KENOSHA, WIS.—The Carthage College track & field squads will open their indoor season in a rare pre-New Year event at the UW-Oshkosh Early Bird Invitational on Saturday, December 2. Festivities from the Kolf Sports Center will begin at 10:00 a.m. The Red Men and Lady Reds will face the following teams at the one-day affair:
 
UW-Oshkosh
Carroll University (Wis.)
Concordia (Wis.)
Edgewood College
Elmhurst College
Lakeland University
UW-Parkside

UW-Oshkosh Invitational Information
 
The Lady Reds, who concluded the 2017 season in 33^rd place at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championship as well as fourth place at the CCIW Championship, will carry 39 returners and welcome 25 newcomers in 2018. Mia Bennett, Elizabeth Willis and Elanta Slowek make up the trio of returners who qualified for indoor nationals last season. Bennett (5^th, weight throw) and Slowek (T6th high jump) claimed All-America honors at the meet.  The Lady Reds return three reigning CCIW Champions in Slowek (high jump), Willis (shot put) and Bennett (weight throw, field athlete of the meet).
 
Carthage concluded the 2017 indoor season #25 on the final 2017 USTFCCCA NCAA Division III Indoor Women's Track & Field Poll.
 
"After coming off one of our best years in the program, myself, our staff and team are very excited to start the 2018 Track & Field season," said head women's track & field coach Stephanie Domin. "We will have one of our strongest groups returning and we will have a nice group of newcomers that will help add depth to several different areas. It should be a fun year!"
 
Forty returners highlight the 2018 Red Men roster. Jake Menard (shot put), who pulled down Carthage's lone CCIW Individual Indoor Championship, highlights the returning group. London Townsend (60 meter dash), Camren Howard (one-mile run), Shawntrel Garner (long jump) and Brad Krueger (heptathlon) make up the returning group that registered top-three finishes at last season's CCIW Indoor Track & Field Championship en route to third place.

"Last season was a little disappointing for us as we had a lot of guys miss the national meet by a slim margin," said head men's track & field coach Josh Henry.  "Those guys have led the way in the off season in terms of work ethic and their sustained effort will be crucial in them extending their season into March this year. Overall, I am very excited to get the season underway.  I believe the hard work our athletes have put in after the 2017 season will be evident right away and we have a lot of guys in position to have breakthrough seasons."

"I've also been very impressed with our freshman class," added Henry.  "Our returners have developed a culture that emphasizes a high level of focus that extends well beyond the regular season and our freshman have overwhelmingly met that expectation.  Our entire coaching staff has been impressed with the effort the team placed on the off season conditioning program and the results have been evident during our early season practices."
 
The Carthage College track & field squads will enter a month hiatus before they host the Private College Invitational at the Tarble Athletic and Recreation Center on Saturday, January 13.