JERSEY CITY, N.J. — For the final time this academic year, a pair of New Jersey City University varsity sport programs have released their schedules as the NJCU men's and women's track & field squads did so with their 2024 outdoor slates today, Thursday, March 7. Sixth-year head coach Patrick O'Neill will guide his Gothic Knights in at least eight meets this Spring, beginning in Maryland at the end of the month and ending up in Cortland, N.Y., in mid-May. Should anyone qualify, the 2024 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championship will be held at the end of May in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

2023 Outdoor Season in Review:
The men's program made their mark on the outdoor program record books, including all-time marks in the 200-meter dash, the 4x800-meter relay, hammer throw and decathlon, while the women set the all-time mark in the 1,500-meter, hammer throw and the 4x800m relay, as well. As far as New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) accolades, a pair of NJCU men secured Second Team All-NJAC finishes at the outdoor championships on Ramapo College's campus in early May. Dave Etienne (Jersey City, N.J./Dickinson) was the 400-meter dash runner-up (48.30), while Tyneil Jackson — now an assistant coach on staff — took home second with his record-setting decathlon performance (4,334 points).

Looking Forward to 2024:
The Gothic Knights kick off their 2024 outdoor seasons down in Towson, Md., for the Towson University Invitational (March 29). The following weekend, NJCU heads out to Collegeville, Pa., for the two-day Ursinus College Track & Field Invitational (April 5-6). The first NJAC-hosted meet of the outdoor season follows as the Green and Gold travel down to Ewing, N.J., for The College of New Jersey Invitational & Multi (April 13). The halfway mark of the season comes with another two-day trip, this time back to Maryland (Baltimore) to the Morgan State University Legacy (April 19-20).

The month comes to a close with the historic 128th Annual Penn Relays, which take place at Franklin Field on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia (April 26-27). That is the final tuneup in preparation for the NJAC Outdoor Championships, which will be hosted by Stockton University in Galloway, N.J., to kick off the month of May (May 4-5). Up next will be the Widener University Last Chance Meet (May 13) in Chester, Pa. Finally, NJCU will head to upstate New York for the Outdoor All-Atlantic Regional Track & Field Championships (AARTFC) on the campus of SUNY Cortland (Mary 15-16). As mentioned, should any Gothic Knights qualify, NCAAs will be down in Mrytle Beach on the campus of Coastal Carolina University.

Hear from Head Coach Patrick O'Neill:
"The coaching staff is looking to build on the success of this past indoor season," said O'Neill. "We have added a couple of new meets to the outdoor schedule that should give us some great opportunities to hit qualifying marks early and put us in a good position going into the championships."