CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- High Point University track and field kicks off its 2020 campaign with a trip to Chapel Hill for the Dick Taylor Carolina Challenge. The field consists of the ACC's Duke, the host North Carolina, two fellow Big South teams in Hampton and Campbell while being joined by fellow North Carolina schools in East Carolina and UNCG. The Dick Taylor Carolina Challenge will take place in the Eddie Smith Field House which contains the Dick Taylor Track which is a six-lane, 200 flat track.

High Point University Track & Field at Dick Taylor Carolina Challenge
When: Saturday, January 11, Events start at 11 am
Where: Chapel Hill, N.C. | Eddie Smith Field House
Meet Schedule | Performance List | Live Scoring

"We want to take advantage of every opportunity that we have and this is the first one," head track and field coach Mike Esposito said. "There will be no such thing as feeling out we have to go compete. Many of these other teams have already competed so this is our first per se, it's a good chance for our freshman to get thrown into the fire right away. We expect them to have high intensity, no one should be timid, it is go-time. We cannot waste an opportunity if we want to have a chance to win the conference."

Sophomores Leah Bolden, Nyile Facey and Taylor Arthur enter their second year of indoor action as all will look to be key contributors this season for the purple and white. Bolden and Facey will be competing in the 60m dash 2:35 pm. Facey will be in action in the 60m hurdles at 12:30 pm while Arthur will be running in the 400m at 1:20 pm.

Nathalie Elliott is back this weekend and will see her first 2020 indoor action this weekend. She enters 2020 as the defending Big South indoor Pole Vault champion. Carter Clasper also enters 2020 as the defending Big South indoor Pole Vault champion. Clasper will be making his first indoor appearance this Saturday. The men's pole vault will begin at 11 am with the women's pole vault beginning after.

A fair share of newcomers will be making their HPU Indoor debut on Saturday, three of those Panthers include freshmen Alicia Dawson, Dekairi Brown, and Chris Van Niekerk. Brown will be competing in the 60m dash and the triple jump. Van Niekerk will be participating in the weight throw which starts at 11 am shot put which starts at 1:30 pm. Dawson will be competing in the 60m dash at 2:35 pm and the triple jump which will begin following the long jump.

Gabriel Stainback and Pablo Romero will both be running in the men's 60m hurdles as they prepare for the heptathlon to come later this season. Romero comes into this indoor season as the defending Big South Heptathlon Champion. Stainback will also be in action in the high jump at 11 am while Romero will be participating in the pole vault.

Up next for the Panthers they will head to Lexington, VA for the VMI Keydet Invitational which starts on Friday, January 17th.

#GoHPU