Head coach Dennis Craddock has made his goal clear for the 2003 North Carolina women\'s track & field teams - win the Atlantic Coast Conference and finish in the Top 5 nationally in both indoor and outdoor.
\"I feel good about the women\'s team,\" the head coach said. \"Last year UCLA was the only team to beat us in the overall team title. Everyone recognizes that we have a total team concept. We\'ve got somebody good in every event and that is how that title is based.
\"A few years ago we used to be so strong in the sprints, hurdles and jumps and we were just begging for more distance runners. These things go in swings, but now we have really great middle distance and distance runners, and we have a few outstanding sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers\"
Since indoor ACC Championships began in 1987, Carolina has won 13 of the 16 meets. Last season was the first time since 1992 that the team did not finish first, losing to Georgia Tech despite hosting the meet for the first time in school history. At the outdoor ACC Championships, Carolina has been the top team the past two seasons and looks to win a third straight.
This year\'s team is focusing on three major meets during the indoor season, and then four during the outdoor season.
\"We try to pick and choose major Championships,\" Craddock said. \"Everything else is getting ready for those championships because you can\'t go at top level every week.\"
In the winter the indoor team looks to have strong showings at the New York Armory Collegiate Invitational on Feb. 14 and 15. One week later the team returns to Chapel Hill to host ACC Championships, where several athletes look to defend their 2002 title. Junior Shalane Flanagan looks to defend her title in the mile and the 3,000-meter, junior Alice Schmidt looks to defend her 800-meter title and Flanagan, Schmidt, senior Bobbie Jo Munson and junior Tiffany Flomo attempt to defend their ACC title and conference indoor record in the Distance Medley Relay. After the ACC meet, the Tar Heels will prepare for NCAA Championships on March 15 and 16.
\"I feel like if we are consistently in the Top 5 in the country, and then on any given day you can win the championship,\" Craddock said. \"I believe in putting our team into position to win and then luck has to play into it a little bit.\"
During the outdoor season the first major meets for the team will be the Texas Relays and Georgia Tech Invitational, followed by ACC Championships April 18 and 19 in Raleigh. Carolina returns four 2002 individual champions - Flanagan in the 1,500-meter, Schmidt in the 800-meter, Flomo in the 400-meter hurdles and sophomore Erin Donohue in the javelin - as well as all four members of the victorious 1,600-meter relay team, sophomore Lindsay Bond, Flanagan, Schmidt and Flomo.
New to NCAA outdoor track and field in 2003 will be NCAA Regionals, to be held two weeks prior to the Championship meet. The qualifying times athletes post in all events except the decathlon and 10,000 meter will now determine regional seedings as opposed to national seedings as they had in the past. All conference champions will also receive a bye to regionals. It is a system that Craddock said is fairer because it lets the competition and the end of season performance determine which athletes will compete at the highest level.
Schmidt looks to head to Sacramento, Calif. to defend her national championship in the 800-meter. Last season she was Carolina\'s first outdoor champion since Nicole Gamble won the triple jump in 1999.
\"I feel good about the women\'s team,\" the head coach said. \"Last year UCLA was the only team to beat us in the overall team title. Everyone recognizes that we have a total team concept. We\'ve got somebody good in every event and that is how that title is based.
\"A few years ago we used to be so strong in the sprints, hurdles and jumps and we were just begging for more distance runners. These things go in swings, but now we have really great middle distance and distance runners, and we have a few outstanding sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers\"
Since indoor ACC Championships began in 1987, Carolina has won 13 of the 16 meets. Last season was the first time since 1992 that the team did not finish first, losing to Georgia Tech despite hosting the meet for the first time in school history. At the outdoor ACC Championships, Carolina has been the top team the past two seasons and looks to win a third straight.
This year\'s team is focusing on three major meets during the indoor season, and then four during the outdoor season.
\"We try to pick and choose major Championships,\" Craddock said. \"Everything else is getting ready for those championships because you can\'t go at top level every week.\"
In the winter the indoor team looks to have strong showings at the New York Armory Collegiate Invitational on Feb. 14 and 15. One week later the team returns to Chapel Hill to host ACC Championships, where several athletes look to defend their 2002 title. Junior Shalane Flanagan looks to defend her title in the mile and the 3,000-meter, junior Alice Schmidt looks to defend her 800-meter title and Flanagan, Schmidt, senior Bobbie Jo Munson and junior Tiffany Flomo attempt to defend their ACC title and conference indoor record in the Distance Medley Relay. After the ACC meet, the Tar Heels will prepare for NCAA Championships on March 15 and 16.
\"I feel like if we are consistently in the Top 5 in the country, and then on any given day you can win the championship,\" Craddock said. \"I believe in putting our team into position to win and then luck has to play into it a little bit.\"
During the outdoor season the first major meets for the team will be the Texas Relays and Georgia Tech Invitational, followed by ACC Championships April 18 and 19 in Raleigh. Carolina returns four 2002 individual champions - Flanagan in the 1,500-meter, Schmidt in the 800-meter, Flomo in the 400-meter hurdles and sophomore Erin Donohue in the javelin - as well as all four members of the victorious 1,600-meter relay team, sophomore Lindsay Bond, Flanagan, Schmidt and Flomo.
New to NCAA outdoor track and field in 2003 will be NCAA Regionals, to be held two weeks prior to the Championship meet. The qualifying times athletes post in all events except the decathlon and 10,000 meter will now determine regional seedings as opposed to national seedings as they had in the past. All conference champions will also receive a bye to regionals. It is a system that Craddock said is fairer because it lets the competition and the end of season performance determine which athletes will compete at the highest level.
Schmidt looks to head to Sacramento, Calif. to defend her national championship in the 800-meter. Last season she was Carolina\'s first outdoor champion since Nicole Gamble won the triple jump in 1999.