The Georgia track and field teams completed the Music City Challenge meet on Saturday in Nashville, TN and established five more improvements to the school’s all-time top-10 lists as the Bulldogs get ready for postseason competition.
 
“I think this was a good test run in the facility that will house the (Southeastern Conference) Championships and ended up being a productive meet for us,” said Kyprianou. “These teams have proven they are resilient and consistent across most all of our events. We will now keep training and then give everyone a break next weekend before we go back to Vanderbilt.”
 
 
Kyprianou was particularly pleased with how his distance runners and jumpers performed on the meet’s second day.
 
 
Taking an early command of the race, junior Bryan Kamau shot to third on the Bulldogs’ all-time top-10 list to win the mile with the team’s best time since 2004. Kamau ran a 4:03.73, which trimmed three seconds off his former personal record.
 
 
“I am really pleased with Bryan going 4:03 because I think he is capable of great things at SECs,” said Kyprianou.
 
 
Sophomore Kate Hall started the long jump off at 19 feet and improved to 21 feet on her final two attempts to top teammate Kendell Williams for the victory. Hall traveled 21-2.75 on her fifth try, which is her second-best performance as a Bulldog, and edged out Williams, who went 20-11.75 on her opening jump for second place.
 
 
Hall finished with runner-up honors in the 60m after matching her Georgia personal record. The Maine native clocked a 7.35 to further solidify her No. 2 spot in the school record books.
 
 
“Kate was probably the highlight today by winning the long jump with a respectable mark and staying at a high level in the 60,” Kyprianou said.
 
 
Williams also had the fourth-fastest qualifying time in the 60m hurdles (8.27) and then sat out the finals. True freshman heptathlete Louisa Grauvogel moved into the 10th spot in the school record books with an 8.54 in the hurdle prelims.
 
 
After winning the prelims of the men’s hurdles, senior Devon Williams sped to the nation’s 17th-best time this year and improved his No. 2 spot on the Bulldogs’ all-time top-10 list. Williams continued his training for his postseason heptathlons and won the 60m hurdles with a 7.81, coming within .04 seconds of the 14-year-old school record.
 
 
“This was great to see for Devon since we were really just training through the meet so I think he has a chance to push for the school record and have success at SECs,” Kyprianou said.
 
 
Junior Devon Artis delivered herself a career-best time of 2:08.73 in the 800m on her 21st birthday. Artis finished eighth and took over the No. 5 spot in the Lady Bulldog record books.
 
 
Also in the 800m, sophomore Jeramey Hampton trimmed his fastest time to 1:49.34 to take fourth. This keeps the Suwanee, Ga., native with the eighth-best time in school history.
 
 
Kyprianou believed that the times by both Artis and Hampton show the distance corps is ready to go with the league meet on the horizon.
 
 
A pair of senior Bulldogs managed to clock sub-48 second 400s and leave Nashville with indoor personal records. Maurice Freeman ran a 47.51 to take sixth on the 300-meter track while Ayrian Evans shaved .01 seconds off his career best to finish seventh with a 47.69.
 
 
Sophomore Denzel Comenentia also managed a third-place finish in the shot put after his opening attempt measured 60-3.25.
 
 
Evans, senior Reggie Glover, Freeman and Hampton concluded the meet by finishing second in the 4x400m relay. The Bulldog foursome recorded a 3:11.21 to cross the line just behind Virginia Tech at 3:11.11.
 
 
This marks Georgia’s final regular season indoor meet. The Bulldogs will train through next weekend and recover before the SEC Championships back in Nashville on February 24-25.
 
 
In addition, a small group will travel to Clemson next weekend for the Tiger Tuneup as they aim to move closer to NCAA qualifying times in several events.
 
 
For the final results from the Music City Challenge track and field meet, CLICK HERE.