PEORIA, Ill. -- The Bradley men's and women's track and field teams will travel to Nashville, Tenn., for the fourth consecutive year, opening the 2015 outdoor season Friday and Saturday at the Vanderbilt Black & Gold.
The Braves have had nearly a month off after wrapping up the Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Track & Field Championship back on March 1, with the Vanderbilt Black & Gold kicking off five consecutive weeks of outings for Bradley before the MVC Outdoor Track & Field Championship May 15-17 in Normal, Ill.
The outdoor season officially opens for the Braves Friday at 6 p.m. with nine women entered in the 1,500 meters. All-MVC indoor performers Caitlin Busch (Waterloo, Ill./Freeburg), Kristen Busch (Waterloo, Ill./Freeburg) and Emily Delvo (Springfield, Ill./Sacred Heart Griffin) will help pace the group scheduled to run. Delvo posted the second-best 1,500 meter in school history last year at Vanderbilt.
Seven Bradley men are slated to run in the 1,500 meters at 6:30 p.m. Freshman Michael Ward (Cardiff, South Wales/Llanishen) earned all-conference honors after taking second in the 3,000 meters at the MVC Indoor Championship and will be joined by sophomore Mike Bianchina (Geneva, Ill./Geneva), who was sixth in the mile at the MVC Indoor Championship earlier this month, to help lead the pack of Braves in the field.
Friday's action will also include the men's and women's 5,000 meters. Junior Rosie Hiles (Hampshire, England/Alton College/University of Birmingham) looks to build on what has been a strong first year on the Hilltop in the women's 5,000 meters at 7 p.m. Freshman Lauren Cunningham (Bayside, Wis./Nicolet) and junior Kylie McKinney (Petersburg, Ill./PORTA) will challenge Hiles for top team honors in the 5,000 meters.
In the men's 5,000 meters at 7:30 p.m., junior Marshall Moyer (Burlington, Iowa/Burlington) posted the sixth best indoor 5,000 meter time in school history in his last competition and is one of four Braves set to compete Friday night.
Saturday's action includes sophomore Steffen Uhrich (Wauwatosa, Wis./East) in the steeplechase at 12:40 p.m. and the men's and women's 800 meters at 2:30 p.m.
Senior Kyela Specht (Munster, Ind./Munster) nearly reached the 800 meter finals at last year's MVC Outdoor Championship and is expected to pace a group of five Braves entered in the field. On the men's side, senior Aaron Peck (Moline, Ill./Moline) had the top time on the squad last year and is one of four Bradley men scheduled to run.
After the trip to Nashville, Bradley will send a contingent to the Stanford Invitational April 3 & 4 in Stanford, Calif., in addition to participating at EIU Big Blue Classic in Charleston, Ill., Saturday, April 4.
