University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Announce 2017 Schedule
11/16/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
2017 Schedule
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Golden Gopher women's track & field team has announced its 2017 indoor and outdoor competition schedule. The indoor schedule is made up of 12 meets, including three home meets at the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse. The outdoor schedule has the Gophers traveling to 18 meets in 10 states.
"We're excited about the schedule we've put together this year," director of women's track & field and cross country Matt Bingle said. "Indoors, it's mostly the traditional meets we've seen in recent years, but the Music City Challenge in Nashville will give us a new trip with some different competition. The Dual against Wisconsin is always a highlight of the indoor season because of our rivalry with them, and we're looking forward to our home meets, especially the Jack Johnson Classic, as well."
The indoor schedule includes 10 regular-season meets before the Gophers head to the Big Ten Championships at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio (Feb. 22-25). The indoor season commences with the NCAA Championships in College Station, Texas (March 10-11).
Two new meets highlight Minnesota's indoor season. Select student-athletes will get an early start to the 2017 campaign by competing in Brookings, S.D., at the South Dakota State Holiday Invite (Dec. 2-3). The Music City Challenge hosted by Vanderbilt (Feb. 10-11) is another new meet new to the Gophers.
Three home meets highlight the indoor season, starting with the Minnesota Open on Saturday, Jan. 14, which marks the team's first meet of the 2017 calendar year. The Gophers also host the annual Jack Johnson Classic (Jan. 27-28) and the Parents Day Invite (Feb, 18).
The indoor slate also includes the Minnesota-Wisconsin Dual (Jan. 21), Meyo Invitational at Notre Dame (Feb. 3-4), and Iowa State Classic (Feb. 10-11), in addition to the Music City Challenge (Feb. 10-11). Minnesota will also send individuals to two local meets at the University of St. Thomas (Jan. 20 and Feb. 10).
"Outdoors, we're excited about returning to some meets we know and traveling to some new places," Bingle said. "The distance runners will go back to NC State, and the whole group returns to UCLA and Kansas. The Kansas Relays is a scored meet, so we'll see some good competition there. We're going to South Florida for our spring break trip, and the sprints, jumps, and throws also go to Texas while the distance runners are at the Drake Relays."
The Gophers' outdoor schedule starts with the Bulls Invitational at the University of South Florida, during spring break. The Gophers then travel Raleigh, N.C., for the Raleigh Relays (March 24-25) and Los Angles, Calif. for the UCLA Legends of Track & Field Invitational (March 31-April 1).
April is a busy month for the Gophers as they will have representatives competing at 10 different meets, including four local meets at Hamline, Concordia-St. Paul, and Macalester. The month of April is highlighted by trips to the Mesa Classic and Sun Angel Classic (April 7-8), Kansas Relays (April 19-22), Drake Relays and Simpson Invite (April 27-29), and the Texas Invitational (April 29).
The 2016 Big Ten Championships is set for May 12-14 in State College, Pa. Following the Big Ten Championships, the NCAA West Prelim kicks off in Austin, Texas on May 25-27, followed by the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore. (June 7-10).
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