The UConn track and field team is set to travel to Alabama this weekend to take part in the Crimson Tide Invitational. The Huskies, who are coming off a second-place finish in the UConn Dog Fight Invite just a week ago, are looking to continue to build momentum heading into the final weeks of the season in hopes of winning the Big East Outdoor Championship for the fourth year in a row.
The women placed first in last weekend’s meet, dominating in both the track events and in the field. Freshman Claire Paci broke into the program all-time top ten in the 3000m with a blistering fast time of 9:52.76 seconds, finishing ten seconds before the next fastest runner. Natalia Surdej also placed first in the hammer throw, with a toss of 59.14 meters, which also won Surdej the Big East Women’s Field Athlete of the Week.
On the men’s side, they found themselves in second place, just 14 points behind Albany. Despite the second-place finish, Brendan Kovar, Mekhi Stone, Diarmuid O’Connor and OJ Singletary won the 4×400 with a time of 3:10.82, placing themselves tenth on the program all-time 4×400 list. In addition, Enaji Muhammad won the high jump event with a mark of 2.14 meters, helping him secure the Big East Men’s Field Athlete of the Week.
The Crimson Tide Invitational will play host to many schools, including Alabama, Jacksonville State, Indiana, Memphis, Mississippi State, Rhode Island and 24 other schools.
Kicking off on Friday, April 11, the first day will primarily consist of field events, except for the women’s and men’s 5000m at 9 p.m. and 9:20 p.m.
Saturday, April 12, will be the main day, as there will be events spanning from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
The day will start with the men’s javelin throw, which will then be followed by men’s and women’s long jump until concluding at 4:05 p.m. with men’s and women’s shot put.
The track events won’t begin until 1:25 p.m., when the women’s team will take part in the 100m hurdles, and then will conclude at 6:30 p.m., following the men’s 4x400m relay.
This is UConn’s first time competing in the Crimson Tide Invitational. This competition is set to be one of the biggest meets the Huskies compete in during the season, as there are 30 other schools from around the country. A strong performance by the Huskies would carry a lot of momentum into the last weeks of the season, as Connecticut is looking to dominate the Big East Outdoor Championships yet again.