University of Georgia Athletics
Track & Field Travels To Lexington To Defend SEC Title
February 21, 2007 | Track & Field
ATHENS, Ga. --- The fourth-ranked Lady Bulldogs and the Georgia men make the trip to the University of Kentucky's Nutter Field House in Lexington, Ky., for the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships on Friday through Sunday (Feb. 23-25).
In addition to the No. 4 Georgia women, No. 5 South Carolina, LSU, Tennessee and Auburn, who are all tied for sixth, and Arkansas, who is tied for 16th, according to the latest Trackwire.com poll, are all in the field. Auburn tops the men's poll in the SEC with a fourth ranking, Arkansas is No. 7, Tennessee is No. 14, LSU is tied for 15th and Florida is one of three teams locked together at 23rd.
The last time the Georgia women traveled to the league's indoor meet, they scored 101.50 points en route to the first indoor championship in school history. Following a pair of meets on Feb. 9-10 where the Bulldogs broke two records and grabbed an NCAA automatic qualifying time and the Lady Bulldogs had two competitors tie a school record and three distance runners pick up provisional times, head coach Wayne Norton believes his teams are again moving in the direction of high-quality results when it counts.
"Since the Tyson and Tiger meets two weekends ago, I have felt that our men's and women's teams are both in good shape for the SECs this weekend. Training has been going well and the performances in the last competitions were about the best of the season," said Norton. "Our athletes know what to expect at the upcoming meet and they know what it takes to be successful. The level of the competition does not get any better so we have to go in prepared to give our best effort."
Two Bulldogs had particularly strong outings when Georgia last visited Lexington for the season-opening McCravy Memorial on Jan. 19-20. Senior David Dickens, who owns the school's indoor 200-meter dash, clocked season-best and NCAA provisional qualifying times of 21.22 in the 200 and 47.04 in the 400. Also, sophomore Nate Rolfe unleashed a throw of 64 feet, ¼ inches for the ninth-best effort in school history and a season-best provisional mark.
"Our men's team will probably be in a battle with about four other teams trying to crack into the top three," said Norton. "And our women will be working towards successfully defending their championship."
Nationally, Georgia has several team members who are in the top five in their respective events. Senior Patricia Sylvester, who tied Levern Spencer for the school's high jump record with the country's second-best height in 2007 (6-2) at the Tiger Invitational, reached 44-7.50 in the triple jump to break the Georgia record at the Diet Pepsi Invitational and move to No. 1 in the national standings. Also, senior Jennifer Dahlgren has the second-best weight throw (72-10) in the country this season.
"We will need and we will receive a lot of great performances from several people this weekend," Norton said. "Without naming names, there are about eight men and eight women who we will depend on heavily to get the job done and score the bulk of the points. I believe they know who they are. And as I said, this team is aware of what is at stake."
Three of four SEC individual indoor champions from 2006 are still suiting up for the Lady Bulldogs. Junior Natalie Picchetti captured the mile title (4:49.17), Spencer introduced herself to the league with a conference championship in the high jump (6-2) and Dahlgren shattered her own school record in the weight throw (78-10.50) to take first. Georgia's fourth conference champion was senior All-American Kierney Jackson, who finished first in the pole vault.
During the last five conference indoor championships since 2002, the Georgia men tied for fourth in 2004 for their best finish and came away with the No. 5 spot in 2005. The men finished sixth in 2006 after tallying 48.50 points in Gainesville, Fla.
In addition to the Lady Bulldogs' 2006 crown, the Georgia women also have a fourth-place finish in the last five seasons (2004).
Full results and a recap of the SEC Indoor Championships will be available at georgiadogs.com. Live results for the conference meet will be available at ukathletics.com/ .
Schedule of events at the SEC Indoor Championships (Feb. 23-25)
Friday, Feb. 23

Women’s Pentathlon

4:30 p.m. – Women’s 60m hurdles

5:25 p.m. – Women’s High Jump

8:00 p.m. – Women’s Shot Put

9:10 p.m. – Women’s Long Jump

10:25 p.m. – Women’s 800 meters
Men’s Heptathlon
5:15 p.m. – Men’s 60 meters

5:55 p.m. – Men’s Long Jump
7:00 p.m. – Men’s Shot Put

8:05 p.m. – Men’s High Jump
Saturday, Feb. 24
Field Events

10 a.m. – Women’s Weight Throw

11 a.m. – Men’s High Jump

11 a.m. – Men’s Long Jump

12 p.m. – Women’s Pole Vault

2 p.m. – Men’s Shot Put

3:45 p.m. – Women’s Long Jump
Running/Heptathlon Events

2:10 p.m. – Men’s 60 m Hurdles

2:30 p.m. – Men’s Heptathlon 60 m Hurdles

2:50 p.m. – Women’s 60m Hurdles

3:10 p.m. – Men’s 60 Meters

3:30 p.m - Women's 60 Meters 

3:30 p.m. – Men’s Heptathlon Pole Vault

3:50 p.m. – Men’s Mile

4:10 p.m. – Women’s Mile

4:30 p.m. – Men’s 400 Meters

4:50 p.m. - Women’s 400 Meters

5:10 p.m. – Men’s 800 Meters

5:35 p.m. – Women’s 800 Meters

TBD – Men’s Heptathlon 1,000 Meters

6:00 p.m. – Men’s 200 Meters

6:25 p.m. – Women’s 200 Meters

6:55 p.m. – Men’s 3000 Meters

7:15 p.m. – Women’s 3000 Meters
Sunday, Feb. 25
Field Events

10 a.m. – Men’s Weight Throw

11 a.m. – Women’s High Jump

11 a.m. – Men’s Triple Jump

11 a.m. – Men's Pole Vault

2 p.m. – Women’s Shot Put

2:30 p.m. – Women’s Triple Jump
Running Events

1:30 p.m. – Men’s 60m Hurdles

1:40 p.m. – Women’s 60m Hurdles

1:50 p.m. – Men’s 60 meters

1:55 p.m. – Women’s 60 meters

2:05 p.m. – Men’s Mile

2:15 p.m. – Women’s Mile

2:25 p.m. – Men’s 400 Meters

2:35 p.m. – Women’s 400 Meters

2:45 p.m. – Men’s 5,000 Meters

3:10 p.m. – Men’s 800 Meters

3:20 p.m. – Women’s 800 Meters

3:30 p.m. – Men’s 200 Meters

3:40 p.m. – Women’s 200 Meters

3:50 p.m. – Women’s 5,000 Meters

4:10 p.m. – Men’s Distance Medley

4:25 p.m. – Women’s Distance Medley

4:40 p.m. – Men’s 1,600m Relay

4:55 p.m. – Women’s 1,600m Relay
In addition to the No. 4 Georgia women, No. 5 South Carolina, LSU, Tennessee and Auburn, who are all tied for sixth, and Arkansas, who is tied for 16th, according to the latest Trackwire.com poll, are all in the field. Auburn tops the men's poll in the SEC with a fourth ranking, Arkansas is No. 7, Tennessee is No. 14, LSU is tied for 15th and Florida is one of three teams locked together at 23rd.
The last time the Georgia women traveled to the league's indoor meet, they scored 101.50 points en route to the first indoor championship in school history. Following a pair of meets on Feb. 9-10 where the Bulldogs broke two records and grabbed an NCAA automatic qualifying time and the Lady Bulldogs had two competitors tie a school record and three distance runners pick up provisional times, head coach Wayne Norton believes his teams are again moving in the direction of high-quality results when it counts.
"Since the Tyson and Tiger meets two weekends ago, I have felt that our men's and women's teams are both in good shape for the SECs this weekend. Training has been going well and the performances in the last competitions were about the best of the season," said Norton. "Our athletes know what to expect at the upcoming meet and they know what it takes to be successful. The level of the competition does not get any better so we have to go in prepared to give our best effort."
Two Bulldogs had particularly strong outings when Georgia last visited Lexington for the season-opening McCravy Memorial on Jan. 19-20. Senior David Dickens, who owns the school's indoor 200-meter dash, clocked season-best and NCAA provisional qualifying times of 21.22 in the 200 and 47.04 in the 400. Also, sophomore Nate Rolfe unleashed a throw of 64 feet, ¼ inches for the ninth-best effort in school history and a season-best provisional mark.
"Our men's team will probably be in a battle with about four other teams trying to crack into the top three," said Norton. "And our women will be working towards successfully defending their championship."
Nationally, Georgia has several team members who are in the top five in their respective events. Senior Patricia Sylvester, who tied Levern Spencer for the school's high jump record with the country's second-best height in 2007 (6-2) at the Tiger Invitational, reached 44-7.50 in the triple jump to break the Georgia record at the Diet Pepsi Invitational and move to No. 1 in the national standings. Also, senior Jennifer Dahlgren has the second-best weight throw (72-10) in the country this season.
"We will need and we will receive a lot of great performances from several people this weekend," Norton said. "Without naming names, there are about eight men and eight women who we will depend on heavily to get the job done and score the bulk of the points. I believe they know who they are. And as I said, this team is aware of what is at stake."
Three of four SEC individual indoor champions from 2006 are still suiting up for the Lady Bulldogs. Junior Natalie Picchetti captured the mile title (4:49.17), Spencer introduced herself to the league with a conference championship in the high jump (6-2) and Dahlgren shattered her own school record in the weight throw (78-10.50) to take first. Georgia's fourth conference champion was senior All-American Kierney Jackson, who finished first in the pole vault.
During the last five conference indoor championships since 2002, the Georgia men tied for fourth in 2004 for their best finish and came away with the No. 5 spot in 2005. The men finished sixth in 2006 after tallying 48.50 points in Gainesville, Fla.
In addition to the Lady Bulldogs' 2006 crown, the Georgia women also have a fourth-place finish in the last five seasons (2004).
Full results and a recap of the SEC Indoor Championships will be available at georgiadogs.com. Live results for the conference meet will be available at ukathletics.com/ .
Schedule of events at the SEC Indoor Championships (Feb. 23-25)
Friday, Feb. 23

Women’s Pentathlon

4:30 p.m. – Women’s 60m hurdles

5:25 p.m. – Women’s High Jump

8:00 p.m. – Women’s Shot Put

9:10 p.m. – Women’s Long Jump

10:25 p.m. – Women’s 800 meters
Men’s Heptathlon
5:15 p.m. – Men’s 60 meters

5:55 p.m. – Men’s Long Jump
7:00 p.m. – Men’s Shot Put

8:05 p.m. – Men’s High Jump
Saturday, Feb. 24
Field Events

10 a.m. – Women’s Weight Throw

11 a.m. – Men’s High Jump

11 a.m. – Men’s Long Jump

12 p.m. – Women’s Pole Vault

2 p.m. – Men’s Shot Put

3:45 p.m. – Women’s Long Jump
Running/Heptathlon Events

2:10 p.m. – Men’s 60 m Hurdles

2:30 p.m. – Men’s Heptathlon 60 m Hurdles

2:50 p.m. – Women’s 60m Hurdles

3:10 p.m. – Men’s 60 Meters

3:30 p.m - Women's 60 Meters 

3:30 p.m. – Men’s Heptathlon Pole Vault

3:50 p.m. – Men’s Mile

4:10 p.m. – Women’s Mile

4:30 p.m. – Men’s 400 Meters

4:50 p.m. - Women’s 400 Meters

5:10 p.m. – Men’s 800 Meters

5:35 p.m. – Women’s 800 Meters

TBD – Men’s Heptathlon 1,000 Meters

6:00 p.m. – Men’s 200 Meters

6:25 p.m. – Women’s 200 Meters

6:55 p.m. – Men’s 3000 Meters

7:15 p.m. – Women’s 3000 Meters
Sunday, Feb. 25
Field Events

10 a.m. – Men’s Weight Throw

11 a.m. – Women’s High Jump

11 a.m. – Men’s Triple Jump

11 a.m. – Men's Pole Vault

2 p.m. – Women’s Shot Put

2:30 p.m. – Women’s Triple Jump
Running Events

1:30 p.m. – Men’s 60m Hurdles

1:40 p.m. – Women’s 60m Hurdles

1:50 p.m. – Men’s 60 meters

1:55 p.m. – Women’s 60 meters

2:05 p.m. – Men’s Mile

2:15 p.m. – Women’s Mile

2:25 p.m. – Men’s 400 Meters

2:35 p.m. – Women’s 400 Meters

2:45 p.m. – Men’s 5,000 Meters

3:10 p.m. – Men’s 800 Meters

3:20 p.m. – Women’s 800 Meters

3:30 p.m. – Men’s 200 Meters

3:40 p.m. – Women’s 200 Meters

3:50 p.m. – Women’s 5,000 Meters

4:10 p.m. – Men’s Distance Medley

4:25 p.m. – Women’s Distance Medley

4:40 p.m. – Men’s 1,600m Relay

4:55 p.m. – Women’s 1,600m Relay
Georgia Track & Field Outdoor SEC Championships - Nina Ndubuisi - Post Meet Interview
Monday, May 18
Georgia Track & Field Outdoor SEC Championships - Jordan Davis - Post Meet Interview
Monday, May 18
Georgia Track & Field Outdoor SEC Championships - Nikolai van Huyssteen - Post Meet Interview
Monday, May 18
Georgia Track & Field Outdoor SEC Championships - Kimani Jack - Post Meet Interview
Monday, May 18