The Virginia track team hosts the Lou Onesty/Milton G. Abramson Invitational tomorrow at Lannigan Field. The Cavaliers also will host the ACC championships starting one week from today.
The field of 14 teams provides little challenge for a strong Virginia squad that boasts four athletes who have either partially or provisionally qualified for NCAA championships.
Out of a field that includes six in-state schools, the best competition in tomorrow's meet should come from Georgetown.
Virginia has consistently outperformed the Hoyas and continues to get stronger as it adds more athletes who have recovered from injuries. In the Cavaliers' last meet, thrower John Welch competed for the first time this season winning the javelin throw. This weekend senior sprinter Shay Clark will participate fully in his events.
"I've learned to really appreciate any opportunity to run," Clark said. "I don't take it for granted anymore."
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Clark and junior Jason Young likely will team up in the 4x100-meter relay. The Cavaliers' 4x100 relay team posted the second best ever time in school history at the Duke Invitational with a time of 40.88 seconds.
"We're right behind the school record," Clark said. "It is definitely is something we can obtain."
Although the school record is now within their grasp, the 4x100 team has its eyes set on higher goals.
The school record "is important, but not as important as qualifying for nationals," Young said. "We just need to use this weekend's meet as a stepping stone to ACCs and nationals."
Clark will run his shorter sprints for the first time this weekend and said he is optimistic that he can help Virginia's 4x100 relay team break the school record.
"Everyone knows their role on the team and addresses their role accordingly," Young said of the 4x100 team.
The women will face a slightly more competitive Georgetown team as the Hoyas are ranked No. 21 according to Trackwire.
"Georgetown has a really good team, especially in middle distance events," junior Kiamesha Otey said.
Otey is one of four Virginia performers who have provisionally qualified for nationals.
Yet Otey said she didn't expect much competition in her events, noting that Georgetown does not have very strong sprinters.
"This weekend is just to get a meet in," Otey said. "I'm just going to go out there and compete this weekend so I can be just peaking around ACCs."
Although the Cavaliers are confident, they say that nothing comes easily.
"You have to take it one meet at a time," Otey said. "But ACCs are on our minds."
"I don't ever want to say it's going to be easy," Clark said.
Virginia's track team has more at stake than just individual goals. It will be the team's first home meet this season.
Otey said that she is hoping that a strong performance this weekend will help attract fans back to Lannigan Field for next weekend's ACC championships.
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