Saint Augustine's University To Host 2014 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Campus

GEORGE WILLIAMS
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR/
 Head Men's and Women's Track
and Field/Cross Country Coach
Saint Augustine's University

RALEIGH, North Carolina  -- Saint Augustine's University has been selected to host the 2014 NCAA Division II Outdoor Men's and Women's Track & Field Championships, the NCAA announced Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012. The event will take place May 22-24 at the Saint Augustine's University Stadium in the George Williams Athletic Complex.

“The University's track and field program has always been a source of great pride and accomplishment,” said Dr. Dianne Boardley Suber, President of Saint Augustine's University. “The selection to be the host institution for the 2014 NCAA Division II Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships is a perfect fit for the direction in which the athletic program is headed. We look forward to hosting the nation's finest track and field athletes and providing them with a truly memorable experience.”

The national championships will allow Saint Augustine's University to showcase one of the top NCAA Division II track and field facilities in the nation. Saint Augustine's University hosted the national championships two other times but it was at Paul Derr Track on the campus of North Carolina State University in 1994 and 2000.

The University's selection as the 2014 host site holds a special place in the heart of long-time Head Coach George Williams of Saint Augustine's University. Williams, whom the complex is named after, has guided the men's and women's track and field program to 31 NCAA Division II championships and approximately 150 CIAA titles in his 36 year tenure.

“We are thrilled to be selected as the host for the 2014 NCAA outdoor track and field championships at the new SAU stadium,” said Williams, the University's athletic director. “Even though this is our third time hosting, this will be the first time the event is held on the campus itself. We have received tremendous support from our president, Dr. Dianne Boardley Suber. It is her vision which will allow us to host an event of this magnitude. I can promise you that we will do everything we can to make this a great experience for participants and spectators alike.”

Saint Augustine's University will host approximately 750 student-athletes from NCAA Division II colleges and universities throughout the nation. The result will be a great economic boom to the community, as area hotels and restaurants are expected to receive major benefits from the event.

COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION OFFICE