Track teams travel to Georgia Tech

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -The Middle Tennessee track and field teams continue to prepare for the Sun Belt Outdoor Championships as they head to Atlanta to compete in the Yellow Jacket Invitational this weekend.

A strong field of 14 teams will compete in the two-day event. The other participating teams include host Georgia Tech, Auburn, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Clemson, Chattanooga, Georgia State, Kennesaw State, Louisville, Michigan, Tulane and Connecticut.

The Yellow Jacket Invitational includes a full slate of field events and mostly individual track events. For most of the Blue Raiders, this will be the first full weekend of individual competition since the Sun Belt Conference Indoor Championships.

Head coach Dean Hayes said, "This weekend is mostly about improving the individual running events. We may run some of the relays, but we are more focused on individual races this weekend."

Last weekend, the Blue Raiders took seven first place finishes in their first outdoor meet in Athens, Ga., at the Georgia Relays. The Georgia Relays format included mostly relay events, in which the Blue Raiders won four races and finished second in two others.

The weekend was highlighted by the performances of junior Brittany Cox, who earned a NCAA Regional qualifying mark with a shot put toss of 49-06.50. She then broke her own school record from a season ago in the hammer throw.

For the men, Roscoe Payne won the 110 meter hurdles in 14.78. The All-Sun Belt freshman has won two of his last three hurdle events.

The Yellow Jacket Invitational will begin at 6 p.m. EST on Friday with the hammer throw and conclude Saturday evening with the 4x400 meter relay.

The Blue Raiders will play host to the Sun Belt Outdoor Championships, May 8-10.

Meet results will be available Saturday evening on ramblinwreck.com and goblueraiders.com.

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