Feb. 6, 2015 PRINCESS ANNE, Md. -- Looking to continue what has been a strong season for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore track & field team, the team will host several schools in Princess Anne Saturday in the 1st annual Nelson Townsend Invitational at the William P. Hytche Athletic Center.
The meet is named in honor of Nelson Townsend, a 1962 graduate of Maryland State College who served two terms of athletic director here in Princess Anne. Mr. Townsend passed away this past January.
The event will begin at 11:00a.m. and admission is free and open to the public. In addition to the Hawks, the American Eagles, Coppin State Eagles, Delaware State Hornets, Howard Bison, Morgan State Bears and Bowie State Bulldogs will also be competing in Princess Anne. Field events will start first, with track events kicking off at 12:30 in the afternoon. On the field side, throwing events will be followed by jumps, while on the track side, the 5000 meter run will begin their events. That will be followed by a mix of dashes and runs and will culminate in the 4x400 and Distance Relays.
Halfway through the indoor season, the Hawks have enjoyed plenty of successes. Several athletes have broken school records, while many others achieved new personal heights. At the most recent meet in Boston on January 31st, 13 different Hawks set personal records across the board and two UMES players--sophomore Khalil Rmidi Kinini (Malaga, Spain) and senior Dillon Simon (Roseau, Dominica)--broke their own records in separate events. Rmidi Kinini shaved seven seconds off his 3000 meter time and Simon added nearly ¼ of a meter to his shot put distance.
Although the team has yet to claim victory in any of the meets during the season, no UMES team has finished worst than 10th in meets where team scoring is applied.
The meet will serve as the final matchup before the MEAC Championships, scheduled for Valentine's Day Weekend in Landover, Maryland. After a last chance meet in Boston, UMES student-athletes who qualify will make a second trip to Boston for the IC4A/ECAC Championships. There is also a possibility for a few more to go to the NCAA Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. in March.
