Tigers Track And Field Squads Open Outdoor Season This Weekend

Thursday, March 17

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

University of Memphis

Alabama Relays

Chardae Greenlee, 2015-16 Women's Track and Field

Photo by: Nikki Boertman

Tigers Track And Field Squads Open Outdoor Season This Weekend

Mar 16, 2016 | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

Memphis to compete at Alabama Relays in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Talk about not having much down time.

Just under three weeks ago, the University of Memphis track and field squads were winning medals and setting school records at the conference indoor championships. And, this weekend, the Tigers teams turn the page to the outdoor portion of their 2015-16 schedule when they compete at the 2016 John Mitchell Alabama Relays in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Action at the three-day Alabama Relays begins Thursday, Mar. 17 and runs through Saturday, Mar. 19. Thirty-six colleges from the junior college level to large NCAA Division I universities are slated to compete this weekend.

Memphis is carrying some momentum from the indoor campaign into the outdoor season. The Tigers – men and women combined – set or tied eight school records. The school records broken were: Carolina Carmichael in the women's pole vault, Martina Rodriguez Sala in the women's mile and 3000m, LaForrest Church in the men's 800m, Corentin Louis in the men's 3000m, Luis Hanssler in the men's heptathlon and the Tigers men's 4x400m relay (Chris Walker, Alex Klatt, Antaun Andrews, Church). Davon DeMoss tied the Memphis men's 60m mark.

The Tigers squads also combined for six top-three performances at the American Athletic Conference Indoor Championships, including three gold-medal finishes. Rodriguez Sala (women's mile), Church (men's 800m) and Hanssler (men's heptathlon) all placed first in their respective events.

Memphis hopes to match or better its 2015 outdoor season which saw the men's and women's programs together total seven All-America honors and 14 NCAA East Preliminaries competitors. The seven outdoor All-America honors, combined with the one indoor All-America accolade (Chardae Greenlee in women's triple jump), were the most for the Tigers in a single academic year. Among the returning outdoor All-Americans are Kyle Bynum (men's javelin), Carmichael (women's pole vault), Michael Criticos (men's javelin) and Luke Vaughn (men's discus). The 14 NCAA Preliminaries qualifiers tied a school record.

The Tigers also set six outdoor records in 2015. Returnees for 2016 that set school marks last outdoor season are Martine Bye (women's javelin), Carmichael (women's pole vault), Greenlee (women's triple jump) and Rodriguez Sala (women's 1500m).