CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson University track & field/cross country head coach Mark Elliott announced the Tigers’ 2018-19 track & field and cross country schedule Wednesday, which is highlighted by six indoor meets, including the annual Tiger Paw Invite.
FULL SCHEDULE
“We have the best indoor track as it relates to yielding good performances and qualifying times, and we want to make sure we take advantage of it,” said Elliott. "We’re excited to have five home meets that will lead up to Feb. 8-9 with the Tiger Paw Invite, which to me is a pre-nationals meet. There were a few world records we had last year that provide more interest for outside programs and they want to come here because of it.”
The Tigers’ cross country team is set to open the 2018 season at South Carolina on Sept. 1 and will compete in three additional meets before the ACC Championship meet, which is slated for Oct. 26. This year’s conference championship is hosted by Boston College and will be held at Franklin Park. Two weeks following the ACC Cross Country Championships, Clemson heads to NCAA Regionals in Rock Hill, South Carolina. This year, the NCAA Championships will commence Nov. 17 in Madison, Wisconsin as 18 teams, the top-2 from each region, automatically qualify along with 13 at-large teams as determined by the NCAA Division I Cross Country Subcommittee.
For the second straight year, Clemson will host six indoor meets at the Clemson Indoor Track & Field Complex, which features arguably the fastest indoor track in the country. The Tigers are set to begin their bid for the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships with the Clemson Opener on Dec. 8. Clemson will take to its home track for three straight weekends beginning Jan. 11 with the Orange & Purple Elite, followed by the Clemson Invite (Jan. 18-19) and the Bob Pollock Meet (Jan. 25-26). The Tiger Paw Invite, which will host some of the best collegiate track programs in the country, will serve as the final home meet of the season Feb. 8-9. Both 4x400m relay teams will look to defend their conference titles at this year’s ACC Indoor Championships, which are set to take place Feb. 21-23 in Blacksburg, Virginia at the Hokies’ Rector Field House. Those who qualify, will travel to NCAA Championships at the Birmingham CrossPlex March 8-9.
Clemson will be represented in nine regular-season outdoor meets with the first coming March 15-16 at Georgia Tech. Clemson returns to the Penn Relays in Philadelphia for the meet’s 125th anniversary April 25-27. Last year, Clemson’s SMR group took home the program’s second-ever prized wheel. The Tigers return to the state of Virginia, this time at the University of Virginia, for the second time to vie for an ACC title May 9-11. This year’s NCAA Outdoor East Prelims will be held at North Florida’s Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida May 23-25. Individuals who qualify based on results for East Prelims will head to Austin, Texas for the NCAA Outdoor Championships at the Longhorns’ Mike A. Myers Stadium.
“We’re excited to be hosting all six meets this upcoming season. With the depth that we’ve added with our incoming class, we want to make sure we allow them plenty of opportunities to compete on our home track.”
