May 8, 2014
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The University of Notre Dame track and field teams will be dividing time this weekend between two meets: The Grand Valley State Last Chance Meet in Allendale, Mich., and the Virginia Challenge in Charlottesville, Va. Seven student-athletes will be traveling to Grand Valley State while another 21 head east to Virginia.
Though this weekend is the “Last Chance” at Grand Valley State, head coach Joe Piane remarks that the Irish still have a few more chances to get qualified before the NCAA Preliminaries in three weeks.
“The Virginia Challenge is a very good meet-there will be a lot of ACC schools,” Piane explains. “It’s a chance to get kids qualified for the NCAAs. Or if they’ve already qualified, we’ll run them in a different event.”
As for the Grand Valley State meet, Piane says it will showcase a higher level of competition for throwers, which is why assistant coach Adam Beltran wanted to take part of the Notre Dame team.
The Irish are looking to improve their times in the next three weeks so that a strong Notre Dame crew can compete in the NCAA competition.
“The first round is going to be in Jacksonville, and I think we should have about 25 kids qualified, which is a pretty solid number,” Piane adds. “Then hopefully we’ll get 12 to 15 qualified for the finals.”
The Virginia Challenge kicks off tomorrow, May 9, and action at the Grand Valley State Last Chance Meet begins Saturday, May 10. Results will be posted here on UND.com.
Grand Valley State Last Chance Meet:
Amanda Chamblee, Vivien Devaney, Mary Esther Gourdin, Emily Morris, Keith Mesidor, Dominick Padovano, Anthony Shivers
Virginia Challenge:
Alexa Aragon, Dani Aragon, Michelle Brown, Kelly Curran, Taylor Driscoll, Amber Lalla, Michelle Rotondo, Molly Seidel, Aijah Urssery, Megan Yanik, Jarrod Buchanon, Michael Clevenger, Aaron Dunn, Pat Feeney, Chris Giesting, Ted Glasnow, Alex Groesch, Jake Kildoo, JP Malette, Chris Quinn, Logan Renwick
–Lauren Chval, Media Relations Assistant
–ND–