Track Opens At Orange & Purple Elite

Saturday, January 11

Clemson, S.C.

All Day

University of Georgia

Orange & Purple Elite

Photo by: AP

January 10, 2020 | Track & Field

Orange & Purple Elite Schedule Start Lists

ATHENS, Ga. --- Bulldog track and field will attempt to build on their 10 top-four national team finishes since 2016 starting with the indoor opener on Saturday.

Georgia will travel to Clemson, S.C., for the Orange & Purple Elite meet starting at 10 a.m. and running through the last event at 7 p.m. on Saturday.  The Bulldogs will compete at the Clemson Indoor Complex twice during their five regular season indoor meets.

The Bulldogs and Clemson will join Allen University, Central Florida, Converse College, Florida, Florida A&M, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and Piedmont at the first meet of the 2020 season.

Live Results: For live results to Saturday's meet, please visit: gado.gs/42q.

Kyprianou's Comments:"We are anxious for the first events to start on Saturday after working hard all fall and during the offseason to prepare for this year," said Petros Kyprianou, who is beginning his fifth year as the Bulldogs' head coach and 12^thyear overall with the program.  "We know we will be competing at one of the top indoor facilities and while the competition level will be fairly low key, we are excited to bust the rust off of our returners and see what our newcomers can start their seasons with.  Key goals for us at this meet are to open with positive marks but also remember that this season and entire year is a marathon and not a sprint.  Fired up to get 2020 rolling!"

Who's Competing & When: Twenty-eight Georgia women and 19 Bulldog men are scheduled to travel for UGA.  Freshmen Julia Fixsen and Gracie Jauch and sophomore Courtney Long (women's pole vault), freshmen Anna Hall and Jasmine Moore, sophomore Titiana Marsh and junior transfer Nina Schultz (women's long jump) and senior Darius Carbin (men's high jump) will start the day at 10 a.m.

Others competing on Saturday for the Georgia women are: graduate Victoria Powell, seniors Ansley Heavern, Katie Jackson, Makenzi Kopp, Micaiah Ransby, Amber Tanner, juniors Destiny Jackson, Hallie McClintock, Tiffany Yue, Chelsea Zoller, sophomores Imani Carothers, Emily Doherty, Sakari Famous, Sterling Lester and freshmen Sara Bailey, Grace Clements, Ellie Hall, Ani Henderson, Arria Minor, Marisa Petit and Shelby Tyler.

In addition to Carbin, senior Johannes Erm, juniors Jack Bradley, Nate Reichard, Taylor Scarbrough, Davis Stockwell, sophomores Kyle Garland, Elija Godwin, Labo Oke, Ziggy Zoller and freshmen Matthew Boling, Sam Bowers, Caleb Cavanaugh, Chase Condra, Haze Farmer, Tyler Fox, Wesley John, Collin Lark and Karel Tilga are scheduled to compete on Saturday.

Returning SEC Indoor Champions/All-Americans: There are two returning Bulldogs who have combined to win three Southeastern Conference indoor titles returning along with seven returning First Team All-Americans who have collected nine honors.

Erm locked down the last two SEC heptathlon titles indoors and was fifth and fourth at the 2019 and 2018 NCAA indoor meets, respectively.  Ransby, Tanner and Lester made up three legs of the 4x400-meter relay team that set a school record by taking fourth at last year's Nationals. In addition, junior Aliyah Whisby was seventh in the pentathlon at last year's NCAA Indoor Championships during her first season after transferring from Kennesaw State.

Bulldogs Making Their Debut: This will mark the first action in red and black on the indoor track for 25 Georgia team members, including 15 true freshmen.

The much anticipated debut of a number of those freshmen will take place throughout the day on Saturday. Boling, a native of Houston, Texas, who won the 2019 USATF Under-20 title in the 100m and has a wind legal 100m time of 10.11 on his resume, is scheduled to long jump at 12 p.m. and then run in the 60m prelims at 2:30 p.m. with the finals at 3:30 p.m.

On the women's side, a flurry of No. 1-ranked prep talent will also get their start for Georgia at the Orange & Purple Elite meet.  Minor, a native of Denver, Colo., will run in the 4x400m relay at 6:45 p.m.; Hall, a native of Highlands Ranch, Colo., will go in the long jump at 10 a.m., the 60m hurdle prelims at 12:30 p.m. and the 600m at 2:15 p.m.; and Moore, a native of Mansfield, Texas, native, will long jump at 10 a.m. and compete in the 60m prelims at 1:30 p.m.  Also in action will be Tyler, who hails from Noblesville, Ind., and will be high jumping at 5 p.m., and Fixsen, a native of Shoreview, Minn., who pole vaults at 10 a.m.

Shultz, who redshirted in 2019 after transferring from Kansas State, will also compete for the first time for UGA since finishing as the runner-up in the pentathlon at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships and second in the heptathlon at the 2017 outdoor Nationals.  The New Westminster, Canada, native is slated to long jump at 10 a.m. and run the 60m hurdle prelims at 12:30 p.m.

Look Back At 2019 Indoor Season For Men & Women: Georgia notched one of its six top-10 team performances since 2016 at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Championships.  The men tied for ninth partly behind four points from Erm's fifth-place finish in the heptathlon.  Departed All-Americans Denzel Comenentia (third in both the shot put and weight throw) and Keenon Laine (fifth in the high jump) tallied the other points for the Bulldogs.

The Lady Bulldogs finished 20^that indoor Nationals last year and have four returning scorers. Tanner, Ransby and Lester teamed with now professional sprinter Lynna Irby to set a school record and take fourth in the 4x400m relay.  Whisby was also seventh in the pentathlon last year.

Erm (heptathlon), Comenentia (shot put) and Irby (400m) were the 2019 SEC indoor Champions as both squads were seventh at last year's conference meet.

Where Does The Indoor Season Take The Dogs: This weekend's meet marks the first of the year and the first of two in Clemson.  Georgia will return to action there for the Bob Pollock Invitational on Jan. 24-25.  In addition to a pair of regular season meets (Razorback Invitational, Jan. 31-Feb. 1; Tyson Invitational, Feb. 14-15)  in Fayetteville, Ark., the Bulldogs will also take a crew to Seattle, Wash., for the Husky Classic on Feb. 14-15.

The postseason begins with the SEC Indoor Championships in College Station, Texas, on Feb. 28-29. Georgia will return to Albuquerque, N.M., for the first time since 2014 for the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 13-14.  One week later, the outdoor season cranks up in Atlanta.

How To Keep Up With The Dogs: Updates from Georgia's track and field and cross country teams can always be found on Twitter/Instagram (UGATrack) and Snapchat (ugatrack).