SPARTANBURG -- The 2011 South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind Eye Opener meet at The Roger Milliken Arboretum will move to a two-day meet this September.
Meet director Jack Todd announced college races are now scheduled for Friday night, Sept. 2 and high school action the following day.
Todd was approached by USC Upstate coach Jimmy Stephens with the request.
"Jimmy Stephens asked me last fall if I would consider moving the collegiate divisions to Friday evening," said Todd. "His reasoning was that Friday evening would be a more attractive format for collegiate teams.
"I approached my steering committee (Mike Baird, Scott Hubbard, George Sykes, Sandy Lee, Willie Lowe - in addition to Jimmy (Stephens) and Carson Blackwelder at USC Upstate) about Jimmy's proposal and we concluded that there were additional advantages to moving the collegiate races to Friday night including:
- reduced traffic volume on Saturday (three years ago traffic backed onto Business I-85)
- high school races will be able to start earlier (important for early season races)
- the earlier start will allow us to separate the boys and girls junior varsity races
(previously the boys junior varsity race began at 11 a.m. and the girls junior varsity race began at 11:05).
Having decided this move would enhance the Eye Opener from several aspects, we then took our proposal to the Roger Milliken Center administration - who approved the change in schedule."
The arboretum served as host venue for the 1995 NCAA Division II National Championships, 1999 USATF Junior Olympic National Championships and 2008 and 2010 National Junior College Championships.
Schedule
Friday - collegiate races
7 p.m.: Women's 5K
7:30 p.m.: Men's 8K
Saturday
8 a.m.: International girls (limit 10)
8:30 a.m.: International boys (limit 10)
9 a.m.: Championship girls (limit 10)
9:30 a.m.: Championship boys (limit 10)
10 a.m.: JV girls (unlimited)
10:30 a.m.: JV boys (unlimited)
High school teams will enter on sctrackworld.us. The deadline for entry is 11 p.m. on Aug. 29. The meet is in its 28th year.