Track Splits Directions In Search Of NCAA Qualifying Marks

Thursday, March 25

Raleigh, N.C.

All Day

University of Georgia

Raleigh Relays

Track Splits Directions In Search Of NCAA Qualifying Marks

March 24, 2021 | Track & Field

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ATHENS, Ga. --- Representatives from the Bulldog track and field teams will head to both the Florida State Relays and the Raleigh Relays on Wednesday while another group will train through the weekend in Athens.

Twenty-six Bulldogs are entered in the Florida State Relays in Tallahassee, Fla., in a meet that runs on Thursday and Friday.  Seven distance runners are slated to compete at the Raleigh Relays in Raleigh, N.C., between Thursday and Saturday.

When Do The Dogs Start: Junior Alencar Pereira will start this week's action in the men's hammer throw at 2 p.m. on Thursday at the FSU Relays.  Freshman Charlotte Williams and sophomore Mia Anderson will compete in the women's hammer after the men's portion is complete.  The first Bulldogs on the track in Tallahassee will be sophomore Curtis Borden and senior Justes Nance in the men's 200-meter dash at 7 p.m.

Junior Clay Pender will begin the races for Georgia at the Raleigh Relays in the men's 1500m at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.  Jessica Drop is slated to run in the women's 10,000m at 9:20 p.m. later that night.

What Dogs Are Competing: At the FSU Relays, graduate transfers Julia Hall, Asya Reynolds, Jonathan Tharaldsen, seniors Halle McClintock, Marie-Therese Obst, Kayla Smith, Amber Tanner, Chelsea Zoller, Jack Bradley, Nance, juniors Grace Clements, Courtney Long, Alec Collins, Labo Oke, Pereira, sophomore Julia Fixsen, Anderson, Anna Hall, Gracie Jauch, Kaeli Thompson, Gavin Beverage, Borden, Nicolas Fontova and freshmen Zachary Roe, Williams and KC Heron are scheduled to compete.

During the Raleigh Relays, seniors Michael Hans, Drop, juniors Sam Bowers, Pender and sophomores Anna Marian Block, Sara Bailey and Wesley John are entered in a range of middle to long-distance races.

Live Results: For live results of the FSU Relays, please visit: http://gado.gs/6n2

For live results of the Raleigh Relays, please visit: https://gado.gs/6n0

Kyprianou's Comments: "We are splitting up our teams to three different locations this week so we can give everyone a good opportunity to get NCAA qualifying marks," said Bulldog head coach Petros Kyprianou.  "Our distance runners will compete at N.C. State where we traditionally have experienced some great races while a larger group, mainly with team members who did not competed indoors, will enjoy some great weather at Florida State.  The third group, mainly consisting of NCAA indoor competitors, will stay in Athens and train through the weekend.

"I'm looking forward to some great performances by our outdoor student-athletes as we have seen already from athletes like Marie(-Therese Obst) in the javelin.  Our mission remains the same in pursuing a shot at the NCAA title in both genders later in June.  But now we have to do our job and qualify as many team members as we can.  Go Dawgs!"

Honors Roll In For Obst: Obst, a native of Oslo, Norway, put the collegiate track and field world on notice with her season-opening performance at the Yellow Jacket Invitational.  Throwing the javelin in a competition for the first time since the 2019 NCAA East Prelims, Obst went a school record 195 feet to take over the national lead and was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Women's Field Athlete of the Week as well as the SEC Women's Co-Field Athlete of the Week.

Did You Know?: There have only been three longer throws than Obst's winning mark before the NCAA Championships during the last 10 seasons.  She took over the No. 10 spot on the all-time collegiate performer's list with her showing.

More Outdoor Debuts For The Bulldogs: While the Bulldogs demonstrated how potent their lineups were indoors, here is a look at notable members of Georgia's teams who are expecting to be competing for the first time outdoors for the Bulldogs when competition begins this week:

Julia Fixsen: Won this year's SEC indoor pole vault title after taking second in 2020 with a personal record of 14-7.50
Anna Hall: Won this year's SEC indoor pentathlon and became the No. 4 all-time collegiate performer in the event after scoring 4,590 earlier in 2021
Asya Reynolds: Completed her undergraduate career at Michigan State where she was the 2019 Big Ten heptathlon champion and competed at that year's NCAA Outdoor Championships

Glimpse At Where This Season Will Take The Dogs: This pair of meets mark the second and third of six scheduled regular season outdoor meets over five weekends, including the Spec Towns Invitational (April 9-10) and the fourth-annual Torrin Lawrence Memorial (April 30-May 1) in Athens on the Spec Towns Track.

The SEC Championships will arrive on May 13-15 in College Station, Texas., with the NCAA East Prelims scheduled for May 27-29 in Jacksonville, Fla.  The 2021 NCAA Championships are in Eugene, Ore., on June 9-12 (also in Oregon in 2022).  Historic Hayward Field at the University of Oregon has undergone a $270 million renovation since the meet was last there in 2018.  That ended a six-year stretch in the facility since the University of Texas played host to the 2019 meet.

How To Keep Up With The Dogs: Results and recaps from the Bulldogs' outdoor season 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.