Tulane, Tad Gormley host C-USA track & field event

Tulane hosts the Conference USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Tad Gormley Stadium today through Sunday (May 11–13) for the first time since 2000. The men's and women's teams look to improve upon their eighth- and tenth-place finishes from last year, and senior Ana Ruzevic will defend her javelin title.

A stony, Romanesque structure amidst the grassy greens of City Park, Tad Gormley has hosted a number of high-profile track meets in the past, including the 1993 NCAA Championship and the 1992 Olympic Trials. In fact, the 1992 Barcelona qualifying event featured two competitors from the current Tulane coaching staff: head coach Eric Peterson raced the 1500 meters and assistant coach Doug Fraley competed in the pole vault.

“I do have some nostalgic feelings every time I go out there,” Peterson says about the site of his last elite race. “I feel very strongly about that venue and the kind of experience athletes can have there.”

Hosting the event in New Orleans serves as a fitting send-off for the Tulane seniors, and especially members of the men's team, who mark the program's first graduating class since the program restarted with a crew of eager walk-ons in 2008.

Senior captain Garrett Myer speaks for his teammates when he says, “It's bittersweet but at the same time, it's good to be at this point. I'm excited to put a really strong performance together to see what I'm capable of, for the last time.”

“As we are building this program,” Peterson says, “the main focus that we have within our program is for continued individual improvement. We want them to go into this phase with the work that they've done and represent Tulane with pride and honor.”

Interested spectators can view the meet's schedule to find out when to cheer for the Green Wave.

Johanna Gretschel is a senior at Tulane, majoring in English and competing for the Green Wave in track and field.