MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – For the first time in program history, the West Virginia University track and field team competes at The Track & Field Complex at Mylan Park when it hosts the West Virginia Open, on Saturday, March 23.
 
Competition at the meet is slated to begin at 11 a.m., with running events scheduled to commence at 2 p.m. Admission and parking are free for all fans.
 
Saturday marks the first competitive at the new facility, which officially opened in October. It also marks WVU's first outdoor home meet since 2009.
 
"It has been a long time coming for us to be able to hold an event like this in Morgantown," WVU coach Sean Cleary said. "We have intentionally created a smaller, low-key competition this weekend to work out any bugs in preparation for future events. With that said, we feel so fortunate to be able to call a facility of this caliber our home, and its existence is a major step for this program. We've been hard at work throughout the week preparing for Saturday, and we hope that shows up in the end results. Our fingers are crossed that the weather holds up and allows us to compete at a high level. It's a new beginning for us, and we're very appreciative of it."

Joining the Mountaineers at the historic meet are Bethany, Robert Morris, Waynesburg, West Liberty and Wheeling Jesuit. It's the first of three home meets for WVU this outdoor season. The Mountaineers also are set to host the State Farm Friends of Track Showcase from April 26-27, and the Mountaineer Open on May 4.
 
Last week, West Virginia opened the outdoor season with eight top-10 finishes, including two wins, at the 49er Classic, from March 15-16, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Redshirt freshman Hayley Jackson won the women's 1,500 meters with a time of 4:23.15, good for the No. 1 in the country so far this season. For her efforts, Jackson was named the Big 12 Women's Track and Field Athlete of the Week on Wednesday.
 
Redshirt senior Shamoya McNeil also earned a win last weekend. She jumped 12.74 meters (41 feet, 9.75 inches) – the No. 6 mark nationally – to win the women's triple jump. It was the Portland, Jamaica, native's first competitive meet since the 2017-18 indoor season.
 
Additionally, redshirt junior Faith Penny tied for second in the women's high jump invite with a mark of 1.68 meters (5 feet, 6 inches), while freshman Julia Brundin placed second in the women's pole vault (unseeded) with a mark of 3.20 meters (10 feet, 6 inches).
 
Redshirt junior Candace Jones (10:02.38) and redshirt senior Bria Welker (56.50) also earned fourth-place finishes in the women's 3,000 and 400 meters, respectively.
 
The Track & Field Complex at Mylan Park celebrated its opening at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 26, 2018. The facility has an eight-lane competition track with a top-of-the-line running surface, areas for long jump, triple jump, high jump, pole vault, hammer throw, discus throw, javelin throw, running and hurdling.

The new venue seats more than 1,000 spectators and provides stadium necessities such as a ticket booth, press box, restroom and concessions facilities.
 
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUXCTF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.