TRACK & FIELD: 31 Dawgs Will Compete in NCAA East Prelims

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TRACK & FIELD: 31 Dawgs Will Compete in NCAA East Prelims

UGA track & Field -  Kendall Williams and Quintunya Chapman
Teammate Kendall Williams congratulates Quintunya Chapman during the Bulldog Decathlon/Heptathlon at Spec Towns Track on Thursday, April 9, 2015 in Athens, Ga.
(Photo by John Kelley)
[su_spacer size=”20″] Thirty-one members of Georgia’s track and field teams will be competing in 20 events at the NCAA East Prelims in Jacksonville, Fla., on May 28-30.
[su_spacer size=”40″] The Lady Bulldogs are ranked fifth in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) national poll while the Georgia men are holding down the seventh spot.
[su_spacer size=”40″] This meet serves as the stepping-stone to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., on June 10-13.  Forty-eight individuals or relays have qualified for the Prelims in each event and the top 12 in each event from both the East and West (Austin, Texas) regions advance to Nationals in Eugene.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Fifteen of the Bulldog individuals or relay teams are currently ranked in the top 12 in the East Region, including true freshman Keturah Orji’s top national ranking in the triple jump.
[su_spacer size=”40″] “We are going to the Prelims in Jacksonville with one objective and that is to qualify every athlete to the Championships in good health,” said Bulldog head coach Wayne Norton.  “This is the final step to getting the teams in position to compete for a championship.  Our success in Eugene can be enhanced by what we do in
Florida.”
[su_spacer size=”40″] Sophomores Alex Poursanidis and Alex Larsson (men’s hammer throw) and junior Freya Jones and graduate student Jenna Wargo (women’s javelin) start the meet for the Bulldogs at 12 p.m. on Thursday.  Senior Drew Branch starts the action on the track in the first round of the 400-meter hurdles at 5 p.m.  Branch will be attempting to advance to Friday’s quarterfinal round.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Four Bulldogs get a free pass through the Prelims round to the NCAA Championship finals.  Junior Maicel Uibo and senior Garrett Scantling are ranked first and second, respectively, in the decathlon nationally and on the world list.  Senior Quintunya Chapman and sophomore Kendell Williams are holding down the No. 2 and No. 7 spots nationally (third and 12th on the world list), in that order, in the heptathlon.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Uibo and Scantling did make the trip to Jacksonville and will be competing in the men’s open pole vault at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.  Williams will high jump at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia declared 32 team members for the 2014 East Prelims and had 15 advance.  Thirteen individuals (six men, seven women) and two men’s relay teams moved on to last year’s NCAA Championships in Oregon.
[su_spacer size=”40″] NCAA East Prelims Qualifiers
[su_spacer size=”10″] WOMEN
[su_spacer size=”10″] Name                            Event                           East Rankings
Keturah Orji                    Triple jump                     1st (46 feet, 5 ¼ inches)
Leontia Kallenou            High jump                       2nd (6-4)
Keturah Orji                     Long jump                       3rd (21-9)
Chanice Porter                 Long jump                       4th (21-5.25)
Freya Jones                      Javelin                         4th (176-9)
Shelby Ashe                     Hammer throw            4th (211-8)
Morgann Leleux          Pole vault                      5th (14-3.25)
Porter                          High jump                       7th (6-0.50)
Bret McDaniel           3000m steeplechase              14th (10:08.28)
*Kendell Williams               High jump                       14th (5-11.50)
Jenna Wargo                     Javelin                         14th (161-3)
Asianna Covington               Hammer throw            28th (191-8)
Tatiana Gusin                   High jump                       30th (5-9.25)
Ashley Henry                    400m                            32nd (53.56)
Covington                       Discus                          48th (160-5)
[su_spacer size=”40″] MEN
[su_spacer size=”10″] Name                            Event                           East Rankings
Alex Poursanidis                Hammer throw            3rd (229 feet, 11 inches)
Drew Branch                     400mH                   4th (49.53)
Ayrian Evans, Branch
Calhoun, Raytez Jenkins 4x400m relay                    4th (3:04.37)
Jamario Calhoun         Long jump                       6th (25-6.25)
Ashinia Miller                  Shot put                        8th (65-1.25)
Nick Vena                       Shot put                        10th (64-8.75)
Brandon Lord                    10,000m                 10th (29:09.46)
Charles Grethen         800m                            15th (1:47.53)
Alex Larsson                    Hammer throw            15th (215-5)
*Maicel Uibo                    Pole vault                      22nd (17-0.75)
Calhoun                 200m                            24th (20.93)
Christian Harrison              800m                            24th (1:48.25)
Caleb Ebbets                    Pole vault                      32nd (16-9.25)
Luke Baker                      10,000m                 34th (29:36.95)
Kisean Smith                    800m                            38th (1:49.11)
Braydon Anderson                Javelin                         39th (215-6)
*Garrett Scantling              Pole vault                      41st (16-7.50)
Zack Sims                       5000m                   43rd (14:11.16)
Jon Okoye                       200m                            46th (21.27)

*multi-event athletes already qualified for the NCAA Championships in the heptathlon or decathlon

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