Sept. 25, 2009
By Andrew Gavin
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - Coming off a record-setting 2009 campaign, the UCF track and field team will again prepare for the Conference USA and National Championships with a schedule filled with top-notch events around the country. Head coach Caryl Smith Gilbert announced her program's 2010 indoor and outdoor schedules Friday.
The schedule is highlighted by four outdoor events being held at the UCF Track & Field Complex, including the 2010 C-USA Outdoor Championships May 14-16. The Knights will also host the UCF Black & Gold Challenge (Mar. 20), UCF Invitational (Mar. 26-27) and UCF Twilight (May 6).
Prior to the outdoor season, UCF will kick off the indoor campaign at the Kentucky Invitational for the second-straight season on Jan. 15-16. After competing in the Carle/Health Alliance Invitational on Jan. 23 in Champaign, Ill., the Knights return to Lexington, Ky., for the Rod McCravy Invitational Jan. 29-30.
Smith Gilbert will take her team to the site of the 2010 NCAA Indoor National Championships, Fayetteville, Ark., for the Tyson Invitational on Feb. 12-13.
The C-USA Indoor Championships will be hosted by Houston and take place Feb. 26-27. Last year, the Knights finished third at the meet, getting individual event championships from Dione Thomas (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Sheila Paul (Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.).
With three All-American performances, UCF scored six points and tied for 35th last year at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Thomas along with current senior Tiki James (Miami, Fla.) and current sophomore Jackie Coward (Knoxville, Tenn.) finished in the top 10 of their events to gain the distinction of NCAA All-Americans. The 2010 NCAA Indoor Championships will be held March 12-13 in Fayetteville.
The Black & Gold Challenge and the UCF Invitational open the outdoor season in March before hitting the road in April for the Pepsi Relays (April 2-3) in Gainesville, the Miami Elite Invitational (April 11), the Florida Invitational (April 17) and the Penn Relays Carnival (April 22-24).
The UCF Twilight will provide the tune-up for the C-USA Outdoor Championships, which the Knights will host for the first time in school history. With current junior Lizzie Harris (Miami, Fla.) winning the high jump title, UCF finished second at the league's outdoor meet in 2009.
Smith Gilbert, the 2009 South Region Coach of the Year, will take her Knights to the NCAA East Regionals May 28-29 with the goal of seeing multiple Knights qualify for the NCAA Championships. UCF finished ninth at the 2009 East Regionals, the program's highest finish at the event.
In 2009, a school-record five Knights qualified for the NCAA Championships. The 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships will be held in Eugene, Ore.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.