(Photo by John Kelley)
[su_spacer size=”40″] This marks the third home meet of the year for Georgia and the last meet before the Bulldogs travel to Starkville, Miss., next week for the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Championships (May 14-16). The women’s hammer throw starts Saturday’s meet at 9 a.m. and the first event slated for the track is the women’s 5000-meter run at 11:30 a.m.
[su_spacer size=”40″] “Everybody seemed like they were looking for somewhere to compete this weekend so we have a lot of entries and it will be very, very competitive in most events,” said Bulldog head coach Wayne Norton, who had 12 champions at the 2014 Georgia Invitational. “We will not be going full strength since some of our folks are already resting for SECs. But those who are competing will have a true test.”
[su_spacer size=”40″] The Lady Bulldogs are ranked sixth in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) poll while the Georgia men are holding down the 10th spot as the postseason nears.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Team members from South Carolina, Wake Forest, Grambling, Jackson State, Georgia Tech, Alabama State, Charlotte, Samford, East Tennessee and Winthrop are expected to compete at this weekend’s meet.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Final exams finished up on Tuesday for the University of Georgia’s students and spring commencement is on Friday, hours before the Bulldogs crank up at the Spec Towns Track. The Bulldogs’ next three postseason trips will take them to Starkville, Jacksonville, Fla., and Eugene, Ore.
[su_spacer size=”40″] “We have a lot of travel coming up since we are leaving for the SEC meet this coming Tuesday, we leave two Tuesdays after that for NCAA Prelims and then leave again after two weeks home for the NCAA Championships,” Norton explained. “So it is nice to be at home coming off of our final exams. We couldn’t really have a meet this weekend if it was not a home one with our school situation so this meet works out very well for us.”
[su_spacer size=”40″] While this weekend’s meet and the SEC Championships are on the Bulldogs’ minds, Georgia’s team members are also concentrating on being ranked in the East Region’s top 48 in their respective events. The top 48 will qualify for the NCAA Prelims with a shot at advancing to Oregon.
[su_spacer size=”40″] “This weekend is a success for us if everyone who competes for us comes out healthy and if we get some improvements,” said Norton. “We have a lot of people who have some decent marks but this is another chance to get better, and we always want to be getting better. Hopefully we make some steps forward on Saturday for the SECs, Regionals and Nationals.”
[su_spacer size=”40″] Positioning For The Postseason
Georgia is ranked in the East Region’s top 48 in 36 different spots in individual events and relays headed into this weekend. Those who finish in the top 12 at the NCAA Prelims advance to the NCAA Championships.
[su_spacer size=”40″] In addition, Garrett Scantling (No. 1 on NCAA list) and Devon Williams (No. 15) in the decathlon and Quintunya Chapman (No. 1) in the heptathlon are in position to advance to the NCAA Championships since multi-event athletes do not have to compete at Prelims (top 24 automatically advance to Nationals).
[su_spacer size=”40″] Here is a list of Bulldogs who are currently ranked in the East Region’s top 48 in their events headed into the Georgia Invitational (those currently ranked in the top 12 are in BOLD):
[su_spacer size=”40″] MEN
Ayrian Evans (No. 37, 100m, 10.48), Jamario Calhoun (No. 46, 100m, 10.52), Calhoun (No. 24, 200m, 20.93), Drew Branch (No. 28, 400m, 46.78), Charles Grethen (No. 21, 800m, 1:48.46), Brandon Lord (No. 10, 10,000m, 29:09.46), Luke Baker (No. 37, 10,000m, 29:36.95), Williams (No. 29, 110mH, 14.07), Scantling (No. 39, 110mH, 14.21), Branch (No. 11, 400mH, 50.96), Brendan Hoban (No. 40, 3000m steeplechase, 9:00.59), 4x100m relay (No. 22, 40.26), 4x400m relay (No. 6, 3:05.73), Scantling (No. 44, high jump, 6 feet, 9 inches), Caleb Ebbets (No. 28, pole vault, 16-9.25), Calhoun (No. 35, long jump, 24-2.25), Ashinia Miller (No. 7, shot put, 65-1.25), Nick Vena (No. 9, shot put, 64-8.75), Alex Poursanidis (No. 2, hammer throw, 229-11), Alex Larsson (No. 13, hammer throw, 215-4), Scantling (No. 24, javelin, 220-11)
[su_spacer size=”40″] WOMEN
Chapman (No. 40, 200m, 23.71), Ashley Henry (No. 28, 400m, 53.56), Chapman (No. 36, 100mH, 13.56), Bret McDaniel (No. 21, 3000m steeplechase, 10:16.66), Leontia Kallenou (No. 2, high jump, 6-2.75), Morgann Leleux (No. 3, pole vault, 14-3.25), Keturah Orji (No. 2, long jump, 21-8.75), Chanice Porter (No. 3, long jump, 21-0.75), Chapman (No. 14, long jump, 20-6.50), Orji (No. 1, triple jump, 45-2.25), Asianna Covington (No. 44, discus, 160-2), Shelby Ashe (No. 4, hammer throw, 211-8), Covington (No. 26, hammer throw, 191-8), Freya Jones (No. 6, javelin, 168-0), Jenna Wargo (No. 12, javelin, 161-1)