A&T WILL HOST 10 TRACK MEETS IN THE SPRING

N.C. A&T will host 10 track meets in the spring

GREENSBORO, N.C., September 22, 2005 – Thanks to meets such as the Nike Championships and the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Track and Field Championships in 2005, N.C. A&T’s Irwin Belk Track emerged into a viable facility to host track and field events.

After 2006, it should blossom into one of the most utilized and respected track and field facilities in the country.

There will be 10 track and field events hosted at Irwin Belk in 2006, highlighted by the 2006 NCAA East Regional May 26-27. N.C. A&T will become the first Historically Black College or University to host a Division I NCAA track and field regional.

“This will be one of the finest track and field seasons in the history of our institution,” said Roy “Spaceman” Thompson, the Director of Track Field Programs at N.C. A&T. “Being the first HBCU to host a Division I regional championship is a major accomplishment. I am very proud of my University.”

Six different organizations will bring meets to Irwin Belk, including the return of the Nike High School Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which brought national exposure to N.C. A&T because thousands of the best high school athletes competed at Irwin Belk in 2005.

All four of the NCHSAA classifications’ (1A, 2A, 3A and 4A) track and field championships, the Russell E. Blunt East Coast Invitational and the USATF National Age Group Championships also return. The other new addition to the schedule of events other than the NCAA East Regional is the MEAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which will feature athletes from all 11 member institutions.

The Aggies track and field program will conduct four home meets of its own, starting with the Aggie Team Invitational on March 18. Teams scheduled to appear include Clemson, Howard, Maryland, Northeastern, North Carolina and Wake Forest.

The Aggie Relays, the Murray Neely Alumni Invitational and the Aggie Last Chance Meet will round out the Aggies home schedule.

Below is a listing of all scheduled events. For more information please contact track and field assistant coach James Daniels at (336) 334-7374.