Track Posts Three Runner-Up Finishes On First Day Of SECs

Friday, February 28

College Station, Texas

All Day

University of Georgia

SEC Indoor Championships

Track Posts Three Runner-Up Finishes On First Day Of SECs

February 28, 2020 | Track & Field

Day One Results

COLLEGE STATION, Texas --- The Bulldogs had six scorers, including three runner-up finishes, to highlight the opening day of the Southeastern Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships in College Station, Texas, on Friday.

The second-ranked Georgia women have 27 points and are in third place and sixth-ranked Bulldog men are in 10^th place with eight points through day one.

Three true freshmen provided the highlights from the first day of the league meet with second-place finishes. Haze Farmer cleared the second-best pole vault height of his Bulldog career at 17 feet, 7 inches while Jasmine Moore waited until her sixth and final attempt to deliver the second-best mark of her career in the long jump (21-1.25). In addition, Anna Hall scored 4,166 points in the pentathlon during an outing that featured a 6-foot high jump.

The Lady Bulldogs also had sisters Jessica and Samantha Drop score in the 5000 meters and sophomore Sterling Lester make a late push for fifth in the pentathlon with 3,986 points.

Through four of seven events, redshirt freshman Kyle Garland took a commanding lead after the first day of the heptathlon during just his second collegiate combined events competition. He scored 3,314 points and has an edge by 218 points over the nearest competitor. Garland is attempting to deliver the Bulldogs' their eighth consecutive SEC title in the event.

In the qualifying events, five Bulldogs advanced to the final rounds.

Action begins on Saturday with the final three events of the heptathlon (60m hurdles, pole vault, 1000m) for Garland starting at 11:00 a.m. ET. Senior Darius Carbin (men's high jump) and freshman Shelby Tyler (women's high jump) start at 2:15 p.m. to begin the open events on Saturday.

For results throughout the weekend, please visit: gado.gs/4jq

Farmer started the SEC meet 4-0 in his short UGA career in the pole vault after having made improvements in his Bulldog personal record for three straight meets. On Friday, Farmer posted a first-attempt clearance of 17-7, which is the second-best effort of his career, and tried a pair of attempts at what would have been a school record of 17-11. This was the Bulldogs' first eight points of the meet.

Also of note, junior Johannes Erm, who is the national leader in the heptathlon, just competed in the open pole vault and 60m hurdles as he prepares for NCAAs. He posted a season-best vault clearance of 16-3.25 to tie for ninth, one spot outside of scoring.

Moore made it interesting in the long jump after starting the day with a 16-foot mark and a foul and slipping into the final with a 20-1.75 effort. After advancing to the final, Moore saved her best for last as she traveled 21-1.25 on her sixth and final attempt to surge into second place and score eight points of her own. The national leader in the triple jump will compete for the second time on Saturday.

The Lady Bulldogs scored seven more points thanks to the contributions of the Drop twins. Jessica led the pack early in the 5000m and then found herself fighting for a scoring spot. However, she battled through the late laps to cross the finish line in fourth at 16:07.06. Samantha gradually moved up during the race and avoided letting the lead pack leave her behind. She completed the race in 16:16.25, which ranks third in school history, for seventh place.

During the pentathlon, Hall and Lester battled for top-eight scoring spots in what was Hall's second collegiate multi-events competition and Lester's first since 2019. Hall began her events by taking 11^th in the 60m hurdles with an 8.73 for 967 points. She followed that up by piling on 1,016 points in the high jump. After surviving a third-try clearance at 5-8.50, Hall hit 6 feet for the first time in her UGA multis career and second time overall since arriving in Athens for second place in the event.

Hall rode that momentum into the shot put where she popped three consecutive personal records. Her second and best attempt traveled 42-4 for 721 points. In the long jump, Hall had matching marks of 17-10.25 after an opening foul to boost her total by 683 points and take 14^th in the event.

The pentathlon's conclusion in the 800m gave Hall a third-place finish in the event with a 2:23.29, which helped her make up points on the eventual overall winner, Texas A&M junior Tyra Gittens (4,391 points).

Lester started her day with a sixth-place finish in the 60m hurdles after clocking an 8.52 for 1,013 points. She approached her personal best next in the high jump with a third-attempt clearance at 5-5 for 795 points.

Creeping also close to her career best in the shot put, Lester built to a third throw of 35-11.25 for 592 points and was seventh in the event. She wasted no time in the long jump registering the best mark of her career at 18-9.25. This earned Lester 765 points going into the day's finale.

Lester was second overall in the 800m thanks to her 2:20.17 and managed to work her way into a fifth-place overall finish.

In the heptathlon, Garland took advantage of teammates Erm and Karel Tilga competing in just open events and surged into a day one lead. He opened with a 7.07 in the 60m for seventh place and 858 points. Garland bounced back from an opening long jump below his average and a second attempt foul to go 23 feet on his third try for 816 points.

Garland continued to improve his standings in the shot put by saving his best effort for this final toss. He went 46-3.25 to add 734 points to his total. Garland wrapped up the day with his top performance of the competition so far. He passed in the high jump until 6-5 and then cruised with first attempt clearances through his first four bars. Garland topped out at a third-attempt clearance of 6-11 for 906 points to distance him from Arkansas' Markus Ballengee (3,096) by 218 points.

Georgia also had five qualifiers during Friday's prelims on the track. A year after taking 14^th in the 200m prelims as a freshman, Elija Godwin took immediate control of his 400m prelims heat and finished with the fifth-fastest time in school history to qualify. He ran a 46.40 to have the third-fastest qualifying time of the day and finish with the best time for the Bulldogs since the late great Torrin Lawrence set the school record of 45.03 in 2010.

Godwin will take the track in the 400m final on Saturday at 5:40 p.m.

Godwin's training partner, freshman Matthew Boling, made his SEC meet debut in the 200m prelims and finished with the fastest qualifying time. Running out of the first heat, Boling ran a 20.74 during just the third race of his career at this distance indoors.

Boling will race in the 200m final on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

Sophomore Imani Carothers equaled her personal best in the 60m hurdle prelims and will now race in the final. She took third in her heat and sixth overall with the fourth-fastest time in UGA history (8.18) and will race again on Saturday at 6:07 p.m.

Coming into the meet with the nation's second-fastest 800m time, senior Amber Tanner surged into the front of her heat and never relinquished the lead to qualify for the final. Tanner made her four laps in 2:08.77 and finished with the fourth-fastest time overall on the day.

Tanner will race in the 800m final at 6:22 p.m. on the meet's second day.

Sophomore Anna Marian Block was in the second heat of the mile prelims and ended up with a group that slowed her race to a crawl for the first five laps. While hanging in the top four through the slower stretch, Block took off with three laps to go and crossed the finish line in second with a 4:54.17 (seventh overall).

Block will race in the mile final on Saturday at 5:20 p.m.

Results and recaps from the SEC Indoor Championships will be found at georgiadogs.com. News and updates from Georgia's track and field and cross country teams are always located on Twitter/Instagram at @UGATrack.

Bulldog Day 1 Scorers
Name	Event	Finish (Mark/Time)
Anna Hall	Pentathlon	2nd (4,166 pts.)
Haze Farmer	M. Pole vault	2nd (17-7)
Jasmine Moore	W. Long jump	2nd (21-1.25)
Jessica Drop	W. 5000m	4th (16:07.06)
Sterling Lester	Pentathlon	5th (4,986 pts.)
Samantha Drop	W. 5000m	7th (16:16.25)

Bulldog Day 1 Qualifiers
Name	Event	Finish (Mark/Time)
Matthew Boling	M. 200m	1st (20.74)
Elija Godwin	M. 400m	3rd (*46.40)
Amber Tanner	W. 800m	4th (2:08.77)
Imani Carothers	W. 60m hurdles	6th (*8.18)
Anna Marian Block	W. Mile	7th (4:54.17)

Pentathlon Scores
Name	60mH	HJ	SP	LJ	800m	TOTAL
Anna Hall	8.73 (967)	*6-0 (1,016)	*42-4 (721)	17-10.25 (683)	2:23.29 (779)	4166
Sterling Lester	^8.52 (1,013)	^5-5 (795)	^35-11.25 (592)	*18-9.25 (765)	2:20.17 (821)	3986