The fourth-ranked Georgia women and ninth-ranked Bulldog men traveled to Fayetteville, Ark., on Wednesday in preparation for the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships at the Tyson Indoor Track Center scheduled for Thursday through Saturday.
When Do The Bulldogs Start On Thursday?: Sophomore Anna Hall starts the competition for Georgia in the pentathlon (60-meter hurdles) at 11a.m. ET on Thursday. The high jump, shot put, long jump and 800m will follow. Hall is ranked second nationally after rocketing to fourth on the all-time collegiate performer list thanks to her last showing in this facility in late January at the Razorback Invite.
Redshirt sophomore and defending SEC heptathlon champion Kyle Garland, along with 2018-19 SEC hep champion Johannes Erm and redshirt sophomore Ziggy Zoller,are scheduled to begin the heptathlon (60m) at 11:15 a.m. on the first day. The trio will also complete the other three day one events (long jump, shot put, high jump) before finishing the final three events (60m hurdles, pole vault, 1000m) on Friday. Erm is ranked fifth nationally (second SEC), Zoller 10th (fifth SEC) and Garland 12th (seventh SEC). Sophomore Karel Tilga, who is ranked sixth nationally, is training through the meet by competing in open events (long jump, shot put) in preparation for NCAAs.
A Bulldog foursome will begin the open events in the distance medley relay at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday on the men’s side while redshirt freshman Mia Anderson will start the open events for the women in the weight throw at 5:30 p.m.
Incidentally, Georgia’s 2020 season ended unexpectedly following last year’s SEC indoor meet. After traveling to Albuquerque, N.M., for 2020 NCAA Indoor Championships, the meet was canceled a day before the action began with the Lady Bulldogs ranked fourth nationally and the Georgia men ranked fifth. The outdoor season was later canceled as well because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to ongoing pandemic, there will be no spectators allowed in the Razorback facility.
Who Is Ranked In The SEC?: A total of 18 SEC men and women’s track and field programs are included in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) top 25 national rankings released Monday, including five in the top five. A nation-leading nine SEC men’s teams are ranked: No. 2 LSU, No. 3 Arkansas, No. 8 Florida,No. 9 GEORGIA, No. 10 Ole Miss, No. 12 Tennessee, No. 15 Alabama, No. 16 Texas A&M, No. 17 Kentucky.
A nation-best nine SEC women’s teams are also ranked in the top 25: No. 1 Arkansas, No. 2 Texas A&M, No. 4 GEORGIA, No. 6 LSU, No. 7 Florida, No. 12 Kentucky, No. 13 Alabama, No. 17 Tennessee, No. 21 Ole Miss.
Where To Catch The SEC Championships: The ESPN broadcast talent includes Dwight Stones, Dan O’Brien & John Anderson during the meet coverage.
Broadcast info for SEC Indoor Championships:
Thursday (11am) – SECN+
LINK: gado.gs/6ak
Friday (12:55pm – approx. 6pm) – SECN+
LINK: gado.gs/6am
Friday (6:25pm – approx. 10pm) – SECN+
LINK: gado.gs/6ao
Saturday (1:25pm – approx. 4:30pm) – SECN+
LINK: gado.gs/6aq
Saturday (6:55pm – approx. 9pm) – SECN+
LINK: gado.gs/6as
Sunday (8-11pm) – SECN (re-air)
Live Results: For results throughout the weekend, please visit: gado.gs/6bo
Kyprianou’s Comments: “We have finally arrived at the most fun part of our indoor season, the postseason,” said sixth-year head coach Petros Kyprianou. “The SEC Championships serve as an ideal rehearsal for the ‘Big Dance’, the NCAA Championships! We are excited to return and compete at the fastest track in the world, which is also the site of the NCAA Championships. Our young men and women are very excited and have waited a very long time to showcase our talents in front of a national audience. As a team that is truly built to have success at NCAAs, our elite athletes will show their ability to withstand the pressure of world-class competition and come out with the most fun this weekend.”
What Bulldogs Are Competing?: For the Lady Bulldogs, seniors Jessica Drop, Samantha Drop, Destiny Jackson, Halle McClintock, Kayla Smith, juniors Anna Marian Block, Imani Carothers, Sakari Famous, Courtney Long, Titiana Marsh, sophomores Julia Fixsen, Hall, Jasmine Moore, Kaeli Thompson, Shelby Tyler and redshirt freshmen Anderson and Grace Jauch traveled for SECs.
On the men’s side, seniors Delano Dunkley, Erm, Michael Hans, juniors Elija Godwin, Labo Oke, Alencar Pereira, redshirt sophomores Garland, Clay Pender, Zoller, sophomores Matthew Boling, Sam Bowers, Caleb Cavanaugh, Wesley John, Tilga and freshmen Gavin Beverage and Zachary Roe will represent Georgia.
Top-10 Bulldogs Abound: The Bulldogs have 14 individuals who are ranked in the top 10 nationally in a dozen different events (SEC rankings also listed).
For the men:
200m – 5th – Boling (20.53) *3rd in SEC
400m – 5th – Boling (45.51) *3rd in SEC
Heptathlon – 5th – Erm (5,727 pts.) *2nd in SEC
4x400m relay [Boling, Cavanaugh, Dunkley, Godwin] – 5th – (3:06.04) *4th in SEC
Heptathlon – 6th – Tilga (5,713 pts.). *3rd in SEC
400m – 8th – Godwin (45.56) *4th in SEC
Long jump – 8th – Boling (25-5.50) *6th in SEC
60m – 9th – Boling (6.64) *2nd in SEC
Heptathlon – 10th – Zoller (5,519 pts.) *5th in SEC
For the women:
Pentathlon – 2nd – Hall (4,590 pts.) *2nd in SEC
Triple jump – 3rd – Moore (45-3.50) *1st in SEC
High jump – 3rd – Hall (6-1.25) *3rd in SEC
Pole vault – 4th – Smith (14-5.25) *2nd in SEC
60mH – 4th – Carothers (8.06) *2nd in SEC
3000m – 9th – J. Drop (9:03.29) *4th in SEC
Pole vault – 6th – Fixsen (14-2.75) *3rd in SEC
Triple jump – 7th – Marsh (44-2.75) *3rd in SEC
Long jump – 7th – Moore (21-1.50) *4th in SEC
Bulldogs Vying For Bowerman: The Bowerman, which is presented annually by the USTFCCCA to the most outstanding male and female NCAA track and field student-athletes in the nation, announced its 2021 Mid-Indoor Watch Lists and a pair of Bulldogs were featured. Collegiate record holder Keturah Orji brought home the 2018 Bowerman for the Lady Bulldogs.
- Hall, a native of Highlands Ranch, Colo., gave the UGA women their eighth team member named to a Bowerman Watch List. She scored 4,590 points in the pentathlon earlier this season to become the No. 4 all-time collegiate performer.
- Boling, a native of Houston, Texas, is ranked in the top 10 nationally in the 60m, 200m, 400m and long jump, including his school record time of 20.53 in the 200m that is the country’s fifth-fastest time this year and is on the men’s Watch List. The Bulldog men have now had seven men make a Watch List, including Erm who is currently receiving votes.
A Glimpse At The 2020 SEC Championships: Powered by a pair of champions, the women finished third last year with 78 points. The men featured four scorers, including Garland as the SEC heptathlon champion and 200m runner-up Boling, to take 10th (32). Amber Tanner (800m) and Moore (triple jump) earned a spot atop the podium to highlight the women’s best finish since taking second in 2018. Godwin (400m) and Haze Farmer (pole vault) completed the Bulldogs’ 2020 scorers. The Lady Bulldogs had 15 scorers, including the Drop sisters who each scored in the 3000m and the 5000m.
What’s Next For The Bulldogs?: After the SEC meet, the Bulldogs will train through the first weekend of March before traveling back to Fayetteville for the NCAA Indoor Championships (March 12-13). Arkansas has hosted the national indoor meet 12 times since 2000 with the last time arriving in 2015.
The Bulldogs then immediately start their outdoor season at the Yellow Jacket Invitational in Atlanta on March 19-20. They will host a pair of home meets outdoors: Spec Towns Invitational – April 9-10, Torrin Lawrence Memorial – April 30-May 1.