SAN ANTONIO — The UTSA track & field teams return to action this weekend when they travel to New York City for prestigious New Balance Invitational in what will be their final tune-up for the Southland Conference Indoor Championships.
More than 100 teams will compete at the two-day meet, which argulably is the top event during the NCAA's indoor season. Action gets underway at 10 a.m. (CT) on Friday and runs through 8 p.m. at the New Balance Track & Field Center at the historic 168th Street Armory in upper Manhattan. Meanwhile, Saturday compeition begins at 8 a.m. (click here for a complete schedule).
The men continue to knock on the door of the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Association's (USTFCCA) Top 25 Poll. UTSA currently stands 38th in the USTFCCA's national rankings with senior All-American Teddy Williams (60m), junior Devon Bond (high jump/triple jump) and freshman Keith Benford (high jump) earning points. The four-time defending Southland Indoor Champion Roadrunners have a total of 15 marks that rank among the top four on the league's leaderboard with Benford, Bond (triple jump), freshman Richard Garrett Jr. (shot put) and Williams sitting atop the standings in their respective events.
The women have shown great improvement through the season's first three meets and are poised to make a mark at the conference meet, which is slated to take place in three weeks in Norman, Okla. The Birds are led by senior Dana Mecke, who raced to the circuit's fastest 800m and mile times at last weekend's Houston Invitational/Multis. Mecke registered a personal-best 4:54.77 in winning the mile and then was the second collegian to cross the line in the 800m two hours later, which she did in 2:13.19. She leads a contingent of 11 athletes that appear among the top four on the league's rankings.
Complete meet information, live video and real-time results can be found by clicking here.
UTSA also will send a small contingent of five athletes (three men/two women) to Saturday's Houston All-Comers meet at Bill Yeoman Field House. Click here for more information on that event.
