Track & Field Opens 2016 Campaign
12/3/2015 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
GVSU Meet Participants | Meet Schedule | Meet Information
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State track & field kicks of its 2015-16 season indoors at the Grand Valley State University Holiday Open in Allendale, Michigan, at the Kelly Family Sports Center. Competition begins at 3 p.m. with 60-meter hurdles.
"We need a test after spending the entire fall training and getting ready for competition," said Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Walt Drenth. "To not end the fall with a test would be hard on the kids. In the past we have done scrimmages and inter-squad meets, but we felt this would be a better option. Some of the kids are ready to do some really special things, especially in the throws.
Friday's meet moves from the 60 hurdles into the 60-meter dash semifinals. The final running event of the day will be the 4x400-meter relay at approximately 8:10 p.m. Field events commence at 3 p.m. with the women's weigh throw, men's shot put, men's and women's long jump, and men's high jump. Pole vaulting takes off at 3:30 p.m.
"We are looking for them to get engaged and really compete," Drenth said. "This will give the young athletes an opportunity to see how we expect them to behave and prepare. It will be a good first start for us. There will be good competition and the value for us is to see them compete and having that final test before the semester ends."
MSU finished last season in 28th on the men's side and 20th on the women's at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon. At the Big Ten Indoor Championships, the Spartans finished fifth and ninth in the women's and men's competitions, respectively, before MSU claimed its second league crown on the women's side at the outdoor championships. Michigan State earned five All-Big Ten Indoor honorees for the women and two for the men in 2014-15.
The Spartans make a return trip to Allendale on Jan. 15 for the GVSU Bob Eubanks Open. The Kelly Family Sports Center houses a 300-meter mondo super-x 14 mm, 6-lane oval running surface.
Joining the Spartans, along with the host GVSU, will be Augustana (S.D.), Aurora, Bowling Green, Cardinal Stritch, Cornerstone, Davenport, Eastern Michigan, Ferris State, Lewis, Hillsdale, Hope, Loyola (Ill.), Michigan, Queens (N.C.), South Florida, St. Francis, St. Xavier, Valparaiso, West Texas A&M, and Wisconsin-Parkside.
Complete results will be available following the conclusion of the meet on MSUspartans.com and TFRRS.org.