The VUU men's track and field team kicked off the 2018 indoor season in decisive fashion Saturday, December 9, at the CNU Holiday Open, which hosted a dozen schools including Division I schools such as VCU, Hampton, and Richmond, and Division II's Virginia State, and Mount Olive. Other schools included Methodist, Virginia Wesleyan, Salisbury, Regent University, and Old Dominion.
 
Two US ranking performances and NCAA Championship Provisional Qualifiers were posted by Senior Ed'Tron Wilcox en route to winning both the 60 meter and 200 meter dashes with lifetime bests. Wilcox's time of 6.85 seconds in the 60 meter dash ranks tied at #8 in the country, and his mark of 22.17 on a flat track is credited as a US #12 in 21.77. 
 
Opening their season also at the top of CIAA was sophomore Darius Whitehurst, who took 2nd place in the men's shot put with a throw of 45'2.5". Senior Luis Nieves placed 8th in the mile to rank #1 in the CIAA with a 4:29.52 credited performance. He also placed 3rd in the 800 meter run with a credited 1:58.07/2:00.69, to stand #2 in the CIAA.
 
Senior Chazton McKenize, transitioning from a successful football season, wasted no time regaining his momentum on the track. McKenzie placed 6th in the long jump, and 8th in the high jump. The men's 4x400 meter relay team of freshman Jordan Jones, junior Jordan Bolden, Nieves, and sophomore Devin Simon ran a CIAA #3 performance while placing 4th overall. 
 
The Panther's will return to competition January 6th, 2018 at George Mason University, and will compete January 12th at the inaugural HBCU Classic at the New York City Armory the following week.