Track and Field Announces Outdoor Schedule

Thursday, March 03, 2022 | By: WIU Athletic Communications

The Leathernecks will compete in five meets before the Summit League Championships.

MACOMB, ILL.- With indoor competition concluding, Western Illinois track and field will focus their attention on the fast approaching outdoor season. The Leathernecks will look to build on their many highlights from the indoor season and continue to break multiple school records in the great outdoors.

"When creating the schedule, we begin with the end in mind. Indoors it's significantly more difficult to qualify for the NCAA Championships," said Head Coach Trey Brokaw. "You have to essentially chase marks; top-16 individuals and top-12 relays qualify. Finding the best competition and the best facilities is essential for hitting one of those top marks. Outdoors, we have a Regional system where the country is divided in half between east and west. The top-48 student-athletes in each event qualify to the NCAA Regional meets. From the Regional, athletes compete their way to the NCAA Championships with the top-12 in each event advancing. Everything we've planned is centered around putting student-athletes in the best position possible to be successful in the postseason."

The season begins in Emporia, Kansas as WIU competes in the Emporia State Relays (March 24-26), hosted by Emporia State University.

The month of April kicks off with the Joey Haines Invitational (April 1-2) in Cape Girardeau, Mo., hosted by Southeast Missouri State. After a week off, the Leathernecks get back into action with the Red Bird Challenge (April 15-16) in Normal, Ill., hosted by Illinois State University.

The Leathernecks compete in the state of Iowa back to back weekends, starting with the Musco Twilight Invitational (April 23), hosted by the University Iowa in Iowa City. Western Illinois then heads west to Des Moines, Iowa, to battle in the Drake Relays (April 28-30) hosted by Drake University.

The regular season concludes in Badger country, as Western Illinois competes in the Wisconsin Twilight in Madison, Wis., (May 6) hosted by the University of Wisconsin.

"Early in the season we travel south to increase our chances of catching warm weather. During the middle portion of our season, we compete against regionally strong programs," said Trey Brokaw. "We also have the prestigious Drake Relays in our schedule which is a huge favorite for athletes all over the country. It's not often you get to compete in a stadium with nearly 10,000 fans in the stands. Our team is excited for the outdoor season, and it should be a lot of fun."

The postseason begins with the Summit League Championships (May 12-14) in Tulsa, Okla. Athletes can then qualify for the NCAA West Regional Championships (May 25-28) in Fayetteville, Ark. The NCAA Championships will be held in Eugene, Ore. (June 8-11).

Although Western Illinois won't be hosting any meets at the collegiate level, track and field will be hosting the Lee Calhoun Invite (April 9).

"We have also decided to bring back the Lee Calhoun Invitational. This year we will only host high school teams but in the near future, I would love to bring back the collegiate portion of that meet," said Trey Brokaw. "Continuing to maintain the legacy of Coach Calhoun is important to me and there is no better way to honor him than with a track & field meet. Dozens of high school teams plan to attend the meet this year and we look forward to hosting it at our beautiful outdoor facility."

Print Friendly Version

Upcoming Events and Recent Results

The Leathernecks will compete in five meets before the Summit League Championships.

Related Videos

Related Stories