The Georgia Southern track and field season has just kicked off indoor competition, and the Eagles are already enjoying early success in the new conference. The Eagles have just begun their new journey in the Sun Belt, but head coach Kelly Carter is excited about what the season holds.

The Eagles have been in a massive transition period with both a new coaching staff and the move to the new conference. But, according to Carter, the change hasn’t caused many problems.

“The transition has been fairly smooth. I really have enjoyed myself, and it seems like the girls are responding,” Carter said. “We’re putting a heavy workload on the girls, and they’re responding well.”

The Eagles strength will be in their throws, which is anchored by sophomore standout Kelsey Arnold. Arnold just recently broke her own school record for the weight throw in a competition just before the holiday break. Coach Carter is excited for what she can accomplish in just her second season.

“She’s making great progress towards trying to be ready for conference and to get to nationals,” Carter said.

Coach Carter is not shy about saying what he hopes to accomplish in his tenure at Georgia Southern. “I’d like to win conference. I’d like to get some All-Americans here, and compete for nationals,” Carter said. And with the way the season has started off, he might be on the right track.

The girls have competed well in their competitions thus far, and should only get better as the season goes along. The Eagles had a great competition this past weekend, as seven Eagles posted top-10 finishes at the Bob Pollock Invitational in Clemson.

Competition in the Sun Belt will be tough. Coach Carter singled out Arkansas State and Texas State as very good teams. He also praised Georgia State’s distance program.

“Stacking up against them I think that we’ll be comparable,” Carter said.

While Georgia Southern will get a look at most of the teams in the conference, they won’t see Arkansas State until the Sun Belt Championships.

Coach Carter hopes to get the program to a place where the Eagles are a household name for track and field. He has the campus, the staff and the experience to do it. It is why the inaugural season in the Sun Belt will be a important step in becoming that powerhouse.

The Eagles will travel to North Carolina this weekend to compete in the Hilton Garden Invite.