Feb. 25, 2012

Reach T&F Contact Michael Stambaugh for more details by E-Mail stambaughm@cookman.edu -

SAVANNAH, Ga. – After wrapping up the MEAC Indoor Track & Field Championships last week with a visible improvement in team strength over previous seasons, the Wildcats open the outdoor stretch of the year with the Savannah State EyeOpener on Saturday.

“It's an early outdoor meet,” said Head Coach Donald Cooper. “It gives us the opportunity and advantage of getting the early competition in, and getting our young players an opportunity to get into the flow of things.”

In keeping everyone at top form, several of the highest performers for B-CU will be off this week, recovering from tweaks and bumps incurred at MEAC, but will be right back to it next week.

For the other 90 percent of the team, it will be a great opportunity to get acclimated to the outdoor feel and get some early marks up, and a chance to place high against the small field at Savannah State.

 “I would primarily say our short sprinters, and some of our jumpers,” Coach Cooper said of who would best transition to outdoor. “Looking for them to be able to go out and execute, and have a pretty good meet, maybe even go ahead and get the MEAC qualifying standard out of the way.”

Cooper is also looking for good performances from the vaulters, and expects several athletes to qualify for MEAC outdoor here at this first meet.

The book is officially closed on the indoor season, as there is no Regional, only a National meet, and some were bumped down in recent conference championship meets. The originally scheduled Last Chance meet will be foregone to focus on getting into outdoor.

“We want to make sure our national-caliber athletes progress at the same pace as other athletes in the country toward outdoor,” Cooper concluded.

Check back at www.B-CUathletics.com for a full meet recap on Saturday evening.

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