PROVO, Utah – With the indoor season coming to its midway point, the BYU track and field teams are heading to New York to compete in the annual New Balance Invitational.
Largely regarded as the premier indoor track meet each season, the New Balance Invite features top teams from around the country and offers a preview of the national championships. This season, seven of the top 11 women’s teams and five of the top 15 men’s teams will be in attendance.
The women’s team will look to build upon the recent success they have found in New York. Last season, the Cougars became the first women’s team from a non-BCS conference to win the meet. In 2010, BYU finished second as a team, and in 2009 finished fourth.
BYU will battle against No. 2 LSU, No. 3 Arkansas, No. 4 Clemson, No. 6 Texas, No. 8 Texas Tech and several other top teams. The Cougars will be led by seniors Lacey Bleazard and Katie Palmer in the running events and Christen Botteron and Ada Robinson in the field.
On the men’s side, the Cougars will have to compete against No. 3 LSU, No. 4 Texas, No. 9 Texas A&M and No. 12 Oklahoma. BYU finished fifth in the meet last season.
Victor Weirich will look to defend the pole vault title he claimed in 2011. BYU has won the men’s pole vault each of the last two seasons in New York.
The meet is scheduled to begin with the women’s 3000k eastern division on Friday at 10:25 a.m. EST. The final event of the meet will be the men’s 4x400m championship, which is scheduled to begin at 5:55 p.m.