After a good showing at the indoor NCAA Championships, Notre Dame can finally take a breath of fresh air.
Notre Dame is heading outdoors for the Arizona State Invitational in Tempe, Arizona, home of the 2008 Men's and Women's Indoor NCAA Champions Sun Devils.
While only consisting of sprints and field events, the Irish will try to compete against the likes of Brigham Young University, Loyola Marymount, Air Force and more. Not only does Notre Dame face new competitors, it faces new events as well. Junior Austin Wechter will be running in the 400-meter hurdles while sophomore Brandon Denon, junior John Belcher and senior Mike Schubert will test their skills in the discus.
The 4-by-400-meter relay team of junior Billy Buzaid, freshman Miklos Szebeny and sophomore Balasz Molnar will accompany teammate Wechter on their trip to Tempe. Buzaid and Szebeny will also participate in the 400-meter run, hoping to finish well and help boost the Irish running events.
Freshmen Tyrell Atkins will also sprint for the Irish. He's expected to run in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash.
The throwers include freshmen Greg Davis, freshman Denes Verez, junior Jeff Mensch and upperclassmen Denon, Belcher and Schubert. Davis, Belcher and Mensch will be doing the weight throw while Denon and Schubert participate in the shot put. Verez will take part in both events hoping to repeat his second-place finish at the Big East Conference meet last month.
As for the jumps, sophomore Eric Quick will partake in the long jump and triple while junior Blair Macjina will compete in the high jump. Junior Brian Mahon and sophomore Matt Schipper are both participating in the pole vault.
The Arizona State University Invitational begins on Friday at 5 p.m. with the hammer throw.
