PREVIEW: Track and Field Looks to Build Momentum at Flames Invitational

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The North Florida track and field teams are set for their fourth-straight weekend of outdoor competition, as they are ready to travel to the Flames Invitational hosted by Lee University from Apr. 8-9 in Cleveland, Tenn.

This will be the second consecutive season that the Ospreys will make the trip up to Lee and compete in their invite. Many achievements were made last year with 16 personal-best times and two schools records being broken at the meet.

The UNF team will be also be together for the first time since the Black & Gold Invite in the first outdoor meet this season. The past two weekends have been split between UCF and NC State, as well as Florida and Embry-Riddle.

LAST TIME OUT

Top Marks at Florida Relays/ERAU Spikes Classic

Tariq Lajoie posted a runner-up finish in the men's high jump at the Florida Relays after hitting a mark of 1.95m on his third attempt.
Kaley Petrosky also hit a great mark after recording 1.66m in the women's high jump at UF.
Izabella Hays hit a mark of 1.57m (5-1.75) in her second attempt to match her outdoor best jump and place fourth overall at the ERAU Spikes Classic.

Top Times at Florida Relays/ERAU Spikes Classic

Robert Pedroza turned in a sixth-place finish in the men's 1500m race while clocking in a personal-best time of 3:45.11. Aiden Arnold put together a top-20 finish at the Florida Relays.
Timothy Doyle clocked a time of 1:49.23 in the first heat of the men's 800m race and put together an eighth-place finish at UF.
Emma Jane Schlageter and Mia McLain placed first and second in the 1500m race at the ERAU Spikes Classic, as they both posted personal-best times at 4:38.76 and 4:39.38 respectively.
Camryn Cooney clocked the top time for the Ospreys in the 5000m race with a third-place finish at 18:07.55, while Raquel Lespasio ran a time of 18:28.34 that put her in the top six in the Spikes Classic.
Gavin O'Brien placed second in the 1500m race with a lifetime best of 3:50.22, with Thomas Weiler and Onix Ortiz just behind in the top 10 at ERAU.

NOTABLE OPPONENTS

The field for the Flames Invitational will include athletes from 70 different teams. Central Arkansas, Jacksonville State, Lipscomb, North Alabama and Stetson will all be at the meet competing along UNF as ASUN opponents. Other notable colleges at the meet will be Memphis, Chattanooga, Northern Kentucky and UT-Martin.

On the men's side, the Ospreys are ranked No. 14 in the South region and will be competing against No. 11 Memphis and No. 12 Lipscomb as the top teams from that region. Stetson, Jacksonville State and North Alabama are also in the same region, as they rank just outside the top-30 teams.

On the women's side, the Ospreys are ranked No. 36 in the South region and will be go up against No. 9 Memphis, No. 11 Lipscomb and No. 29 Jacksonville State as the top teams from the region. Chattanooga, UT-Martin and Stetson are the rest of the teams from that region in this meet.

PIGG'S THOUGHTS

"The Lee meet was great for us last year. The competition and weather conditions are typically ideal. We are looking for a big number of lifetime bests from both squads. The plan is to just keep getting better!"
-- head coach Jeff Pigg

UP NEXT

The Ospreys will have a weekend off before they head back on the road to compete in the Georgia Tech Invitational from Apr. 22-23 in Atlanta, Ga.

MEET SCHEDULE

Friday
Men's 200m Dash - 2:30 pm
Jordan Travieso
Ladarius Tellis

Men's High Jump - 2:45 pm
Tariq Lajoie

Women's High Jump - Follows Men's HJ
Kaley Petrosky
Izabelle Hays

Women's 200m Dash - 3:20 pm
Shawna Woodall

Men's 400m Hurdles - 3:55 pm
Ryan Thomas

Women's 400m Hurdles - 4:15 pm
Celine D'Anna

Men's 1500m - 4:35 pm
Simon DeVoss
Aiden Arnold
Onix Ortiz Vazquez
Robert Pedroza
Gavin O'Brien
Timothy Doyle

Women's 1500m - 5:20 pm
Lindsey Vansant
Mia Perez
Mia McLain
Hannah Martin
Leah Pelham
Emma Jane Schlageter

Men's 5000m - 5:50 pm
Jake Turner
Nathan Jubran
Aidan O'Gorman

Women's 5000m - 7:15 pm
Billie Castillo
Erica Fisher
Camryn Cooney

Men's 10,000m - 9:20 pm
Aidan O'Gorman
Seth Martinez
Jake Turner
Nathan Jubran
Thomas Weiler
Justin Tackling
John McKenzie

Women's 10,000m - 10:40 pm
Isa Leen
Raquel Lespasio

Saturday
Men's 3000m Steeplechase - 10:45 am
Simon DeVoss
Onix Ortiz Vazquez
Gavin O'Brien

Women's 3000m Steeplechase - 11:30 am
Mia McLain

Men's 400m Dash - 12:30 pm
Ryan Thomas

Women's 400m Dash - 12:55 pm
Shawna Woodall
Celine D'Anna

Men's 800m - 1:55 pm
Timothy Doyle
Robert Pedroza
Aiden Arnold
Ladarius Tellis
Jordan Travieso

Women's 800m - 2:40 pm
Emma Jane Schlageter
Leah Pelham
Hannah Martin