ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – UCF head coach Jeanette Bolden announced the 2017 track and field schedule on Wednesday.
The Knights open the indoor season on Jan. 13 with the Birmingham Team Meet, followed by the Rod McCravy Memorial Jan. 20-21 in Lexington, Ky. UCF remains in the southeast with a meet at Clemson Jan. 27-28 before heading north to compete against Boston University on Feb. 10.
The Black and Gold return to Birmingham for the American Athletic Conference Indoor Championship Feb. 24-25. Last season UCF finished third, winning four individual events and earning eight spots on the podium. J'Nea Bellamy, Rosie Chamberlain, Anne-Marie Blaney and the 4x400 relay team all captured titles in Birmingham in 2017.
The 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships will take place Mar. 10-11 in College Station, Texas.
Moving outdoors, the Knights host the UCF Black and Gold Challenge Mar. 17-18. Full information about the home meet can be found here.
UCF will take a trip to North Carolina for the Raleigh Relays Mar. 24-25 before returning to the Sunshine State for the Pepsi Florida Relays Mar. 30-April 1.
Heading west, the Black and Gold will compete in a pair of events each in Arizona and California. The 38th Annual Sun Angel Classic opens the trip, running from April 6-8, split by a quick trip to Mesa, Ariz., for the Mesa Classic on April 7.
The Black and Gold make a return trip to the Olympic Training Center Meet on April 20, following by the Triton Invitational April 21-22. Splitting action, the remainder of the Knights will compete at USF that same weekend.
The Drake Relays will be held April 26-27 in Des Moines, Iowa, and the Knights follow that with a trip to Gainesville for the Tom Jones Memorial on April 28.
The 2017 American Athletic Conference Championships will be held in Houston May 12-14. As host of the 2016 championships, UCF used a strong 4x400 meter showing in the final race of the meet to edge UConn for a second place team finish.
The opening round of NCAA action will be held in Lexington, Ky., May 25-27, while the 2017 NCAA Championships will take place in Eugene, Ore.
Six Knights that turned in podium-worthy finishes at last year's conference championships return in 2017, including redshirt senior Anne-Marie Blaney, who won the 10,000-meter run and earned second team All-America honors at the NCAA Championships. Tayla Greene also returns for her senior season after earning honorable mention All-America status at the 2016 NCAA Championships.