University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
UConn Northeast Challenge
Huskies on their Home Track this Saturday
4/11/2019 3:05:00 PM | Men's Track and Field
STORRS, Conn. – After three-straight weeks down south to start the 2019 outdoor season, the Huskies will have a taste of local competition this weekend when they host the annual Northeast Challenge at the George J. Sherman Family Sports Complex. UConn will host 10 other teams from the northeast region on Saturday, April 13 at their home track as they begin the push towards the conference championship in just under a month's time.
The Huskies captured the team title at last year's Northeast Challenge, edging out the University of Rhode Island with 139.83 points to URI's 138.33. The Huskies and Rams will again face-off this Saturday with the likes of UAlbany, AIC, Central Connecticut State, Columbia, UMass, MIT, Northeastern, Southern Connecticut State and Stony Brook rounding out the field of competitors.
Saturday's meet will get underway at 10 am with the field events for both the men and women. The hammer, discus and javelin get things started. The jumps will open at 11 am with the high jump and the track events also open at 11 am with the running of the 3,000 meter steeplechase. Click here for a full event schedule.
"It's one of those things, defend your home turf and we won't have to do too much to get our guys ready for that," stated head coach Greg Roy. "All local competition, the best of the northeast region coming in and our guys are just really, really excited to be home. When you're home, it's just different and we'll be ready."
"This is a chance for our guys to compete in front of their friends and family for sure; we will have a ton of parents out here, and that's powerful," stated Roy. "It's exciting to be home and this will be a good competition. Guaranteed."
The Huskies head into their first scored meet of the spring season after another successful southern performance at last weekend's Spec Towns Invitational at the University of Georgia. Several Huskies competing on Saturday keep rising up the AAC performance rankings as well as the NCAA rankings. Junior Jordan Torney (Toms River, N.J.) had his first go in the decathlon last weekend and posted a new personal best with 7,725 points, a mark that is tops in the AAC and 14th nationally.
Senior Malik Snead (Trenton, N.J.) owns the top triple jump distance in the AAC this spring at 15.42 meters at the Florida Relays, putting him 28th nationally. Snead is also ranked sixth in the AAC in the long jump, with his best jump of 7.28 meters coming in the outdoor opener at North Florida.
Sophomore Tyler Gleen (Shelton, Conn.) ran the 13th fastest time in the 800 meters in the NCAA so far this season, clocking a 1:48.79 at the Florida Relays. Classmate Eric van der Els (Norwalk, Conn.) made his spring debut in the 1,500 meters and turned in the fastest time yet by a Husky this season at last weekend's meet. Van der Els posted a time of 3:52.61, winning the event and putting him fifth among AAC leaders.
Sophomore Safir Scott (Greenwich, Conn.) has the top high jump thus far in the AAC, clearing 2.12 meters in the opening North Florida meet. Scott is currently 25th in the NCAA rankings.
Senior pole vaulter Ian Bergere (Madison, Conn.) will get his first crack at the event outdoors in the harsher northeast elements. Bergere had his best vault of the outdoor season last weekend in Georgia, climbing to fifth in the AAC rankings with a height of 4.90 meters.
In the javelin, UConn r-sophomore Michael Jeffers is set to make his season debut this weekend. Jeffers is returning from injury.
Following Saturday's home meet, the Huskies will have the Larry Ellis Invitational at Princeton and the Penn Relays left prior to heading to Wichita State for this year's American Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships on May 10-12.
Players Mentioned
