Track and Field Preview: Crimson Tide Invite

Thursday, April 11

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

All Day

University of Memphis

Crimson Tide Invitational

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Apr 10, 2019 | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

2019 Crimson Tide Invite Schedule

Tigers back in action after week off from competition.

Live Results

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – After a week off from competition, the University of Memphis track and field team heads down the home stretch of the regular season in April with the first of three meets before the league championships at this week's Crimson Tide Invite presented by Benyon Sports.

The 2019 Crimson Tide Invite is set for Thursday and Friday, Apr. 11-12 at the Sam Bailey Track and Field Stadium on the University of Alabama campus. Thursday's action starts at 6:30 p.m. (CT) with the hammer throw, followed by the 1500 and 5000 meters. The meet's second day begins at 9 a.m. (CT) Friday with the field events, followed by the running events starting at 12 p.m. (CT).

Following the Crimson Tide Invite, the Tigers have two more "tune-up" meets at Auburn and the annual Memphis Invitational to close the month of April. The 2019 American Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships is scheduled for early May.

Alumni Reunion Reminder
The Memphis track and field program is holding an alumni reunion weekend Apr. 26-27 on the University of Memphis campus. A special reception is scheduled for the Hardaway Hall of Fame, located at 570 Normal Street, on Friday, Apr. 26. The 2019 Memphis Invitational takes place Friday and Saturday, Apr. 26-27 at the Billy J. Murphy Track and Field Complex located on the University's Park Avenue campus.

Head coach Kevin Robinson comments
"It's a little different meet with the scheduling (on Thursday and Friday), but I like it because it gives us the weekend at home which is pretty rare in this business. Hopefully, we'll get some sunshine and warm weather. In our last meet (at Southeast Missouri), it goes into my top three or four for the worst weather conditions in which to compete in my 20-plus years of coaching. Glad to put that weather behind us, and hope it's the last time we see that. We're excited to move forward and compete.

"I love meets like these (Alabama, Auburn) because they will put us against some elite, top-tiered competition. It's going to give us an opportunity to see where we are, where we stack up against the best and if we are ready to perform at a high level."

Team Scoring
The Crimson Tide Invite is a non-scoring meet.

Teams Competing
Alabama, Coahoma CC, Florida State, Hinds CC, Indiana State, Memphis, Meridian CC, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Southern Miss

Tigers Tidbits

The Tigers are competing in an Alabama-hosted meet for the fifth-consecutive season. Memphis was a part of the 2015, 2017 and 2018 Crimson Tide Invitationals and the 2016 Alabama Relays. It also is the second-straight year the Tigers are heading to Tuscaloosa, Ala., with their complete squad. In 2017, Memphis split its team with meets at Alabama and Georgia on the same weekend.
Amber Simpson is going for four in a row this week as she competes for her fourth-straight title in the women's hammer. She also is attempting a school record in the event for a fourth-consecutive meet. She opened the 2019 outdoor campaign with a school-record throw of 196-1 (59.76m), and since, Simpson improved on that mark twice to its current distance of 200-3 (61.03m).
The rest of the throws group joins Simpson in returning to action after many – both men and women – did not compete in the Joey Haines Invitational Mar. 30 due to the inclement weather. As a result, most of the group has not competed since the Mar. 22-23 Al Schmidt Bulldog Relays.
Davon DeMoss returns to "full strength" – in terms of events – at the Crimson Tide Invite. DeMoss, who earned All-America honors at the NCAA Indoor Championships in early March, has raced in only two events in the three outdoor meets, with both (200m/4x100m relay) coming at the Mar. 22-23 Al Schmidt Bulldog Relays. The senior is scheduled to compete in the 100 and 200 meters and also run legs in the relays at Alabama.
Saida Burns-Moore (women's high jump) and Ashley Pryke (women's javelin) return to defend their titles from last year's Crimson Tide Invite.
Ashley Pryke goes for her 18^thwomen's javelin title at Alabama. She has won five-straight and 14 of the last 15 regular-season javelin events in which she threw.

Tigers In NCAA East Region Rankings (Top 60)
Men
9. Adar Sheere (discus)
11. Memphis: DeMoss, Persiado, Gunnarsson, Bishop (4x100m relay)
19. Davon DeMoss (200m)
20. Julian Sanchez-Pinto (3000m steeplechase)
31. Imri Persiado (100m)
40. Andrew Bishop (100m)
46. Tate Wyatt (3000m steeplechase)
60. Max Emmerich (javelin)

Women
2. Ashley Pryke (javelin)
12. Saida Burns-Moore (triple jump)
22. Amber Simpson (hammer)
23. Saida Burns-Moore (high jump)
26. Samantha Lenton (discus)
31. Tanalya Gordon (long jump)
35. DeeNia McMiller (shot put)
38. Mona Jaidi (hammer)
44. Vigdis Jonsdottir (hammer)
46. Mona Jaida (discus)
53. Samantha Lenton (hammer)