Track & Field

Taking a bite out of the Big Apple

The Cougars will see how they stack up against the best athletes from around the world this Friday at the New Balance Invitational at the renowned Armory Track in New York.

“What we really want is for our national caliber athletes to compete and show what we are capable of and make the finals,” head coach Leroy Burrell said. “With some of our developing athletes we want them to go out there and perform at their best because the venue and atmosphere are outstanding.”

The New Balance Invitational is the biggest collegiate-sporting event held in the New York-metropolitan area with 130 universities from 28 different states and global competitors from universities in France, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Ireland.

In its 11th year, the event hosts powerhouse teams from across the nation with an eye on both regional and national interest.

UH will be facing teams from conferences such as the SEC, Big 10, and Big 12.

“There are going to be ranked opponents, ranked teams and numerous teams,” said Burrell.

Burrell said that this will be a great opportunity for the Cougars to get exposure to a different level of competition

“We are going to be competing against many of the best track and field teams in the country,” Burrell said.

“The competition can be very stiff, but we have some athletes that can compete at that level.”

Burrell emphasized the importance of the location.

“Moving to the Big East, The Armory is the venue where our conference will be held, so it has added importance to the future of our program,” he said.

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