University of Georgia Athletics
Bulldog Track & Field Travels To Yellow Jacket Invitational
March 27, 2008 | Track & Field
Georgia men at No. 6 in USTFCCCA preseason poll
ATHENS, Ga. --- Riding a top-10 ranking, Georgia’s track and field teams will compete at the Yellow Jacket Invitational in Atlanta on Friday and Saturday to start the outdoor season.
The first outdoor meet of the season will arrive just days after the Bulldog men were ranked No. 6 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association preseason poll. The Georgia men tied for 26th at the 2007 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
The Bulldog men will join the Georgia women, who finished ninth at the 2007 national outdoor meet, as they compete against Georgia Tech, the Tennessee men, Auburn, Kentucky and several other squads starting on Friday at 6 p.m.
“(The men) have an excellent chance to be a top-20 team this season,” said head coach Wayne Norton. “But we are so far away from the postseason that we need to focus our attention right now on simply getting into a competitive mode. Except for those who competed at the NCAA Indoor Championships, our athletes have had almost four weeks away from competition.”
Action resumes on Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. with the women’s shot put and concludes late in the afternoon with the men’s 4x400-meter relay. Norton is convinced this season-opening meet will be an “honest assessment” of where his teams stand.
“The Yellow Jacket Invitational will be a good early season meet so we will have to jump right into a very competitive situation,” Norton said. “We will get an early, honest assessment of where we stand.”
Georgia returns three individual outdoor All-Americans from last year and half of the men’s 4x400 relay, which also brought an All-American certificate home to Athens. Junior Justin Gaymon finished third in the 400 hurdles and joined fellow returning sprinter Michael Proctor to take fifth in the 4x400 relay.
Also for the men, junior Nate Rolfe finished eighth in the hammer throw for another Bulldog point. Senior Natalie Picchetti took eighth in the 1500 and is the only returning All-American for the Lady Bulldogs.
Georgia also returns a pair of 2007 SEC outdoor champions. Senior Sarah Madebach captured a conference crown in the 3000 steeplechase and Gaymon won the 400 hurdles title.
In addition to the hammer, 400 hurdles and the 1500, the outdoor season also includes several other events that are not featured during the indoor season and that Georgia is expected to score in during the 2008 campaign.
Sophomore Chris Hill, who transferred from McNeese State, set the American junior record in the javelin (238 feet, 10 inches) and will be joining Rolfe, who was third in both the hammer and the discus at the Southeastern Conference Championships, and sophomore Israel Machovec, who took ninth in the discus at the NCAA East Regional.
One of the leaders for the Georgia women as they prepare for the outdoor season is senior javelin thrower Sigrun Sveinsdottir. After taking sixth for All-American honors at the 2005 NCAA Outdoor Championships, Sveinsdottir was the runner-up to teammate Krista Woodward at last season’s SEC outdoor meet.
“Our women's team is in need of athletic leadership so having an experienced athlete like Sigrun will be helpful,” said Norton, whose team will be without Woodward this season after the four-time SEC champion graduated. “The experience that we gained during the indoor season will also help in our development as a team.”
Georgia wrapped up its indoor season with the men tying for 30th place at the NCAA indoor meet. Junior Ross Ridgewell (800 meters), senior Ian Burrell (5000) and Gaymon (400) all earned All-American honors for the Bulldogs. For the women, Picchetti, who broke the school record in the mile, was the only Lady Bulldog to advance to the national meet.
Full results and a recap from the Yellow Jacket Invitational will be found at georgiadogs.com.
ATHENS, Ga. --- Riding a top-10 ranking, Georgia’s track and field teams will compete at the Yellow Jacket Invitational in Atlanta on Friday and Saturday to start the outdoor season.
The first outdoor meet of the season will arrive just days after the Bulldog men were ranked No. 6 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association preseason poll. The Georgia men tied for 26th at the 2007 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
The Bulldog men will join the Georgia women, who finished ninth at the 2007 national outdoor meet, as they compete against Georgia Tech, the Tennessee men, Auburn, Kentucky and several other squads starting on Friday at 6 p.m.
“(The men) have an excellent chance to be a top-20 team this season,” said head coach Wayne Norton. “But we are so far away from the postseason that we need to focus our attention right now on simply getting into a competitive mode. Except for those who competed at the NCAA Indoor Championships, our athletes have had almost four weeks away from competition.”
Action resumes on Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. with the women’s shot put and concludes late in the afternoon with the men’s 4x400-meter relay. Norton is convinced this season-opening meet will be an “honest assessment” of where his teams stand.
“The Yellow Jacket Invitational will be a good early season meet so we will have to jump right into a very competitive situation,” Norton said. “We will get an early, honest assessment of where we stand.”
Georgia returns three individual outdoor All-Americans from last year and half of the men’s 4x400 relay, which also brought an All-American certificate home to Athens. Junior Justin Gaymon finished third in the 400 hurdles and joined fellow returning sprinter Michael Proctor to take fifth in the 4x400 relay.
Also for the men, junior Nate Rolfe finished eighth in the hammer throw for another Bulldog point. Senior Natalie Picchetti took eighth in the 1500 and is the only returning All-American for the Lady Bulldogs.
Georgia also returns a pair of 2007 SEC outdoor champions. Senior Sarah Madebach captured a conference crown in the 3000 steeplechase and Gaymon won the 400 hurdles title.
In addition to the hammer, 400 hurdles and the 1500, the outdoor season also includes several other events that are not featured during the indoor season and that Georgia is expected to score in during the 2008 campaign.
Sophomore Chris Hill, who transferred from McNeese State, set the American junior record in the javelin (238 feet, 10 inches) and will be joining Rolfe, who was third in both the hammer and the discus at the Southeastern Conference Championships, and sophomore Israel Machovec, who took ninth in the discus at the NCAA East Regional.
One of the leaders for the Georgia women as they prepare for the outdoor season is senior javelin thrower Sigrun Sveinsdottir. After taking sixth for All-American honors at the 2005 NCAA Outdoor Championships, Sveinsdottir was the runner-up to teammate Krista Woodward at last season’s SEC outdoor meet.
“Our women's team is in need of athletic leadership so having an experienced athlete like Sigrun will be helpful,” said Norton, whose team will be without Woodward this season after the four-time SEC champion graduated. “The experience that we gained during the indoor season will also help in our development as a team.”
Georgia wrapped up its indoor season with the men tying for 30th place at the NCAA indoor meet. Junior Ross Ridgewell (800 meters), senior Ian Burrell (5000) and Gaymon (400) all earned All-American honors for the Bulldogs. For the women, Picchetti, who broke the school record in the mile, was the only Lady Bulldog to advance to the national meet.
Full results and a recap from the Yellow Jacket Invitational will be found at georgiadogs.com.
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