Bryant hosts Black & Gold Invitational on Saturday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University track & field team will host its lone home meet of the season on Saturday when the Bulldogs host 12 schools at the third-annual Black & Gold Invitational. Events are scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. with a Senior Day ceremony a half-hour earlier.

"We are very excited to host the Black and Gold Invitational," Bryant head track & field Coach Mitchell Switzer said. "This is our third year hosting the event, and it is slated to be our largest yet. The quality of competition across the board should make for an exciting meet. We also get the chance to honor our senior class which has put in an incredible amount of hard work over the last 4 years. The weather for looks perfect for an early season meet and the athletes have been itching to go with all of these winter storms we have had. I am expecting some big things to open our Outdoor season."

The Bulldogs will send 50 athletes out to compete in the invitational, which will take place on the Bulldog Track & Field Complex. Freshman Ryan Dumont (Salem, Mass.) and sophomore Turner Davis (Westbrook, Conn.) will enter four events on the men's side, while seniors Shirley Carrington (Dorchester, Mass.) and Rebecca Varney (East Longmeadow, Mass.) enter three events each on the women's side.

Senior Melissa Lodge (Hopkinton, Mass.) will enter the 5,000-meter run coming off of a solid indoor season. Lodge, who owns the fourth-fastest time in program history in the event, is excited to open up the outdoor campaign at home.

"The home meet is special," Lodge said. "You don't approach it any differently, you still race the way you race, but it is a lot different. We have a lot more support. We're running on the same track that we run on every day. I still hit that 1,500 meter-mark in practice and still think about when I did it for the first time at a home meet at Bryant."

The meet will be broadcast on NEC Front Row for the third-consecutive year. Alex Judge and Aaron Dinzeo will be on the call, with Joe McManus doing post-event interviews.

According to Lodge, the Black & Gold Invitational will be something that the team can reflect on with happy memories.

"It has a special place in our hearts," Lodge said. "It's nice that we get to have a home-turf meet once a year with our friends and family there."

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