Last chance to brush up
The USF indoor track team has one more chance to work out any kinks it has this weekend at the Tiger Invitational. The meet, being held at Clemson is the last event of the regular season before the Conference USA Championship on Feb. 27.
“This is a good final tune-up (and) dress rehearsal for the conference championships,” USF coach Greg Thiel said.
After a second place finish at the Tar Heel Challenge, Thiel has reserved expectations for this weekend due to the fact that the Bulls will be facing more competitors. Thiel said that the field will consist of forty or more schools from around the nation.
“This is going to be a good meet with a lot of good competition,” Thiel said. “(It has) a deeper field of strong competitors in every event.”
Thiel will offset the sterner competition by placing his players in the events that they will be running at the conference tournament instead of experimenting as he has done this season. Despite running them in their respective spots, Thiel still may need to make some last-minute changes before next weekend”We need this last meet to look at a few kids,” Thiel said.
Even though USF will use this last regular season meet to its advantage, Thiel is confident that his team is ready to go to the conference tournament with or without the Tiger Invitational.
“They know what they need to do to win a conference championship,” Thiel said.
And they should. The Bulls graduated only one player last year, so the squad has the experience of tournament competition. This weekend will help the Bulls prepare for C-USA, but the environment will be much different.
“This will be a much bigger setting, but there will be more pressure at conference,” Thiel said.