University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Reveal 2018 Slate
November 13, 2017 | Track & Field
CHAPEL HILL - The University of North Carolina track and field program announced its schedule of events for the 2018 indoor and outdoor seasons Monday. The Tar Heels will host two meets at the Eddie Smith Field House during the indoor slate - the fifth-annual Dick Taylor Carolina Cup on Jan. 13 and the fourth-annual Art and Linda Maillet UNC Open on Feb. 3.
"We are anxiously awaiting the start of the indoor season," head coach Harlis Meaders said. "The kids have been practicing really hard. We're looking forward to putting on the uniform and racing against some other universities. "
Carolina will look to defend the Carolina Cup to start the season when Duke, NC State and ECU come to town. The women's team has held the title for the last two years, and the men have captured at least a share of the Cup three-straight seasons. The meet is the program's largest of the season, and the Tar Heels encourage fans to come out for an early look at the 2018 squads.Â
The Tar Heels will then hit the road to compete at the Notre Dame Invite on Jan. 20 and the Bob Pollock Invite Jan. 26-27. In addition to athletes competing at the Art and Linda Maillet UNC Open, several Tar Heels will also compete in the Camel City Invite in Winston-Salem, N.C., Feb. 2-3. Carolina will then send athletes to Clemson, S.C., Nashville, Tenn., and Seattle, Wa. Feb. 9-10 for the Tiger Paw Invite, the Music City Challenge and the Husky Classic. The teams will wrap up the indoor regular season at the UCS Invitational in Winston-Salem, N.C., Feb. 16-17.
"The Open will be another great opportunity for our kids to prepare for the ACC Championships," head coach Harlis Meaders said. "Art and Linda have been terrific donors and boosters of our program. We're really grateful for the support they continue to give our program."
The ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships will be held in Clemson, S.C., from Feb. 22-24. The indoor season will conclude with the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, which return to College Station, Texas, March 9-10.
"It's going to be an exciting indoor season with several trips to some of the most competitive venues in the country," Meaders said. "I'm really anxious to see the freshmen wear the uniform for the first time, and the seniors as they start their final season of competition really hungry to improve upon last season's performances. Both teams have had wonderful falls, we're really fit and we're anxious to get the season started."
The Tar Heels will begin the outdoor season one week later at the UCF Black & Gold Challenge in Orlando, Fla., March 16-17, before running at the Weems Baskin Invitational in Columbia S.C. on March 24.
Carolina will then compete locally in the Raleigh Relays March 30-31, hosted by NC State, and the Battle of the Blues April 7, hosted by Duke.Â
The Tar Heels will travel to Miami, Fla., on April 14 for the Hurricane Collegiate Invitational and Charlottesville, Va., April 20-21, for the Virginia Challenge. The Tar Heels wrap up the regular season by splitting the month's final weekend at the Penn Relays (April 26-28) in Philadelphia, Pa., and the Virginia Grand Prix (April 28) back in Charlottesville, Va.
The ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships will take place May 10-12 in Miami, Fla. Carolina will then send its qualifying athletes to the NCAA East Preliminary Round May 23-26 with hopes and the goal of punching tickets to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., June 7-9.
