New name, strong field for Bojangles Track and Field Classic
The name of the event has changed but Bojangles’ Track and Field Classic should be as strong as ever.
The 25th annual event has Bojangles’ on this year as the main sponsor. Taco Bell had sponsored the event for more than 20 years. The Classic begins Friday at 5 p.m. at Spring Valley and resumes Saturday at 8:30 a.m.
The Classic features more than 2,800 athletes from 233 schools representing 12 states from as far north at New York and as south as Florida. Elizabeth Seton High School won the girls event last year, while Newton won the boys championship.
Heathwood Hall’s Maryah Nasir will be one of the Midlands athletes to watch this season. She has fastest times in the state this year in the 800 and 1,600.
Medalist Reese Hoffa, 2012 Olympic bronze medalist in the shot put, will be an honorable referee for the Classic. Hoffa, a Georgia native still holds the meet shot put record of 63 feet, 7 inches set in 1997.
This story was originally published April 6, 2017 at 3:26 PM with the headline "New name, strong field for Bojangles Track and Field Classic."