
- The men’s DMR set the fastest time in program and Meyo Track history with a 9:26.10 finish at the Alex Wilson Invitational and posted the second-best time ever recorded in the NCAA.
- At the ACC Indoor Championships, Notre Dame recorded four conference titles in the Men’s DMR, Men’s Weight Throw, Women’s Weight Throw and Men’s Mile.
Up Next
- The Irish will compete at the Louisville Invitational next weekend (April 12-13) in Louisville, Kentucky.